James (Douglas) Douglas VIIth Earl of Douglas

Born [date unknown] in Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 24 Mar 1443 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland

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Biography

James (Douglas) Douglas VIIth Earl of Douglas is a member of Clan Douglas.

James (Douglas) Douglas VIIth Earl of Douglas is Notable.

Family and Early Life

James Douglas was the second son of Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas, and Joan Moray.^[1][2][3] The exact date of his birth is unknown.

As a young man, James had the reputation of being impetuous, quick to anger, and something of a bully.^[4] He liked to help himself from public funds, extorting money from the king's tax collectors for his own use and occasionally imprisoning them in his castle at Abercorn until they agreed to pay him whatever sum he demanded, which was sometimes a considerable amount,^[5] or forcing them to allow his own goods to pass in or out of the country duty-free.^[6] After his sister's first husband, the duke of Rothesay, died she continued receiving the royal annuity which had been assigned to him and James began intervening on her behalf, taking it upon himself to collect her annuity and forcing (by threat of violence) the official at Linlithgow to add additional monies which James pocketed for his own use.^[7] Even after his sister remarried and her (second) husband began to act on her behalf, James occasionally insisted on acting as her receiver when it suited him to do so.^[8]

During his brother the earl's captivity in England, James discharged the duties of Warden of the Marches in his stead and, in flagrant disregard of the truce which he was supposed to be enforcing, burnt the city of Berwick to the ground.^[6][9] It was a violent act of reprisal for what he claimed were English breaches of the truce. In reaction to this, the English king beseiged and took the castle of Berwick.^[9]

Another example of James's penchant for violence involved the murder of Sir David Fleming in 1406. Isabella, countess of Douglas and Mar, had earlier granted to Archibald Douglas (the illegitimate son of her brother) the barony and lands of Cavers.^[10][11] However, this was done without obtaining the king's consent and, before his death, Robert III revoked the gift and gave the barony and it's office of hereditary sheriff of Roxburgh to Sir David Fleming.^[10][11] When Fleming was returning from seeing the Scottish king's young son to the coast to catch a ship to France for safety, Douglas and a band of his men attacked Fleming's small company as they crossed Lang Herdmanston Moor.^[10] Fleming was killed and most of his companions captured, in what historians later described as a "slaughter." ^[10][11]

Marriage to (Unknown)

The name of Douglas's (first) wife is unknown, but she was presumed to be either an unknown or widowed daughter of Robert, 1st duke of Albany, or a sister-in-law of Duke Murdach.^[12] James Douglas was styled 'brother' by Murdach, 2nd duke of Albany, in an Act of General Council at Inverkeithing 19 August 1423;^[13] in a precept for infefting Henry Ramsay of Colluthie in Leuchars 28 August 1423;^[14] and in a charter of Pittendriech 4 March 1424,^[15] although the name of this first wife does not appear even on Douglas's funeral monument. Cokayne names her as Beatrice Stewart, daughter of Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany and Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith, but provides no source for this.^[3] Alison Weir repeats Cokayne's claim, also without giving any source.^[16] Douglas's first wife appears to have died about 1424.^[17]

Marriage to Beatrice Sinclair

He married (second) sometime before 7 March 1425/6 (when they are named as husband and wife in a charter from the king) Beatrice Sinclair, daughter of Henry Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Orkney.^[2][3][18] There were at least ten children from this marriage:

• William Douglas, 8th earl of Douglas; born c.1425;^[2][19] married after 24 July 1444 Margaret Douglas;^[2][19] died 22 Feb 1451/2^[2][19]

• James Douglas, 9th earl of Douglas; married (1) after 26 February 1452/3 Margaret Douglas;^[20][21] married (2) c.1460 Anne Holland; ^[20][21] died c.1491^[20][21]

• Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray; married before 26 April 1422 Elizabeth Dunbar;^[22][23] died 1 May 1455^[24][25]

• Hugh Douglas, earl of Ormond; died after 1 May 1455^[26][27]

• John Douglas, lord of Balveny; died 1463/4^[12][28]

