This page is concerned with the holders of the forfeit title Earl of Douglas and the preceding

feudal barons A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely bee ...

Douglas, South Lanarkshire Douglas () is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the south bank of the Douglas Water and on the A70 road that links Ayr, on the West coast of Scotland, to Edinburgh on the East, around 12 miles south west of Lanark. The ...

. The title was created in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland (; ) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union 1707, Treaty of Union, the Kingdom of Scots and the ...

in 1358 for

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (c. 1323 – 1 May 1384) was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish nobleman, peer, magnate, and head of the Black Douglas family. Under his leadership, the Black Douglases continued their climb to pre-eminence i ...

, son of Sir Archibald Douglas,

Guardian of Scotland The Guardians of Scotland were regents who governed the Kingdom of Scotland from 1286 until 1292 and from 1296 until 1306. During the many years of minority in Scotland's subsequent history, there were many guardians of Scotland and the post ...

. The Earldom was forfeited by

James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, 3rd Earl of Avondale KG (1426–1491) was a Scottish nobleman, last of the 'Black' earls of Douglas. Early life The son of James the Gross, 7th Earl of Douglas, by his wife Lady Beatrice Sinclair, daugh ...

, in 1455.

Origins

Mythic beginnings

The Earls of Douglas, chiefs of

Clan Douglas Clan Douglas ( Gaelic: ''Dùbhghlas'') is an ancient clan or noble house from the Scottish Lowlands. Taking their name from Douglas in Lanarkshire, their leaders gained vast territories throughout the Borders, Angus, Lothian, Moray, and also ...

, and their successors claimed descent from Sholto Douglas, a mythical figure dated by Godscroft to 767 AD. However, it is more likely that they were descendants of

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

immigrants to Scotland, during the reign of

David I David I may refer to: * David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399 * David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741) * David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881) * David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048) * David I of Scotland ...

. Through the marriage of

William the Hardy Sir William Douglas "le Hardi" (''"the Bold"''), Lord of Douglas (1243 – ) was a Scottish nobleman and soldier. Early life William Douglas was the son of William Longleg, Lord of Douglas and it is supposed by his possible second wife, C ...

, grandfather of the 1st Earl, to Eleanor de Lovaine, the Earls of Douglas could trace their ancestry to the Landgraves of Brabant. In the story of Sholto Douglas, his son William Douglas is a commander of forces sent by the mythical Scottish king Achaius (Eochaid?), to the court of Charlemagne to aid him in his wars against

Desiderius Desiderius, also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born – died ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy, ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne, married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. De ...

, King of the

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

. William Douglas is said to have settled in

Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...

where his descendants became powerful local magnates under the name Scotti (or Scoto), and eventual leaders of the

Guelf The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centurie ...

faction of that city.

Historicity

The first Douglas on record in Scotland is

William I, Lord of Douglas William of Douglas (died c. 1214) was a medieval nobleman living in Clydesdale, an area under the control of the King of the Scots. Enigmatic origins The origins of William are uncertain, the first of the name of Douglas to appear on historic re ...

(c. 1174-1214), where he was witness to a charter of bishop

Jocelin of Glasgow Jocelin (or Jocelyn) (died 1199) was a Scottish Cistercian monk and cleric who became the fourth Abbot of Melrose before becoming Bishop of Glasgow, Scotland. He was probably born in the 1130s, and in his teenage years became a monk of Melrose ...

in 1198, where he signed "''Will. de Dufglas''" in what can only be a territorial designation. It can be deduced however, that there was a connection to the House of Moray and its progenitor,

Freskin Freskin (died before 1171) was a Flemish nobleman who settled in Scotland during the reign of King David I, becoming the progenitor of the Murray and Sutherland families, and possibly others. Origins Freskin was said to have come to the Lowla ...

, Lord of Duffus, insofar as the later blazon of both Houses both contained three stars argent on a field azure; further in a document pertaining to

Bricius de Douglas Bricius (sometimes anglicized as Brice, died 1222) was prior of Lesmahagow and afterward bishop of Moray (Gaelic ''epscop Muireb''; Latin ''episcopus Moraviensis''). In this period, the name ''Bricius'' is more often a Latinization of the Ga ...

, William of Douglas's son and

Bishop of Moray The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. If the foundation charter of the monastery at Scone is reliable, then the Bishopric of Mor ...

