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George Douglas, Bishop of Moray

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George Douglas (died 28 December 1589) was a Scottish nobleman and ecclesiastical figure of the late medieval period. He served as the Bishop of Moray.

George was the illegitimate son of Archibald Douglas, the 6th Earl of Angus, who died in 1557. He was officially acknowledged as his natural son under the Great Seal on 14 March 1542/3.

Following the assassination of Cardinal Beaton in 1546, Douglas became the principal minister of Arbroath Abbey. He was allegedly involved in the murder of David Rizzio at Holyrood House in 1566. By 1572, he held the title of "Commendator of Arbroath".

The chapter of the diocese of Moray elected Douglas as Bishop on 22 December 1573, a few months after the death of his predecessor, Patrick Hepburn. His consecration took place on 5 February 1574. However, on 6 March 1574, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland censured him for "immorality" with Agnes Scott, the widow of Thomas Dishington of Ardross.

As an absentee prelate, Douglas mainly resided in Edinburgh and was actively involved in the political turmoil during the minority of James VI. He served as Bishop for 16 years until his death on 28 December 1589. He was buried within the now ruinous Holyrood Abbey.

Douglas had an illegitimate son named Andrew, who was a student at Stirling and predeceased him.

See also:
• Bishops of Moray

Sources:

Sources for this article include:
• Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638; D.E.R. Watt; 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)

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Last modified: Sunday, 08 March 2026