Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven

 

Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven was married to Lord Erskine’s daughter, Margaret, one time mistress to James V,  by whom she had 6 children. She was mother of James Stewart, Mary Queen of Scots’ half-brother, her First Minister who later became Regent Moray. Margaret was also mother of Catherine Douglas who married David Durie of that Ilk in 1557 (Date of marriage contract). Her brother George Douglas, known as the Postulate, was also married to a Margaret Durie. He was the murderer of Mary Queen of Scots’ Italian secretary Rizzio using her husband Lord Darnley's knife.

Extracts from "A history of the house of Douglas from the earliest times down to the legislative union of England and Scotland" by Herbert Maxwell

Upon one branch of the house of Douglas, indeed, the " Red Tod " cast a mingled aspect of love and hate. His former mistress, Margaret, daughter of Lord Erskine, had become the wife of Robert Douglas of Lochleven. She had borne the King a son, afterwards to become famous as the Regent Moray; and in 1536 James entertained serious intentions of obtaining her divorce from Douglas in order to make her his queen, and addressed the Pope to that end.- Had that been carried into effect, and the bastard legitimised by a trifling feat of ecclesiastical legerdemain, what fine scope for speculation there is about the results of an able Stuart of full age succeeding as James VI.

But this was not to be. James chose a French wife, and the realm of Scotland had to " dree its weird."

and

Angus complied with the order for his banishment, but was soon up to the ears in a fresh conspiracy, not against the King, but against Arran's government. In concert with JMar, Glamis, and Gowrie, he matured a plan for the seizure of Stirling Castle. He wrote to young Robert Douglas of Lochleven, summoning him to bring all the aid he could, but Robert's mother intercepted the letter and dissuaded her son from joining such a foolish enterprise.

Gowrie was not whole-hearted in the matter, but allowed himself to be taken by the King's officers at Dundee, and endeavoured to make terms for himself. Angus, who had just obtained a royal warrant to come to Dundee, and thence pass out of the kingdom 16th April

 

 

  • Birth: abt 1515, Kilmarnock, Scotland
  • Death: 10 SEP 1547 in Killed at the Battle of Pinkie


Father: Thomas Douglas
Mother: Elizabeth Boyd

Marriage 1 Margaret (of Mar) Erskine
  • Married: 15 JUL 1527
Children
  1. Has Children William (6th Earl of Morton) Douglas b: 1540
  2. Has Children Eupheme (of Morton) Douglas
  3. Has Children Robert (4th Earl of Buchan) Douglas
  4. Has Children George (Sir) (of Helenhill) Douglas (1)
  5. Has Children Janet (of Lochleven) Douglas
  6. Has No Children Catherine (of Morton) Douglas

William became jailor to Mary, Queen of Scots, and George assisted with her escape.

Christina Stewart, Countess of Buchan in her own right, succeeded her grandfather, John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Buchan, in 1551. In that year she was, as heir to her father, enfeoffed in the lands, jurisdictions, and offices enumerated in her grandfather's charter of 1547. She was only three years of age at her mother's death, and was placed under the guardianship of Margaret Erskine, wife of Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven.

Notes:
1.  Sir George Douglas of Helenhill and Rumgawye (Rungallie). He assisted Queen Mary to escape from Lochleven Castle in 1567. He was married, and left an only daughter. According to Bishop Burnet, he had a son by Queen Mary, who was named George Douglas.  George Douglas of Rungallie, usher to the king in 1580, is described as 'brother german of William Douglas of Lochleven'. 
2.  George appears also to have had a son, Robert who married as his first wife Margaret Kirkcaldy, and had issue James, of Earnslaw 

See also:

  • Margaret Erskine's Deed
  • Lochleven Castle
  • Ballad: Answeir to the Englisch Ballad
  •  
  • The Marian civil war in Scotland (1568–1573)
  •  


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