, he refers to his ''avunculus'' Freskin of Kerdal, an unusual name for the time in Scotland. This connection with the Morays can be later attested in a rhyme penned by

Andrew of Wyntoun Andrew Wyntoun, known as Andrew of Wyntoun (), was a Scottish poet, a canon and prior of Loch Leven on St Serf's Inch and, later, a canon of St. Andrews. Andrew Wyntoun is most famous for his completion of an eight-syllabled metre entitled, ...

around the time of the marriage of Archibald the Grim to Johanna de Moravia the Moray heiress, of which further below: It is also attested to by the fact that Archibald the Grim and Johanna de Moravia had to receive permission from the pope to marry because of consanguinity.

Famous art works

In the early 16th century

Charles II D'Amboise Charles II d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chaumont (1473 – 11 March 1511) was a French nobleman, who acted as French governor of Milan (1503–1511) during the reign of Louis XII and as a French commander during the War of the League of Cambrai. ...

commissioned

Bernardino de' Conti Bernardino de 'Conti (di Conti or dei Conti) was an Italian Renaissance painter, born in 1465 in Castelseprio, Lombardy, Castelseprio and died around 1525. He is said to have been born as the son of "master Baldassarre", an obscure painter. Repo ...

to do a portrait painting for him in 1505 AD. Although a friend and patron of

Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

, D'Amboise picked de' Conti for his traditional style of oil painting. Prominently inscribed on the top left the painting reads, "The Earl of Douglas surnamed Black Dudley" (referring to James, Lord of Douglas). It is unknown how many renditions de' Conti created, but there is one that resides in the

Seattle Art Museum The Seattle Art Museum (commonly known as SAM) is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The museum operates three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in ...

, another once owned by

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

belongs to the Royal Family, and at least one belongs in a private collection.

Rise to power

Sir William the Hardy is the first of the Douglas Lords on record to take a major part in domestic and international affairs. He partook in Wallace's uprising against English rule in Scotland and died captive in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

. His son Sir James Douglas, his estates forfeit to the English crown, swore allegiance to

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

in 1306 prior to the latter's coronation, and was to share the deprivations and small victories of Bruce during the years leading up to

Bannockburn Bannockburn () is an area immediately south of the centre of Stirling in Scotland. It is part of the City of Stirling. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a stream running through the town before flowing into the River Forth. History Land in ...

. Afterwards he was appointed Warden of the Western March on the Scottish Border. Following Bruce's death, Sir James Douglas, now known as either "the Black Douglas" to the English, or the "Good Sir James" to the Scots, took the King's heart on crusade, and died fighting the Moors in Spain.

Earldom of Douglas

The Good Sir James's nephew William, Lord of Douglas was created 1st Earl of Douglas in 1358, and greatly increased Douglas territory by marrying

Margaret, Countess of Mar Margaret of Mar (died c. 1391) was Countess of Mar, an ancient earldom in Scotland, in her own right. Life She was a daughter of Domhnall II of Mar and became Countess of Mar in her own right after the death of her brother Thomas, 9th Earl ...

. The creation of the Earldom can be accurately dated to 26 January that year, because of a charter witnessed by Douglas on the 25 January where he is described as "William, Lord of Douglas, Knight", and another of the 27th of the month as the Earl of Douglas. The power of Douglas was further increased by the marriage of the 2nd Earl to Princess Isabel, daughter to

Robert II of Scotland Robert II (2 March 1316 – 19 April 1390) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. The son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and Marjorie Bruce, Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, h ...

. The acme of Douglas territorial power came when

Archibald the Grim Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Douglas and Bothwell (c. 1330 – c. 24 December 1400), called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibald, was a late medieval Scottish nobleman. Archibald was the illegitimate son o ...

, Lord of Galloway a bastard son of the Good Sir James inherited the Earldom following the 2nd Earl's death at the

Battle of Otterburn The Battle of Otterburn, also known as the Battle of Chevy Chase, took place according to Scottish sources on 5 August 1388, or 19 August according to English sources, as part of the continuing border skirmishes between the Scots and Eng ...

. "Black Archibald" as he was also known, was by right of conquest Lord of Galloway; and by right of his wife, the Moray heiress Joanna de Moravia, the Lord of Bothwell and its vast entail. Already one of the largest landowners in the realm, Archibald the Grim was now the greatest

Tenant-in-chief In medieval and early modern Europe, a tenant-in-chief (or vassal-in-chief) was a person who held his lands under various forms of feudal land tenure directly from the king or territorial prince to whom he did homage, as opposed to holding them ...

of the Scottish Crown. William, the 1st Earl, Archibald the Grim and both his son the 4th Earl and grandson, the 5th Earl fought in France as well as the along the Anglo-Scottish Border, during what would become known as the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...

