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- Note: There is clearly something wrong with his place of birth!
The following is as it was received.
SOURCE: THE ROYALTY OF SCOTLAND; http://www.heraldry.ws/
THE HOUSE OF STEWART
EXCERPTS:
ROBERT II, (only child of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward ofScotland, and Marjorie Bruce, daughter of ROBERT I), born 2 March,1315-16, Steward of Scotland, 9 April, 1326, Regent 1335-41, and1346-57, created Earl of Atholl, 16 February 1341-2, Earl ofStrathearn before 1357-8, and crowned at Scone, 26 March, 1371. Hemarried firstly (dispensation dd 22 November 1347), Elizabeth (diedante 1355), daughter of Sir Adam Mure, of Rowallan. By her he hadpreviously had issue,...etc....
Robert II, married secondly (Papal Dispensation 2 May, 1355), Euphemia(died 1387), widow of John Randolph, Earl of Moray, and daughter ofHugh, Earl of Ross, and by her had issue,
+Egidia, married 1387, Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale, natural sonof Archibald, third Earl of Douglas, and had issue.
Robert II died at his Castle of Dundonald, 19 Apri1, 1390, and wassucceeded by his eldest son, John Stewart, Earl of Carrick,...etc..."
NOTE: The above site gives a complete history in short version ofeach personage in Scotland's Royal History, and is an excellentoutline of the royalty. The site also offers free coat of arms onvarious families in Scotland and Ireland, plus in some cases even hasa history of that family's beginnings. This will be a site you willwant to keep as a reference.
SOURCE: Dumfries and Galloway - South West Scotland
including Moffat, Lockerbie, Thornhill
Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas
The south west corner of Scotland has a beautiful coastline and manypicturesque seaside villages on the Solway Firth. There are plenty ofopportunities for walking, cycling, mountain biking, horse riding,watersports and golf, not to mention numerous gardens to visit thanksto the relatively mild climate. Galloway has Britain's largest forestpark which includes woodlands, moorland, mountains and lochs.
The area has lots of historic places of interest including picturesqueThreave Castle, Caerlaverock Castle and Sweetheart Abbey. Principaltowns include: Dumfries (home to Robert Burns at one time),Kirkcudbright (the Artists' Town), Castle Douglas (the Food Town) andWigtown (the Book Town).
SOURCE: www.old-kirkcudbright.net
"History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway.
by P.H. McKerlie.1878.
PARISH OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT; EXCERPTS FROM A VERY LONG ARTICLE;http://www.old-kirkcudbright.net/landowners/mckerlie.asp
"We next learn that, in July 1300, King Edward I., with his queen andcourt, occupied the castle for ten days as his residence when heinvaded Galloway. He made an oblation of seven shillings at the altarof the convent or monastery of Grey Friars. When there, he receivedfrom the town of Drogheda a present of eighty hogsheads of wine. Thedistrict was afterwards cleared of enemies by Edward Bruce, and thecastle bestowed on him by his brother King Robert. At his death itreverted to the crown. It was next granted in 1369 by David II. toArchibald Douglas, with whose descendants it remained until theirforfeiture in 1451, when it fell to the crown. King David II. alsogranted the Constabulary of Kirkubry to Fergus M'Dowgall, with anethree merk land."
"In 1455 King James II. visited Kirkcudbright, on his way to takeThreave Castle. The town was made by him a royal burgh by charterdated at Perth. 26th October 1455, in which the chief magistrate wasstyled alderman. etc..."
"Robert Lidderdale, etc., may have been other children. In 1681,Thomas Lidderdale, along with Grierson of Lag, held one of thegrievous courts at Kirkcudbright, against the Presbyterians. In 1683,he held another court in Twynholm in a severe and overbearing manner.On the 12th February 1698, James was served heir to his father ThomasLidderdale of Sanct Mary Isle. He married Margaret, youngest daughterof Andrew Heron of Kirouchtrie, and widow (without issue) of JohnM'Kie of Larg, parish of Minnigaff. By her he had issue-
Thomas.
