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Douglas Biographies

 

 

 

 

Early Douglases

 

 

William I, Lord of Douglas (b.b.1174–c.1213)
Archibald I, Lord of Douglas (d.c.1240)
William Longlegs, Lord of Douglas (c.1220–c.1274)
William 'The Hardy', Lord of Douglas (c.1240–1298) Died captive in the Tower of London
James 'The Good', Lord of Douglas (c.1290–1330) Killed at the Battle of Teba
William IV, Lord of Douglas (d.1333) Killed at the Battle of Halidon Hill

Archibald Douglas, Regent of Scotland (d.1333) Killed at the Battle of Halidon Hill. Archibald was succeeded by his son, William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (below).
Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas (resigned Lordship 1342 d. afterward)
William, Lord of Douglas (1327–1384) Created first Earl 1358.

 

Following the death of the 2nd Earl at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388 without legitimate issue, the Earldom passed to a bastard son of 'The Good Sir James', the poetically named Archibald the Grim, the Lord of Galloway. This occurred through articles of special entail in the resignation of title by Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas. George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus 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 Peerage of Scotland. 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.

 

Black Douglases

 

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (1327–1384)
James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas (1358–1388), killed at the Battle of Otterburn
Archibald Douglas, Lord of Galloway, 3rd Earl of Douglas (1325–1400) "the Grim", Bastard cousin of the 1st Earl, created Earl of Wigtown 1372
Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas (1370–1424) Duke of Touraine, killed at the Battle of Verneuil
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas (1390–1439), son of the above
William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas (1426–1440) , Murdered at the Black dinner at Edinburgh Castle
James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas (d.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 James II of Scotland at Stirling Castle.
James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas and 3rd Earl of Avondale (d.1488), the last "Black Douglas", brother of the previous, attainted 1455 and all his titles forfeit.

 

Red Douglases

 

George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus (1378–1402)
William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus (c. 1398–1437)
James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus (b. 1428–1446)
George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus (b. 1429–1462)
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1453–1514)
George Douglas, Master of Angus (1469–1513)
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (1490–1557)
David Douglas, 7th Earl of Angus (c. 1515–1558)
Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus (1556–1588)
William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus (1533–1591)
William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus (1552–1611)
William Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus (1590–1660), (created Marquess of Douglas in 1633, when he resigned the earldom, which was re-granted with the marquessate)

William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas (1590–1660)
James Douglas, 2nd Marquis of Douglas (1646–1700)
James Douglas, Earl of Angus (1671–1692)
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas (1694–1761) (created Duke of Douglas in 1703) (dukedom extinct on his death, earldom and marquessate inherited by James George Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton)

 

 

The Douglas Earls of Morton family are descended from the second son of Archibald of Douglas (fl 1198-1239), second Lord of Douglas, through the Douglas families of Liddelsdale and Dalkeith. Sir James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith, was granted a charter of the Barony of Morton (Morton is a small holding in East Calder, West Lothian.) in 1381/1382 and his grandson, James Douglas (d c 1493), was created Earl of Morton in 1457/1458. The line continued through the Douglas of Lochleven line - neither Red nor Black.

 

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