. The 1st Earl and the 3rd were both present at the

Battle of Poitiers The Battle of Poitiers was fought on 19September 1356 between a Kingdom of France, French army commanded by King John II of France, King JohnII and an Kingdom of England, Anglo-Gascony, Gascon force under Edward the Black Prince, Edward, the ...

, and the future 5th Earl Archibald, Earl of Wigtown was a deputy of

John Stewart, Earl of Buchan John Stewart, Earl of Buchan ( – 17 August 1424) was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought alongside the Kingdom of France during the Hundred Years War. In 1419, he was sent to France by his father the Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotla ...

at the

Battle of Baugé The Battle of Baugé, fought between the English and a Franco- Scots army on 22 March 1421 at Baugé, France, east of Angers, was a major defeat for the English in the Hundred Years' War. The English army was led by the king's brother Thom ...

and elsewhere.

Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, Duke of Touraine (c. 1369 – 17 August 1424), was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman and warlord. He is sometimes given the epithet "Tyneman" (Old Scots: Loser), but this may be a reference to his great- ...

, had fought at

Homildon Hill The Battle of Holmedon Hill or Battle of Homildon Hill was a conflict between English and Scottish armies on 14 September 1402 in Northumberland, England. The battle was recounted in William Shakespeare's ''Henry IV, Part 1''. Although Humbl ...

, was captured there and then joined the rebel Northern English Barons to fight at

Battle of Shrewsbury The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King Henry IV and a rebel army led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland. The battle, the first in which English archers fought ea ...

where he was again captured. It was during this episode of his life that Douglas makes an appearance as one of the characters in

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the Battle of H ...

''. In 1423 Douglas's son Wigtown, returned to Scotland to raise more troops for the French war and managed to enlist his father's support, the 4th Earl sailed for France with an army some 6,500 strong, was created

Duke of Touraine {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Duke of Touraine was a title in the Peerage of France, relating to Touraine. It was first created in 1360 for Philip the Bold, youngest son of King John II of France. He returned the duchy to the Crown in 1363 ...

and

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

of France by a grateful Dauphin. Douglas was killed at

Battle of Verneuil The Battle of Verneuil was a battle of the Hundred Years' War, fought on 17 August 1424 near Verneuil-sur-Avre in Normandy between an English army and a combined Franco-Scottish force, augmented by Milanese heavy cavalry. The battle was a si ...

in 1424. The 5th Earl of Douglas upon his accession was sometime regent of Scotland during the minority of

James II of Scotland James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his fathe ...

and Lieutenant-General of Scotland. The 5th Earl's sons, the sixteen-year-old

William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas William, 6th Earl of Douglas (c. 1424 – 24 November 1440) was a Scottish nobleman. In addition to his Earldom of Douglas, he was Earl of Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Bothwell, Selkirk and Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Lauderdale, and ...

and his brother David Douglas, were to be victim to the cabal of Sir William Crichton, Sir

Alexander Livingston of Callendar Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar (died 1451) was a significant figure in the early part of the reign of King James II of Scotland. Life Livingston was the son of Sir John Livingston of Callendar House and his wife Marjorie, a daughter ...

, and their great uncle James Douglas, Earl of Avondale who wished to break the power of the Black Douglases. The boys were summoned to

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...

, and where at what is known as the "Black Dinner" the Earl and his brother were taken into the Castleyard and executed before the young king.

Downfall of the Black Douglases

The Earl of Avondale, the boys' great uncle and supposed conspirator into their deaths, became the 7th Earl of Douglas; known as "James the Gross" he inherited all the Douglas patrimony and died in 1443. Far from breaking Douglas power, the death of the 6th Earl consolidated it into the hands of the five formidable sons of James the Gross. James II of Scotland, exasperated at his overmighty vassal,

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, 2nd Earl of Avondale (1425 – 22 February 1452) was a late Medieval Scottish nobleman, Lord of Galloway, and Lord of the Regality of Lauderdale, and the most powerful magnate in Southern Scotland. He was ki ...

, and his refusal to break a league entered into with the

Earl of Crawford Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in Great Britain, having been created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1398 for David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford, Sir David Lindsay. It is the premier earldom recorded on the Union Roll. ...

and

John of Islay John of Islay (or John MacDonald) ( or ) (died 1386) was the lord of the Isles (1336–1386) and chief of Clan Donald. In 1336, he styled himself ''Dominus Insularum'' ('Lord of the Isles'), although this was not the first ever recorded instan ...

