George Douglas, Master of Angus
George Douglas, Master of Angus (1469 – 9 September 1513) was a
Scottish Nobleman. The son of
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl
of Angus and Elizabeth Boyd, daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord
Boyd, he was born at Tantallon Castle and died at the Battle of
Flodden.
In 1489 the 5th Earl of Angus, George's father
resigned his lordships of Tantallon, Douglasdale, Liddesdale,
Ewesdale, Eskdale, Selkirk, and Jedburgh Forest to the crown. James
III then granted a new charter in favour of the Master.
During the stand off between James III and the party backing his son
James, then Duke of Rothesay, the Master attended the last
parliament of the king before his death at the
Battle of Sauchieburn. It
is not recorded to which faction the younger Angus adhered to. He
attended parliament again under the newly crowned James IV in 1490.
The Master did not take an active part in Public affairs until
1499 when he took formal control over his lordships of Eskdale and
Ewesdale. These lordships had become renowned for lawlessness and
banditry, and the Master was appointed by the King as warden of
Eskdale. In his capacity of Warden he met with his English
counterpart Lord Dacre at Canonbie to hear grievances and fix
punishments.
The Younger Angus was not a particularly effective at
restoring law and order. His undue leniency to his own tenantry
caused the King to deprive him of office in 1506, granting it
instead to Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home. George did however,
gain the Barony of Crawford-Lindsay in 1510, and his father made
over his estates of Kirriemuir, Abernethy, and Horsehopcleugh in
the same year.
In late August 1513 the Master of Angus
rode out with his father the Earl, and his younger brother Sir
William Douglas of Glenbervie at the head of a large Douglas
contingent and their adherents. On reaching the mustering point
at the Ellemford, north of Duns, they joined with the largest
and most modern army that Scotland had ever fielded. The army
proceeded under King James into England where it eventually met
with the army of the Earl of Surrey at
Flodden Edge.
A
petulant Earl of Angus having had his advice snubbed by King
James left the field and returned to Scotland, leaving the
Master and his brother in charge of the Douglas contingent.
Nothing more is recorded of the Master of Angus except an
anecdote recorded by David Hume of Godscroft recording the last
moments of King James. When Sir Edward Stanley had broken the
Scottish left under the Earl of Lennox and Earl of Argyll. King
James in the centre dismounted and prepared to make his stand
amongst his spearmen. On noticing the Master of Angus still on
horseback, he cried to him, "asking if it had been in the manner
of his race to remain mounted while their sovereign fought on
foot". To which the Master replied asking whether "it was the
fashion of the King of Scots to wear his mail and armorial
bearings while fighting on foot". The master hit a raw nerve in
James chivalric mind and he replied "I dare fight upon my feet
as well as you or any subject I have, and that without
coat-armour or royal cognisance."
The English Billmen now
closed on the Scottish centre and King James was found within a
spear length of Surrey. Whether Godscroft's anecdote is true or
not, that the Master of Angus taunts drove him to his death, the
Master was equal to the King in reckless gallantry. The Master's
corpse was found amongst the twelve Scottish Earls and seventeen
Lords which lost their lives. According to Godscroft over 200
men of the name of Douglas died also.
In 1485 the Master
of Angus was contracted in marriage to Margaret, daughter of
Laurence Oliphant, 1st Lord Oliphant. It appears that this
contract was not fulfilled as George was wed in 1488 to
Elizabeth Drummond, daughter of John Drummond, 1st Lord
Drummond. The marriage ran afoul of the strictures of a small
feudal society such as Scotland: it was found out some years
after the marriage that it was within the prohibited degrees of
consanguinity. The Master of Angus applied for and successfully
obtained Papal dispensation in 1495.
- Birth: ABT. 1469
- Death: 9 SEP 1513 in Killed in battle of
Flodden
Father: Archibald (5th Earl of
Angus) Douglas b: 1453
Mother: Elizabeth
Boyd
Marriage 1 Elizabeth
Drummond
Children
Archibald (6th Earl of Angus)
Douglas b: ABT. 1498= Margaret
Tudor b: 28 NOV 1489
-
George
(Sir) (of Pittendreich) Douglas = Elizabeth
Douglas, Dau of David Douglas of Pittendreich
William Douglas, (Prior of
Coldingham and Abbot
of Holyrood House)
-
Alison
(of Angus) Douglas = David
(of Wedderburn) Home
-
Janet (of Angus) Douglas
-
Margaret
(of Angus) Douglas= 1513 James
(Sir) (7th Baron of Drumlanrig) Douglas
-
Elizabeth
(of Angus) Douglas = c1509 John
(of Yester) 3rd Lord Hay
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variation on descriptor, below |
Crest of
Alison Douglas |
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