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The origins of William are uncertain, the first of the name of Douglas to
appear on historic record. He appears as witness to a charter of Jocelin, Bishop
of Glasgow in 1174 in favour of the monks of Kelso Abbey, at which time he was
in possession of the Lands of Douglas.
Some believe him to be related to
Freskin the Fleming, possibly a brother-in-law, and that both of them came
from Flanders, and also possibly of/or connected with the House of Boulogne.
Sholto/William
David Hume of Godscroft in his history refers to the progenitor of the House of
Douglas, Sholto. Gleaned from the works of Buchanan and Boece, Godscroft's
narrative explains that during the reign of a King Solvathius, Sholto Douglas
was instrumental in putting down an uprising by a usurper Donald Bain in 767AD,
and as reward was granted the lands that would after be called Douglas.
Both Balfour Paul and Maxwell agree that this origin tale is mythic, but do
contest that William of Douglas was active at the time of the real rebellion of
the Meic Uilleim, under their chief Domnall mac Uilleim. The earlier historians
may have confused the mythic Donald Bain with Domnall Ban mac Domnaill, the
penultimate Meic Uilleim chief.
This may be corroborated by the facts that the lands of Douglas marched with
those of the leader of King William I of Scotland's retaliatory forces, Lochlann,
Lord of Galloway. William may well have been a vassal of the Lord of Galloway.
Furthermore, all of William's sons with the exception of the eldest were to hold
privileged ecclesiastic positions within the former Meic Uilleim territories in
Moray.
First to hold Douglasdale
William de Douglas is recognized as
the earliest documented holder of Douglasdale, with his tenure spanning
from 1174 to 1213. However, the roots of the Douglas lineage extend
further back to his father, "Theobaldo Flamatico" or Theobald the
Fleming. The family’s coat of arms, illustrating a connection to the
Murray family, suggests a lineage that traces back to a third son of the
house of Boulogne, akin to the ancestries of the Brodie and Innes
families.
In Flanders, the Theobalds were a notable family,
serving as hereditary castellans of Ypres from around 1060 until 1127.
After this period, their history becomes less clear. In Scotland,
Theobald's lands were bestowed upon him shortly after 1150 by the Abbot
of Kelso. William de Douglas, his heir, furthered the family's legacy by
marrying the sister of Friskin de Kerdale (also known as Freskin of
Moray). Together, they had six sons. The younger five moved to Moray to
support their uncle, while the eldest son, Archenbald, remained in
Lanarkshire to inherit the Douglas estates. Archenbald secured the
family’s prominence by marrying a daughter of Sir John Crawford,
ensuring the continuity of the Douglas heritage.
Issue:
Archibald I, Lord of Douglas
Brice/Bricius de Douglas, Bishop of Moray
Alexander de Douglas, a canon of Spynie and vicar capitular of Elgin
Henry de Douglas, a canon of Spynie
Hugh de Douglas, a canon of Spynie, Archdeacon of Moray
Freskin de Douglas, Parson of Douglas, later Dean of Moray
Sir
William de Douglas had 2 sons who fought at the
Battle of Largs
against the Norse in 1263. (Note: This could be a mistake; it
might be the wrong generation)
Father: SIR JOHN DE DUGLAS, d c1145
Grandfather: WILLIAM DE DUGLAS died after 1100. Created Lord De Duglas by
King Malcolm Canmore in 1057
Marriage 1 Spouse Unknown
Children
- Sir Archibald 2nd of
Douglas of Hermiston) b: 1213
- Brice (Bishop of Moray)
- Alexander (Canon of Spynie and Vicar of Elgin)
- Henry (Canon of Spynie and Clerk
of Bishop)
- Hugh (Archdeacon of Moray)
- Freskin (Dean of Moray)
- Margaret
Notes:
1. Discrepancies come from bringing together differing sources!
2. If William is the first to adopt Douglas as a surname, his father can
hardly have used that name also!
See also:
Descendants of William of Douglas
Douglas of Spynie
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