, stabbed him to death with his own hands, even though Douglas had been issued a

safe conduct Safe conduct, safe passage, or letters of transit, is the situation in time of international conflict or war where one state, a party to such conflict, issues to a person (usually, an enemy state's subject) a pass or document to allow the enemy ...

. Douglas's brothers,

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray (1426 – 1 May 1455) was a Scottish nobleman during the reign of King James II of Scotland. He was one of the five brothers from the Black Douglas family who clashed with the king. Life Douglas was the son ...

Hugh Douglas, Earl of Ormonde Hugh Douglas, Earl of Ormonde (died 1455) was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish soldier and nobleman, a member of the powerful Black Douglases. He was the fourth son of James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas, James the Gross, 7th Earl of Douglas and ...

, and

John Douglas, Lord of Balvenie John Douglas, Lord of Balvenie (or Balveny, Balvany) (c. 1433–1463) was the youngest of the five Earl of Douglas, Black Douglas brothers, who rebelled against King James II of Scotland. Biography Early life Balvenie was the son of James ...

went into open rebellion against the Crown, but were finally put down in a skirmish in 1455 known as the

Battle of Arkinholm The Battle of Arkinholm was fought on 1 May 1455, at Arkinholm near Langholm in Scotland, during the reign of King James II of Scotland. Although a small action, involving only a few hundred troops, it was the decisive battle in a civil war bet ...

; the royal forces were led by another Douglas, the "Red"

George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, Lord Douglas, Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest (c. 1427 – 12 March 1463)Alan R. Borthwick, 'Douglas, George, fourth earl of Angus (c.1417–1463)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University ...

. The Douglas brothers were all slain, either in battle or executed afterwards, except the 9th Earl who was in England at the time. The 9th Earl was forfeited, but continued to foment unrest in Scotland from England, until his capture at the

Battle of Lochmaben Fair The Battle of Lochmaben Fair was an engagement in Lochmaben, Scotland, on 22 July 1484 between Scottish loyalists to James III of Scotland and the rebels Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, leading cavalry ...

in 1484. The aged Douglas was forced to spend the rest of his days at

Lindores Abbey Lindores Abbey was a Tironensian abbey on the outskirts of Newburgh in Fife, Scotland. Now a reduced ruin, it lies on the southern banks of the River Tay, about north of the village of Lindores and is a scheduled monument. The abbey was ...

, his estates being divided up between the King's supporters, most notably Angus.

Black and Red Douglases

Following the death of the 2nd Earl at the

in 1388 without legitimate issue, the Earldom passed to a bastard son of "The Good Sir James", the poetically named

, the

Lord of Galloway The lords of Galloway consisted of a dynasty of heirs who were lords (or kings) and ladies who ruled over Galloway in southwest Scotland, mainly during the High Middle Ages. Many regions of Scotland, including Galloway and Moray, periodically h ...

. This occurred through articles of special

entail In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust, established by deed or settlement, that restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents that property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise ali ...

in the resignation of title by Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas.

George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus (1380–1403) was a Scottish nobleman and peer. Life He was born at Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, Scotland. He was the natural-illegitimate son of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and Margaret Ste ...

the bastard son of the 1st Earl by his sister-in law Margaret Stewart, Dowager Countess of Mar & Countess of Angus, inherited his mother's Earldom of Angus. Retrospectively the two branches of Douglas and Angus were described as the Black and Red lines respectively. The Black Douglases fell from power and were attainted by King James II in 1455. The seventh Earl was created Earl of Avondale and Lord Balveny in 1437, also in the

. These titles also became forfeit in 1455. The title of Douglas was restored in 1633 for the "Red" Douglas line, when William Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus (1589–1660), was created First Marquess of Douglas by

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

Lords of Douglas

(died c. 1214) *

Archibald I, Lord of Douglas Archibald of Douglas (before 1198 – died c. 1238) was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish knight. He was the son of William I, Lord of Douglas, William of Douglas. Life The earliest attestation of his existence is in a charter of confirmation ...

(died c. 1240) * William Longleg, Lord of Douglas (c. 1220–c. 1274) * William 'The Hardy', Lord of Douglas (c. 1240–1298) Died captive in the

* James 'The Good', Lord of Douglas (c. 1290–1330) Killed at the

Battle of Teba The Battle of Teba took place in August 1330, in the valley below the fortress of Teba, now a town in the province of Málaga in Andalusia, southern Spain. The encounter occurred during the frontier campaign waged between 1327 and 1333 by Alfon ...

* William IV, Lord of Douglas (died 1333) Killed at the

Battle of Halidon Hill The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England () and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seized ...

* Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas (1294–c. 1345) resigned Lordship 1342 * William, Lord of Douglas (1327–1384) Created first Earl 1358.

Earls of Douglas (1358)

(from 1358)(1327–1384) *

James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas Sir James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas and Earl of Mar, Mar (c. 1358 – 5 or 19 August 1388) was an influential and powerful magnate in the Kingdom of Scotland. Early life He was the eldest son and heir of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Dougl ...

(from 1384)(1358–1388), killed at the

* Archibald Douglas, Lord of Galloway, 3rd Earl of Douglas (1325–1400) "the Grim", Bastard cousin of the 1st Earl, created

Earl of Wigtown Earl of Wigtown (or Wigton) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation was in 1341 for Sir Malcolm Fleming of Clan Fleming, and was surrendered in 1372, when the second Earl sold the Earldom and terr ...

Maxwell, VolI, p118 1372 *

(1370–1424) Duke of Touraine, killed at the

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas ( 1391 – 26 June 1439) was a Scottish nobleman and general during the Hundred Years' War. Life Douglas was the son of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart, eldest daughter of ...

(1390–1439), son of the above *

(1426–1440), Murdered at the ''

Black Dinner Clan Douglas (Gaelic: ''Dùbhghlas'') is an ancient clan or noble house from the Scottish Lowlands. Taking their name from Douglas in Lanarkshire, their leaders gained vast territories throughout the Borders, Angus, Lothian, Moray, and also in ...

'' at

James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas, 1st Earl of Avondale (1371 – 24 March 1443), latterly known as James the Gross, and prior to his ennoblement as James of Balvenie, was a late mediaeval Scottish magnate. He was the second son of Archibald Do ...

(died 1443) "the Gross" created ''Earl of Avondale'' in 1437, murderer and great-uncle of above. * William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas and 2nd Earl of Avondale (1425–1452), Murdered by

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...

. * James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas and 3rd Earl of Avondale (died 1488), the last "Black Douglas", brother of the previous, attainted 1455 and all his titles forfeit. ''Lordship of Douglas, and other estates and title devolved upon:''

Other titles held

The following titles were held by the Earl of Douglas, at various times. * Dukedom of Touraine *

Earldom of Mar There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. Th ...

Earldom of Wigtown Earl of Wigtown (or Wigton) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation was in 1341 for Sir Malcolm Fleming, 1st Earl of Wigtown, Sir Malcolm Fleming of Clan Fleming, and was surrendered in 1372, when t ...

* Earldom of Avondale ** Lordship of Balvenie- subsidiary title of Lord Avondale *

Earldom of Moray The title Earl of Moray, or Mormaer of Moray (pronounced "Murry"), was originally held by the rulers of the Province of Moray, which existed from the 10th century with varying degrees of independence from the Kingdom of Alba to the south. Until ...

* Earl of Ormonde * Lordship of Annandale *

Lordship of Galloway The lords of Galloway consisted of a dynasty of heirs who were lords (or kings) and ladies who ruled over Galloway in southwest Scotland, mainly during the High Middle Ages. Many regions of Scotland, including Galloway and Moray, periodically h ...

County of Longueville Count of Longueville is a French noble title, whose holder had the fiefdom of the Longueville-sur-Scie, County of Longueville. The County was elevated into a Duchy in 1505. Origins The Lordship of Longueville-sur-Scie, Longueville was a fief ...

* Seigneurie of Dun-le-Roi

Family tree

Seals of the Douglas Lords

Image:William le hardi seal.jpg, Seal of William le Hardi, Lord of Douglas Image:Seal of 1st Earl of Douglas.jpg, Seal attributed to William, 1st Earl of Douglas, File:Seal of Archibald the Grim.jpg, Seal of Archibald the Grim, 3rd Earl of Douglas File:Seal of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas1400.jpg, Seal of the 4th Earl of Douglas, Duke of Touraine

Notes

References

* Brown Michael. ''The Black Douglases-War and Lordship in late Medieval Scotland.'' East Linton 1998 * Fraser, Sir William, ''The Douglas Book'' IV vols. Edinburgh 188

* David Hume of Godscroft, Godscroft, David Hume of. ''The History of the House and Race of Douglas and Angus''. London 1820 * Maxwell, Sir Herbert. ''A History of the House of Douglas II Vols''. London 1902 * Wyntoun, Andrew of, ''Orygynale Cronikyl of Scotland'', ed. Laing. Edinburgh 1872

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas Lists of Scottish people Noble titles created in 1358 Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland