Archibald (Douglas) Douglas Third Earl of Douglas (abt. 1328 - abt. 1400)

Born about 1328 in Scotland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Joanna (Moray) Moray Countess of Douglas — married 23 Jul 1362 in (Date of Papal Dispensation)

Descendants

Died about 23 Dec 1400 at about age 72 in Thrieve Castle, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland

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Biography

Archibald (Douglas) Douglas Third Earl of Douglas is a member of Clan Douglas.

Archibald (Douglas) Douglas Third Earl of Douglas is Notable.

Family and Early Life

Archibald Douglas was the natural son of Sir James Douglas("The Good") and an unknown mistress.^[1][2] His exact date of birth is unknown and estimated by various historians to have been 1320,^[3] 1325,^[1] and 1328,^[4][5] He is believed to have been very young when his father died in 1330.^[2][6][7]

Little is known about his early life. It is possible that, to escape capture by the English, he was sent as a young boy to France in company with his cousin, William Douglas (future 1st earl of Douglas), and David II.^[3] The first time he was mentioned in written records was in May 1342, when the vast Douglas estates were regranted by the king "first to the nearest lawful heir-male, William Douglas, son and heir of the late Sir Archibald Douglas, the youngest brother of Sir James; second, by a special royal grant to Sir William Douglas of Lothian, now of Liddesdale; and failing them and their heirs-male, to Achibald Douglas, son of Sir James, and his heirs-male."^[6][8]

Later in life he was to become known as "Archibald the Grim" or "Archibald the Terrible." This nickname was thought to derive from his dark complexion and his ability to look absolutely fierce on the battlefield, both features which he inherited from his father, Sir James "the Black" Douglas.^[9] In battle he often wielded a long sword with a blade two ells in length (i.e. 90 inches) that was said to be too heavy for other men to lift, but "...was for him light enough, and with it he gave such strokes that whosoever he hit went to the earth, and not the hardiest of the English could withstand his strokes."^[10]

Marriage and Children

Archibald Douglas married, sometime after 23 July 1362 (date of papal dispensation) Joanna Moray, the widow of Thomas Moray, lord of Bothwell, and only child and heiress of Maurice Moray, earl of Stratherne, and Joan de Menteith.^{[1][11] [12]} Joanna, who was titled both Lady Drumsargard (as her father's heir) and Lady Bothwell (by right of her first marriage) brought to the marriage the barony of Cortachie in Forfar which had been granted to her by her mother, who had received it from her own first husband, Malise, earl of Stratherne.^[13] According to a sixteenth century chronicler, Douglas proposed to Joan in England after Thomas Moray's death and offered to duel with five Englishmen before the marriage finally took place.^[14][15] There were at least three children from this marriage:

• Archibald Douglas, 4th earl of Douglas, duke of Touraine; born c.1372;^[16][17] married before 1390 to Margaret Stewart;^[18][19] died 17 August 1424^[19][20][21]
• James Douglas, 7th earl of Douglas, earl of Avondale, lord Balvany; married before 7 March 1425/6 Beatrice Sinclair;^[22][23][24]died 24 March 1443^[25][26][27]
• Mary (or Marjory) Douglas; married (1) February 1399/1400 David Stewart, duke of Rothesay;^[28][29][30]married (2) 1403 Walter Haliburton; ^[28][30][31] died c.1420^[28][31]

Archibald Douglas also had an illegitimate son (born some years before his marriage to Joan, as this son had presumably reached his majority before being married in 1387) with an unknown mistress:

• William Douglas, lord of Nithsdale; married c.1387 Egidia Stewart;^[32][33][34] died c.1392^[32][35][36]

Military and Political Career

Douglas took part in the battle of Poitiers on 19 September 1356 where he was briefly taken captive but saved by Sir Willliam Ramsay, who pretended he was a servant and ransomed him for only forty shillings.^[3][5] He was taken prisoner once more on his return home through England, but released when a truce was declared between England and Scotland.^[3][5] At some point before his return he appears to have been knighted, as he is styled "Sir Archibald Douglas" in contemporary records.^[2][5] In 1361 he was both constable of the castle of Edinburgh^[2] and sheriff of Edinburgh.^[5] By August 1364 he had become warden of the western marches.^[2][3][5]

In May 1369 he travelled to France as the personal ambassador of the Scottish king, to use all of his diplomatic skills to lobby the French king and the pope against Margaret Drummond, who was appealing to the pope to have her divorce from King David nullified.^[5] Although his diplomatic mission failed, the failure was made moot by Margaret's untimely death.^[5] On 18 September 1369 (perhaps in acknowledgement of his assistance in such a personal matter), David II granted Archibald Douglas the lands of Galloway between the Cree and the Nith which had earlier been held by Edward Bruce.^[3][5] Three years later Douglas purchased from Thomas Fleming, earl of Galloway, all of the lands belonging to the earldom of Wigton (including the rest of Galloway from the Cree to the western shoreline), and was subsequently styled Lord of Galloway.^[3][5]

