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William, 1st Earl of Douglas and Mar
William, 1st Earl of Douglas and Mar, 1327?–1384, Scottish nobleman; nephew of Sir James de Douglas, lord of Douglas. About 1348 he returned to Scotland from France and recaptured the Douglas lands from the English. Later he took part in the negotiations for the ransom and release of David II. In 1354 he succeeded to the estates of his father and uncle and to the lands of his kinsman, William Douglas, Knight of Liddesdale, whom he had slain. Douglas engaged in French-incited raids on the English border and fought (1356) for the French in the battle of Poitiers. In 1358, he was made Earl of Douglas, and after the accession of Robert II he was made justiciar S of the Forth and received the lands of the Earl of Fife. At the death of his wife's brother in 1374, he received the lands and title of the Earl of Mar. Douglas had an illegitimate son by Margaret Stuart, countess of Angus in her own right. This was George Douglas, who became 1st Earl of Angus. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd version: Wiliam Douglas, 1st Earl of DOUGLAS (c. 1327-1384), had been educated in France, and returned to Scotland in 1348. In 1353 he killed in Ettrick Forest his kinsman, William, the knight of Liddesdale (c. 1300-1353), known as the " Flower of Chivalry," who had been warden of the western marches during David II.'s minority, and had taken a heroic share in driving the English from southern Scotland. Liddesdale had in 1342 lost the king's favour by the murder of Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie, whom David had made constable of the castle of Roxburgh and sheriff of Teviotdale in his place; he was taken prisoner at Nevill's Cross in 1346, and only released on becoming liegeman of Edward III. for the lands of Liddesdale and the castle of the Hermitage; Liddesdale2 was also accused of contriving the murder of Sir David Barclay in 1350. Some of his lands fell to his kinsman and murderer, who was created earl of Douglas in 1358. In 1357 his marriage with Margaret, sister and heiress of Thomas, i3th earl of Mar, eventually brought him the estates and the earldom of Mar. During a short truce with the warden of the English marches he had served in France, being wounded at Poitiers in 1356. He was one of the securities for the payment of David II.'s ransom, and in consequence of the royal misappropriation of some moneys raised for this purpose Douglas was for a short time in rebellion in 1363. In 1364 he joined David II. in seeking a treaty with England which should deprive Robert the Steward, formerly an ally of Douglas, of the succession by putting an English prince on the Scottish throne. The iur dependence of Scotland was to be guaranteed, and a special clause provided for the restoration of the English estates of the Douglas family. On the accession of Robert II. he was nevertheless reconciled, becoming justiciar of southern Scotland, and the last years of his life were spent in making and repelling border raids. He died at Douglas in May 1384, and was succeeded by his son James. By his wife's sister-in-law, Margaret Stewart, countess of Angus in her own right, and widow of the 13th earl of Mar, he had a son George, afterwards 1st earl of Angus. Source: http://21.1911encyclopedia.org/D/DO/DOUGLAS_SIR_CHARLES.htm
Father: Sir Archibald Douglas, 1297 - 1332 Note: There is also a theory that William's mother was Eleanor of Lovain, widow of William de Ferrers, Lord of Groby. She was. reportedly, Sir Archibald's 2nd wife.
Children of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart, Countess of Angus George
Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus+
b. b 1378, d. a Sep 1402 |
