Round One - General Knowledge

Give yourself a mark for every correct answer, and a bonus point for any correct additional information.

Make a note of the base scores and the bonus points separately.

Q	Answer	Comment
1	Never behind	Jamais arriere is the motto used by several Douglas branches: Douglases of Angus; Douglases of Brigton and Cruckstown; Douglases of Morton; Douglas de Monreal, France Others use Audax et promptus, Do or die, Domat omnia virtus, Durate, Fortis et fidelis, God for us, Lock sicker and many more.
2	Wild Boar	The story is told that James Douglas saved the king when he was attacked by a wild boar, but that is probably apocryphal. The salamander features in many Douglas crests. It was believed that salamanders could withstand heat and fire as they were often seen crawling out of flames, so is a very appropriate Douglas symbol.
3	The Black Douglas	His reputation amongst the English was such that, while he was still very much alive and active, mothers in Northumbria and Cumbria supposedly sang to their children: Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye,/Hush ye, hush ye, do not fret ye,/The Black Douglas shall not get ye… A chilling folk story has this refrain followed by a calloused hand grasping the mother’s shoulder, and a growling voice uttering, “don’t be too sure of that…”
4	Teba	In 1329, as Robert Bruce, King of Scots, lay dying he made one last request of his friend and lieutenant, Sir James Douglas. The King charged that, after his death, Sir James should take his embalmed heart and bear it with him on crusade, thus fulfilling the pledge that Bruce had been unable to honour in his lifetime. When Sir James fell in battle against the Saracens at Teba, in Spain, in August 1330, he was carrying Bruce's heart in a casket tied around his neck.
5	They were Douglases	The Drysdales, according to folklore, changed their name from Douglas to avoid persecution; Marksburys reputedly are of natural descent from the Douglas earl of Queensberry; Douglas Scotti and Scotti (and Scotto) Douglas families are said to stem from Sholto Douglas. the progenitor of Clan Douglas.
6	Five	"Scottish arms : being a collection of armorial bearings, A.D. 1370-1678", reproduced in facsimile from contemporary manuscripts, with heraldic and genealogical notes by Stodart, R. R. (Robert Riddle); Published 1881 gives six points to the stars on the arms of the Duke of Douglas, the Earl of Ormonde and others. Most heraldic genealogists state five points.
7	Rue	A clan badge, sometimes called a plant badge, is a badge or emblem, usually a sprig of a specific plant, that is used to identify a member of a particular Scottish clan. They are usually worn in a bonnet behind the Scottish crest badge, or attached at the shoulder of a lady’s tartan sash. According to popular lore clan badges were used by Scottish clans as a means of identification in battle.
8	Italy	See earlier answer
9	William, 6th Earl of Douglas, and his younger brother David, were murdered	16-year old William, 6th Earl of Douglas, and his younger brother David, were lured to Edinburgh Castle in November 1440. According to legend, a banquet was held in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle, and the young James II was charmed with the company of the young Douglases. At the end of the feast, the head of a black bull was brought into the hall. Under Scottish custom, this formality presaged the death of the principal guest(s) at a dinner. James II is alleged to have pleaded for the lives of his new friends to be spared, but they were said to have been beheaded in front of the ten year old king.
10	The  Earls of Angus	Tantallon Castle was home to the Red Douglas dynasty. Tantallon was built in the mid 14th century by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas. It was passed to his illegitimate son, George Douglas, later created Earl of Angus, and despite several sieges, it remained the property of his descendants for much of its history.

Round Two - People

Give yourself a mark for every correct answer, and a bonus point for any correct additional information:

Q	Answer	Comment
11	James, 7th Earl of Douglas	According to legend, his coffin was so heavy that it broke away from the pall bearers and crashed to the floor of the crypt in St Bride's church.
12	St. Bride, or St. Bridget	Also known as: Bride of the Isles; Bridget of Ireland; Bridget; Brigid of Kildare Brigit; Ffraid; Mary of the Gael. The daughter of Dubtach, pagan Scottish king of Leinster, and Brocca, a Christian Pictish slave who had been baptized by Saint Patrick. Just before Brigid's birth, her mother was sold to a Druid landowner. Brigid remained with her mother till she was old enough to serve her legal owner Dubtach, her father. Bride refused to marry, and to keep her virginity, went to Bishop Mel, a pupil of Saint Patrick's, and took her vows.
13	Margaret Tudor	Margaret Tudor (1489–1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She was the eldest daughter and second child of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the sister of King Henry VIII of England. Following the death of James IV at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, Margaret, as queen dowager, was appointed as regent for their son, King James V. A pro-French party took shape among the nobility, urging that she should be replaced by John, Duke of Albany, the closest male relative to the infant king. In seeking allies, Margaret turned to the Douglases, and in 1514 she married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.
14	Deaf and dumb	Joan Stewart, Countess of Morton, also called Joanna (c. 1428 – 22 June 1493), was the daughter of James I, King of Scotland, and the wife of James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton. She was known, in Latin, as the muta domina [mute lady] of Dalkeith. She had “the misfortune to be deaf and dumb”, and was known as muta domina or “the mute lady”. Joan was reported to have used sign language to communicate, even in public (although it was considered at that time to be impolite).
15	Alexander "Sawney" Bean	Agnes Douglas was married to Alexander "Sawney" Bean who was said to be the head of a 45-member clan in Scotland in the 16th century that murdered and cannibalised over 1,000 people in the span of 25 years. According to legend, Bean and his clan members would eventually be caught by a search party sent by King James VI, and were executed for their heinous crimes. Sawney and Agnes produced eight sons, six daughters, 18 grandsons and 14 granddaughters. Various grandchildren were products of incest between their children.
16	Charles Douglas of Carr	Sir Charles was a vaval officer who served as a lieutenant in the Dutch navy before joining the Royal Navy and becoming commander by 1759. He later became rear-admiral and was appointed to the command in North America. In 1781, Sir Charles became Captain-of-the-Fleet for George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, and was with Rodney on his flagship, Formidable, at the Battle of the Saintes off Dominica, where on 12 April 1782, they defeated the Comte de Grasse by breaking the French line. Douglas is credited by many for having the idea for the manoeuvre, but it is a subject of much debate.
17	Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton	The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon is Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official royal residence in Scotland, where he maintains large private quarters. He is also, as Lord Abernethy and in this respect successor to the Gaelic Earls of Fife, the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland, a role which the 15th Duke performed at the inauguration of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, as did the 16th Duke at the State Opening of Parliament, 30 June 2011. Traditionally, the Duke of Hamilton enjoys the exclusive right to remove the Scottish Crown Jewels from the City of Edinburgh.The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon is Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official royal residence in Scotland, where he maintains large private quarters. He is also, as Lord Abernethy and in this respect successor to the Gaelic Earls of Fife, the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland, a role which the 15th Duke performed at the inauguration of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, as did the 16th Duke at the State Opening of Parliament, 30 June 2011. Traditionally, the Duke of Hamilton enjoys the exclusive right to remove the Scottish Crown Jewels from the City of Edinburgh.
18	Buccleuch	Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, GCB, CI, GCVO, GBE, the daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch, was born Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott in 1901. She was the wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the mother of Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
19	George	The first Earl of Dumbarton was George Douglas, son of the Marquess of Douglas. He found fame as a soldier and was given the title in 1675 by King Charles II. The next Earl of Dumbarton was his only son, another George, who inherited in the title as a 5 year old on his father’s death in 1692. He spent a lot of time at the court of James II following his exile and, like his father, was famed for his military service. However, George had no children and when he died, in 1749, the title of Earl of Dumbarton became extinct. When The Queen made her grandson, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex on his wedding day, May 19th 2018, she also made him Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.
20	Flower of Chivalry	Sir William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale (circa. 1300-k.1353) was also known as the Knight of Liddesdale and the Flower of Chivalry. Historians and chroniclers have praised Douglas and his guerrillas as "schools of Knighthood", earning him the epithet 'Flower of Chivalry' just as they had praised his relative the Good Sir James for his guerrilla tactics in the First War of Independence. However, later deeds, including the murder of Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie, who was captured, tied to a mule and removed to Hermitage Castle. Ramsay was thrown into the oubliette there, and was starved to death, lingering for up to seventeen days without food or water, leaving a less than chivalrous record.

Round Three - Places

Give yourself a mark for every correct answer, and a bonus point for any correct additional information:

Q	Answer	Comment
21	Lochleven	Mary Queen of Scots first visited Lochleven in 1561 as a guest of its owner, Sir William Douglas. Her last stay, in 1567–8, was as his prisoner. While at Lochleven, Mary suffered a miscarriage of twins – likely fathered by her third husband, the Earl of Bothwell, and was compelled to abdicate her throne in favour of her infant son, James VI. Mary escaped from Lochleven on 2 May 1568, which involved drugging half the island with hearty doses of wine whilst young Willie Douglas pegged all the boats to the shore bar one. Once more in disguise, Mary walked out of the gates of the castle in full view, in the midst of the May Day festivities that the young boy had arranged, with himself cast as the ‘Abbot of Unreason’. Dancing around the table in the great hall, he flung his handkerchief over the keys to the castle gates as Sir William Douglas dozed drunkenly beside them. Mary regained her freedom as a result of this highly daring escapade, having been on Lochleven for almost a year. George, who was on the lochside with horses, and Willie Douglas followed her to freedom and she was soon reunited with several of the noble lords who had held fast to her cause, and spirited away to the safety of the castle of Niddry.
22	Castle Dangerous	Castle Dangerous (1831) was the last of Walter Scott's Waverley novels. It is part of Tales of My Landlord, 4th series, with Count Robert of Paris. The castle of the title is Douglas Castle in Lanarkshire, and the action, based on an episode in The Brus by John Barbour, is set in March 1307 against the background of the First War of Scottish Independence.
23	Stirling Castle	The battlefield of Bannockburn lies close to Stirling Castle. A royal castle, it features throughout mediaeval Douglas History - not always favourably. The connection is immortalised in the Douglas Room, Douglas Garden and several stained glass windows.
24	Otterburn	In the summer of 1388 James, Earl of Douglas led a force of some 6,000 men across the border in to England and on to Durham, burning and looting as they went. The Earl of Northumberland sent his son Henry Hotspur Percy to intercept the marauding Scots on their way home to teach them a lesson. During an initial skirmish, Hotspur and Douglas met in hand to hand combat and during the encounter that followed, Percy’s silk banner was captured by Douglas. Heading back to the border with his ill-gotten gains, Douglas stopped one last time in order to lay siege to the castle at Otterburn. Fierce fighting continued through the night, but eventually the Scots secured a decisive victory. However the victory came at a cost, as Douglas was killed in the fighting and although Henry Percy and twenty-one other knights were captured, Hotspur’s reputation as a heroic leader had been secured.
25	Threave	Threave Castle is situated on an island in the River Dee, a mile and a half west of Castle Douglas in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland. Built in the 1370s by Archibald the Grim, it was a stronghold of the "Black Douglases", Earls of Douglas and Lords of Galloway, until their fall in 1455. For part of this time, the castle and the lordship of Galloway were controlled by Princess Margaret, daughter of King Robert III and widow of the 4th Earl. In 1449 Threave was regained by the 8th earl, Scotland's most powerful magnate, who controlled extensive lands and numerous castles. He fortified Threave with an "artillery house", a sophisticated defence for its time. The excessive power of the Black Douglas lords led to their overthrow by King James II in 1455, after which Threave was besieged and captured by the King's men.
26	Paris	In the later 17th century, the Collège des Écossais was founded in Paris to host Scottish catholic students. Two Scotsmen who came to France at that time, never returned to their homeland. Their beautiful white marble effigies are situated in the oldest church of Paris, the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Abbey church. The earliest tomb belongs to William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus. William had converted to Catholicism and was therefore in constant conflict with James VI. At the end of the year 1608, the king permitted him a voluntary exile to avoid forfeiture. William Douglas left for Paris where he died on 3rd March, 1611. His son William, 11th Earl of Angus, erected his father’s tomb in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Abbey church. The original epitaph was destroyed during the French Revolution, but the inscription is preserved. It advises the visitor – in quite rough Latin – to contemplate the effigy of heroic and good prince William, duke of Angus. William was the grandfather of James Douglas. James was sent as a boy to France and became a page to king Louis XIII. The French king appointed him colonel of the Régiment Écossois, the Scots Regiment, in 1637. This military corps, the king of France’s personal bodyguard, was later renamed after its young commander the Régiment Écossois de Douglas. James was killed somewhere between the cities of Arras and Douai in Flanders on October 21, 1645, aged 28, fighting in one of the battles of the Thirty Years’ War. The inscription underneath his marble effigy had been originally engraved on a silver blade, found near his coffin. On his tomb the duke James Douglas is hailed as « the new hope of the Douglases, Homeland light, offspring of Kings and French-Scot »: Douglasidum nova spes, Patria lux, Regibus orte, Gallo-Scotigenum, Dux Jacobe iaces! The Abbey is also the resting place of George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton, who died in 1692.
27	Drumlanrig Castle	Drumlanrig Castle is situated on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The castle is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. The Castle has 120 rooms, 17 turrets and four towers. The 90,000 acre estate boasts miles of beautiful walks and acres of gardens.
28	Flodden	The Battle of Flodden, or Flodden Field, was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English victory. King James IV was killed in the fighting, becoming the last monarch from Great Britain to die in battle; this and the loss of a large proportion of the nobility led to a political crisis in Scotland. Among the ten thousand Scottish dead were all the leading men in the kingdom of Scotland, and there was no family of importance that had not lost a member in this great disaster. Scottish dead included twelve earls, fifteen lords, many clan chiefs an archbishop and above all King James himself. Among many Douglas casualties were Sir William Douglas, 6th Baron of Drumlanrig, Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven and John Douglas, 5th Laird of Mains. The dead were remembered in the famous Scottish pipe tune The Flowers of the Forest.
29	St. Bride's Kirk	St Bride’s Church was built as the parish church of the town of Douglas, but it was not to remain a regular church. Archibald ‘the Grim’, 3rd earl of Douglas, modified the church as a resting-place for his father, Sir James of Douglas, who died in 1330. From then, the church became the mausoleum of the Black Douglas earls. Here you can find monumental effigies of the Douglas earls in three canopied tombs with more interred in the crypt, while on the tower there’s the oldest known working clock in Scotland.
30	Bothwell Castle	Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle, sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan Murray. In 1362, Joan Moray of Bothwell, heiress of the Morays, married Archibald Douglas, nicknamed "the Grim" and later to be Lord of Galloway and Earl of Douglas. Douglas commenced rebuilding Bothwell. The Douglases lost but regained Bathwell, and it descended through the Earls of Angus and Marquesses of Douglas to the Earls of Forfar. Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Forfar, began construction of a new mansion nearby, demolishing the castle's north-east tower for its stone. After the death of the 2nd Earl at Sheriffmuir in 1715, the castle reverted to the senior line of the Douglas family, represented by the 1st Duke of Douglas and his heirs. The castle then descended to the Earls of Home. In 1935 the 13th Earl gave Bothwell into state care.