James Douglas, (1426 - 22 October 1493), the 4th Lord
of Dalkeith, was created the 1st Earl of Morton in 1458.
He was
the son of James Douglas, 2nd Lord of Dalkeith and Elizabeth Gifford,
daughter of James Gifford of Sheriffhall. His father resigned all his
estates to James in 1456 when James became the 4th Lord of Dalkeith.
James was created Earl of Morton in 1458 upon his marriage to Joanna
Stewart (1428-1493), the deaf-mute daughter of James I, King of Scots
and Queen Joan Beaufort.
The Earl entered into a marriage
contract with Patrick Graham, Bishop of St. Andrews between the Bishop's
niece and John Douglas, the Earl's eldest son and heir. In turn the
Grahams, the Bishop, his brother and nephew, allied themselves to the
Earl and pledged to assist him in recovering the diverted lands of
Whittingehame and Morton. It appears, however, that this pledge was
intended to draw the Earl of Morton into a conspiracy that included the
Bishop, Lord Boyd and his party. Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd who, as one
of the Regents during the minority of Robert III of Scotland, took
possession of the young king and married his son to the king's elder
sister, for which crimes he was later attainted for high treason. The
Earl of Morton apparently did not participate since he sat on the jury
which convicted the Boyds. Bishop Graham was later excommunicated and
deposed.
The lands of Whittinghame and all rights over the barony
of Morton, Dumfriesshire were resigned into the Earl's hands in 1473-4
and in that same year he recovered the lordship of Dalkeith increasing
the Earls already vast estates. He re-endowed the collegiate church at
Dalkeith that his 3rd great-grandfather had founded and he also
established St. Martha's Hospital and Nunnery in Aberdour, circa 1474.
The Earl and his wife had children:
•John (2nd Earl of Morton)
Douglas b: BEF. 1466 Died: Abt 1512 m. Janet Crichton (dau of Patrick
Crichton of Cranstonriddel)
•Johanna Douglas = Patrick (1st
Earl of Bothwell) Hepburn
•James Douglas, Born: Abt 1463
•Elizabeth Douglas, Born: Abt 1467, Died: Aft 1479
•Janet
Douglas, Born: Abt 1469 Died: Aft 1489 Married: Thomas, 2nd Lord
Erskine, Bef 1445
The Earl died on 22 October 1493 when his son John
succeeded him as the 2nd Earl of Morton. His wife Joanna predeceased him
by 4 months dying on 22 June 1493. Their tomb, known as the Morton
Monument, is located in the late gothic choir of St. Nicholas Church,
Dalkeith
Notes:
Different sources allocate the children
differently. Most state the wife of Bothwell to be Janet, yet the Earl
refers to two children as Johanna and Elizabeth in a deed (see Martha's
Hospital document). Some say Janet is not of this generation
See also:
The Earls of Morton
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