When Robert II ascended the throne of Scotland 26 March 1371, Douglas swore fealty to the new king and was once again sent on a mission to France to renew Scotland's alliance with that country.^[5] Following his return to Scotland, he was instrumental in negotiating a truce to keep peace on the borders.^[5] When war once again broke out in 1388 and plans were made to invade England, Archibald was put in command of the largest part of the Scots army and prepared to invade England from the western marches, while the earl of Douglas gathered his men to make a diversionary attack from the eastern marches.^[3][5][37] The earl's attack was victorious, but he himself was slain at Otterburn.^[3][5][37] Archibald Douglas, under the entail of 1342, succeeded to the earldom of Douglas.^[5][37]

Patron of the Church

Sir Archibald Douglas was well respected by the clergy as being a stauch supporter of the church. In 1369, after becoming Lord of Galloway, he granted the lands of Crossmichael and Troqueer to the monastery of Holyrood in order to establish a hospital there for the poor and infirm, in memory of King Robert the Bruce, Edward his brother, David II, and Archibald's own father, Sir James, lord of Douglas.^[38] He later turned a nunnery at Lincluden into a "collegiate establishment," rebuilding it in a much more magnificent style which became the residence for a provost, 8 prebendaries, 24 beadsmen, and a chaplain.^[39] On 10 October 1398 he began his last major project, the construction of a stately gothic building which was to become the collegiate church of Bothwell.^[12]

Death

The exact date of Sir Archibald's death is uncertain. It was before 9 February 1401 (when his widow Joanna made a grant to her son Archibald, 4th earl of Douglas),^[30] and most likely occurred at Thrieve Castle on Christmas eve, 1400.^[30][40][41]

Research Notes

• Eleanor (Douglas) Fingask, Joan Eleanor (Unknown) Douglas, and Helen (Douglas) de Lawedre were all originally attached as children of Archibald Douglas and Joanna Moray. They have been removed until any reliable sources are found to support such a relationship. Stevens-17832 21:46, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Cokayne, George Edward,The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. London: St. Catherine Press (1916), vol. 4, p. 433
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 158
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} Brown, M.H. Douglas, Archibald [called Archibald the Grim, Archibald the Terrible], lord of Galloway and third earl of Douglas. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online edition (23 Sep 2004). Available here by subscription.
4. ↑ Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Douglas, Archibald, third earl of Douglas. Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith Elder & Co. (1888,),Vol. XV, vol. 15, pp. 261-263.
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14} Mackay, A.J.G. Douglas, Archibald, third earl of Douglas, called 'the Grim'. Dictionary of National Biography archive edition (1888).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 322.
7. ↑ Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 115
8. ↑ Acta Parl. Scot., i:557, 558, cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 147.
9. ↑ MS. History at Hamilton Palace quoting Sir RIchard Maitland, cited in Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 321, fn.1.
10. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 335.
11. ↑ Theiner, Augustin. Vetera Monumenta a Hibernorum et Scotorum Historiam Illustrantia... Rome: by the Vatican (1864), p. 318, no. DCXLVII.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 161
13. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 162
14. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 352.
15. ↑ Gray's ms. Obituary and Chronicle (16th cent.), cited in Riddell, John. Stewartiana. Edinburgh: Thomas G. Stevenson (1843), p. 97.
16. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 165
17. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 360.
18. ↑ Robertson, William. Robertson's Index. Great Britain: H.M. Register Office (1798), p. 142, no. 71.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 166
20. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 394.
21. ↑ Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 146
22. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 174
23. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 444.
24. ↑ Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 161
25. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 173
26. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 442.
27. ↑ Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 160
28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1 28.2} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 163
29. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 348.
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3} Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 124
31. ↑ ^{31.0 31.1} Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 354.
32. ↑ ^{32.0 32.1} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 164
33. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 355.
34. ↑ Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 127
35. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 358.
36. ↑ Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 128
37. ↑ ^{37.0 37.1 37.2} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 159
38. ↑ Reg. Mag. Sig.,I:106, cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 160
39. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 160
40. ↑ Gray's MS. Chronicle, quoted in Riddell's Stewartiana, p.97 and cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 161
41. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 347.

See also:

• Clan MacFarlane: Archibald Douglas

• Encylopedia.com: Archibald Douglas 3rd Earl Of Douglas

• Johnston, George Harvey, "The Heraldry of the Douglases : with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees", Edinburgh: W & A K Johnston (1907)p. 15.

• Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Douglas, Archibald, third earl of Douglas. Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith Elder & Co. (1888,),Vol. XV, vol. 15, pp. 261-263.

• Wikipedia: Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas

• Wikidata: Item Q592380, en:Wikipedia