JAMES, 2ND EARL OF DOUGLAS AND MAR (C. 1358-1388),

JAMES, 2ND EARL OF DOUGLAS AND MAR(C. 1358-1388), married Lady Isabel Stewart, daughter of Robert II. In 1385 he made war on the English with the assistance of a French contingent under John de Vienne. He allowed the English to advance to Edinburgh, wisely refusing battle, and contented himself with a destructive counter-raid on Carlisle. Disputes soon arose between the allies, and the French returned home at the end of the year. In 1388 Douglas captured Hotspur Percy's pennon in a skirmish near Newcastle. Percy sought revenge in the battle of Otterburn (August 1388), which ended in a victory for the Scots and the capture of Hotspur and his brother, though Douglas fell in the fight. The struggle, narrated by Froissart, is celebrated in the English and Scottish ballads called " Chevy Chase " and " The Battle of Otterburn." Sir Philip Sidney " never heard the oide song of Percy and Douglas that I found not my heart mooved more than with a trumpet " (Apologie for Poelrie). The 2nd earl left no legitimate male issue. His natural sons William and Archibald became the ancestors of the families of Douglas of Drumlanrig (see QUEENSBERRY) and Douglas of Cavers. His sister Isabel became countess of Mar, inheriting the lands of Mar and his unentailed estates.

1 A descendant of a younger son of the original William de Douglas.

2 Un the murder of the knight of Liddesdale, his lands, with the exception of Liddesdale and the .Hermitage forfeited to the crown and then secured by his nephew, fell to his nephew, Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith and Aberdpur (d. 1420), whose great-grandson James Douglas, 3rd Lord Dalkeith (d. 1504), became earl of Morton in 1458 on his marriage with Lady Joan Stewart, third daughter of James I. His grandson, the 3rd earl, left daughters only, of whom the eldest, Margaret, married James Hamilton,earl of Arran, regent of Scotland, ancestor of the dukes of Hamilton; Elizabeth married in 1543 James Douglas, who became by this marriage 4th earl of Morton. *•-.

Source: http://21.1911encyclopedia.org/D/DO/DOUGLAS_SIR_CHARLES.htm 

Father: William (1st Earl of Douglas) Douglas
Mother: Margaret (Countess of Mar) Mar

Marriage 1 unknown, or various!

• Marriage Beginning Status: Friends

1. son Douglas, died young
2. Catherine Douglas. She married James Douglas 28 OCT 1667. He was born 19 SEP 1639, and died 1708 NOTE: This cannot be correct!
3. William (Sir) (1st Baron of Drumlanrig) Douglas
4. Archibald (of Cavers) Douglas
5. Eleanor (of Douglas) Douglas b: ABT. 1380. She married William (Sir) (2nd of Philorth) Fraser ABT. 1400, son of Alexander (1st of Philorth) Fraser and Joanna or Janet Ross. He was born ABT. 1376, and died BEF. 1441.
6. Joan (of Mar) Douglas. She married William 5th Lord Dacre, son of Hugh (4th Lord Dacre) de Dacre and Elizabeth (of Carlaverock) Maxwell. He died 20 JUL 1388 (Unconfirmed)

• Married: AFT. 24 SEP 1371
• Marriage Beginning Status: Unknown

From Doug Hickling, referring to http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=maclaren&id=I03376 

"You show that the wife of James (2nd Earl of Douglas) Douglas was Isabella (of Durisdeer) Stewart whereas both SP and CP say that she was Isabel Stewart, daughter of King Robert II by Eupheme of Ross, but the name of the spouse is irrelevant because James's sons and a daughter were all illegitimate! This is why he granted the lands of Drumlanrig to his bastard son William and why James, the second Earl, was succeeded by his cousin Archibald Douglas (the Grim), bastard son of James, Lord of Douglas, called the good James (Sir) who was in turn the son of William (Sir) (le Hardi) Douglas."