- -, daughter, who married John Douglas, surgeon."
It is stated that Thomas, son of James Lidderdale of St. Mary's Isle,went to the West Indies, made a fortune, and on what was called aSpanish voyage (no doubt to the mainland called Spanish Main inseveral parts) he died. etc..."
"It is necessary to give an account of the present family, which is asfollows, - Lord William Douglas (eldest son of William, first Marquisof Douglas, by his second wife, Lady Mary Gordon, daughter of George,first Marquis of Huntly) was raised to the peerage of Scotland in1646, by the titles of Baron Daer [This title is taken from a burn inthe Upper Ward of Lanarkshire.] and Shortcleuch and Earl of Selkirk,to him and his heirs male for ever; but, marrying afterwards Anne,Duchess of Hamilton, he was created Duke of Hamilton for life, when heresigned the earldom of Selkirk, etc., in 1688, which were conferredon his second and younger sons.
[The origin of this family is not clear. It has been assumed that itis from the Manor of Hambledon, parish of Barkby, Leicestershire,which belonged to the Earls of Leicester, and from whose grant theHamiltons obtained the same. The Earls of Leicester are stated to havebeen descended from Bernard, a kinsman to Rollo the Norseman, firstDuke of Normandy who married, in A.D. 912, Sphreta de Burgeudia, andhad issue Turfus whose great-grandson, Roger de Bellomoute,accompanied William the Norman or Conqueror to England in 1066. Hisson, Roth, was created Earl of Leicester, in A.D. 1103, by Henry I.William, third son of Robert third Earl of Leicester, is stated tohave assumed the name of de Hamilton from the place of his birth, andwas the founder of the Hamilton family in Scotland, having gone thereabout A.D. 1216, and to have married Mary, only daughter and heir ofGilbert, Earl of Strathern, and had issue Gilbert Hamilton, whomarried Isabella, sister of Thomas Randolph, first Earl of Moray. Thisis the history as given by Archibald, but it is not consideredsatisfactory.
The first on record in Scotland is Gilbert de Hameldun, who, in theChartulary of Paisley, under date A.D. 1272, is found as Gilberto deHameldun, clerico. It is considered probable that be may have been thefather of Walter, John, and Hugo. A Walter filius Gilberti de Hamiltonis stated to have sworn fealty to Edward I. in 1292 and 1296, but wehave not in this case investigated the Roll, to see how the name
was spelled, which is necessary, as experience has proved to us. Hejoined, subsequently, King Robert I., as every foreigner did whenfortune seemed to smile on his efforts to free Scotland. No credit tothose who then joined. He got, however, from the king a charter ofCadzow, now Hamilton, and at one time a royal property or residence.In subsequent reigns various other lands were obtained. Sir JamesHamilton, in after times rose in influence on the ruin of theDouglases. On the 28th June 1445, he was created a hereditary Lord ofParliament by royal charter, with the land of Cadzhow and Mawehane.James, second Lord Hamilton, was created Earl of Arran, 11th August1503. His son became Duke of Chatelherault in France in 1548, and hisissue were-
James, third Earl of Arran.
John, Marquis of Hamilton.
David, died without issue.
Claud, ancestor of Earls, now Duke of Abercorn.
The title of Duke was conferred, in 1643, on James, Earl of Arran, theelder son of the second Marquis of Hamilton. He had only daughters,and Anna, eldest surviving daughter, succeeded. She married LordWilliam Douglas, eldest son of William, first Marquis of Douglas. Anaccount of the Douglas family will be found under Threave, parish ofBalmaghie.]"
SOURCE: History; For the castle in South Lanarkshire, see DouglasCastle; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balmaghie
"Castle Douglas (Gd: Caisteal Dh?ghlais), a town in the south ofScotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part ofGalloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie andGatehouse of Fleet.
Balmaghie (from the Scottish Gaelic Baile Mac Aoidh) is a civil parishin Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is bordered by the River Dee tothe north and east. The River Dee is commonly known as the Black Waterof Dee on the northern border, the name changes with the meeting ofthe Water of Ken to the north west and is then known as Loch Ken alongthe eastern border. Balmaghie parish borders Girthon to the west andTongland and Twynholm to the south. The closest market town is CastleDouglas about 6 miles from Balmaghie Kirk.
Castle Douglas is built next to Carlingwark Loch in which traces ofprehistoric crannogs can be found, evidence of early inhabitation ofthe area. Small Roman forts were situated nearby, built around AD 81but were abandoned soon after.
Nearby Threave Castle was a seat of the powerful "Black" Earls ofDouglas. A small collection of cottages developed by the shores ofCarlingwark, which was a source of marl. These cottages can still beseen on the Western approach to Castle Douglas and are known as theBuchan. The development of a military road through Galloway passedthrough the Carlingwark area and improved transportation connectionsin the 1700s.
Castle Douglas was founded in 1792 by a wealthy descendant of theDouglas family, William Douglas, who made his money in an 'AmericanTrade' and created a planned town on the shores of Carlingwark Loch.The town's layout is based upon the grid plan pattern of streets asused in Edinburgh's New Town, built around the same time. Sir WilliamDouglas also created a number of industries in Castle Douglas,including hand-woven cotton factories from which Cotton Street derivesits name.
The completion of the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway in 1859further improved the town's connections, and it soon developed into amajor market town for the surrounding area. This is still true todayand the 1900 hexagonal market building is in constant use. Althoughthe railway was closed in 1965 the A75 trunk road was developedroughly following the lines of the original military road and passedthrough Castle Douglas. The many hotels and pubs which derived fromcoach stops are an indication of the town's importance as a stoppingplace for travellers.
SOURCE: "Douglas/Douglass
Replies: 17 ;http://boards.rootsweb.com//surnames.douglass/1011.6.2.1.2/mb.ashx?
Re: Douglas/Douglass
Posted: 6 Nov 2008 3:46PM GMT
Classification: Query
I know a great deal about the history of the family having researchedit for years in both the US and in Scotland. The short version is thatat the outset of the Scottish war of independence, a young JamesDouglas was determined to regain his father's forfeited barony. Hecast his lot with Robert the Bruce who was eventually successful inthrowing off the yoke of English domination. Young Douglas and Brucebecame fast friends and the new king rewarded Douglas with not onlythe restoration of the barony, but with substantial land holdingselsewhere.
Some of the land still belongs to the descendants to this day. Allthat remains of the original Douglas Castle is a ruined tower, but bywalking the ground around it, now used to graze sheep, one can stillsee where the outer walls of the castle were and there is a debrisfield where elements of the collapsed interior are still visible.
The medieval hamlet of Douglas, which grew up around the castle, isstill inhabited, and there is a small museum in the former dower housewhere the elderly Douglas women were cared for, with some artifactsfrom the castle.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is the still standing St. Bride'sKirk where James and a few of his vassals ambushed the Englishgarrison that held his father's castle. When I was there, I wasfortunate enough to find someone who could let me see the inside. TheKirk, has not been used in about 200 years (it date from the mid 13thcentury) so going inside to see the tombs of James, The Black Douglas,and his son, Archibald was a real treat. For the record, James'remains aren't in the tomb. It, was opened, in the 1990s for study andit was empty. Rumor has it that his remains are actually interred atone of his smaller castles, which he preferred.
The Black Douglas?s became so wealthy and powerful that theychallenged the king. Had the Battle of Arkinholm gone the other way,there would have been Douglas?s on the throne of Scotland instead ofStewarts. The bottom line is the king's forces won, the BlackDouglas?s were forfeited, and their holdings given to the RedDouglas?s who sided with the king. Thus, at the Battle of Arkinholm,the Blacks and the Red?s, were opposed.
I could go on and on, but that is the quick version without a lot ofdetail.
David" [Transcribed 08 November 2008, SLJuhl RNBSC, Compiler & FamilyGenealogist; sljuhl1234@yahoo.com]
If you are interested--DNA:http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Douglas/
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