• Henry (or George) Douglas, educated in Paris for the church but died aged 15 years^[29]

• Margaret Douglas; married Henry Douglas of Borg;^[29][30][31] d. after1469^[29][30]

• Beatrix Douglas; married (1) William Hay, 1st earl of Erroll;^[29][30][31] married (2) before 12 October 1463 Arthur Forbes;^[29] died after 1490^[29][32]

• Janet Douglas; married Robert, 1st lord Fleming of Biggar and Cumbernauld^[29][32][31]

• Elizabeth Douglas; married John Wallace of Craigie.^[12][32][31]

Properties, Titles, and Notable Events

Until his elder brother's release from captivity in 1409 James managed the family estates and interests.^[33] Robert Steward, 1st duke of Albany and governor of Scotland, referred to him as "our lieutenant" in 1407, and in 1409 James Douglas supervised the demolition of Jedburgh Castle.^[33] Despite his prominence during this time, when Earl Douglas returned to Scotland James was relegated to the role of one of his senior advisors.^[33]

In 1408 his brother granted him lands from their mother's estate, which included Balvenie in Banffshire, Avoch in Inverness, Aberdour in Buchan, Petty and Duffus in Moray, and Strathaven and Stonehouse in Lanarkshire. ^[10][33] This may have been an attempt to redirect James's attention and interests to northern Scotland, and out of the earl's vicinity. He was also granted the castle of Abercorn in Linlithgowshire, which became his primary residence.^[33]

After the return from captivity of James I in 1424, Douglas sat on the assize which condemmned Murdach, duke of Albany, and his sons.^[3][34] In 1426 King James confirmed James's lands and, during 1430-31 while his nephew (the current earl of Douglas) was temporarily imprisoned by the king, James Douglas replaced him as warden of the west marches.^[3][33] That same year James's eldest son, William, was knighted by the king and in 1435 James Douglas was made sheriff of Lanark.^[33]

In 1437 he was created earl of Avondale and appointed justice general of Scotland, and in a charter granting him lands in Peebles dated 22 December 1439 he was styed "Earl of Avondale and Lord of Balveny."^[10][3][35] In November 1440 Earl William Douglas and his younger brother, David, were both arrested and executed at a feast held at Edinburgh Castle (later known as the "Black Dinner") and James Douglas succeeded as the seventh earl of Douglas.^[33][34] The fact that he did nothing to avenge the murder of his kin and immediately succeeded to the earldom himself has led various historians to speculate that he was involved in the plot to kill them, but this cannot be proved.^[33][34]

Death

James Douglas held the earldom of Douglas for only three years. He died 24 March 1443 at Abercorn Castle, his residence during the final years of his life.^[3] He had become so extremely overweight that he was given the nickname of James the Gross and a contemporary chronicle described him as "....[having] in him four stone [i.e. 59 lbs.] of tallow."^[34][35][36] He was buried in a large tomb at St Bride's church in Douglas.^[33][34][36]

His widow was still living in June 1455, when she and her three eldest surviving sons were attainted.^[3] She is likely to have died in England before 8 February 1462/3.^[3]

Research Notes

Sources

1. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 172
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} 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. 17.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} Cokayne, George Edward,The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. London: St. Catherine Press (1916), vol. 4, p. 435
4. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 431.
5. ↑ Burnett, George (ed.). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House (1880), vol. 4, pp. 113, 115, 193, 216, 244, 270, 296.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 158.
7. ↑ Burnett, George (ed.). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House (1880), vol. 3, p. 567.
8. ↑ Burnett, George (ed.). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House (1880), vol. 3, p. 615, p. 620
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 432.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5} Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 159.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 434.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 174.
13. ↑ Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol. 1, p. 589, cited in Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 443.
14. ↑ Fraser, William. History of the Carnegies, earls of Southesk. Edinburgh: T. Constable (1867), vol 2, p. 510.
15. ↑ Hist. MSS. Commissioners, 9th Report, part ii, p. 185, cited in Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 443.
16. ↑ Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families. London: The Bodley Head (1989), p. 219.
17. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 443.
18. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour (ed.). Registrum Magni SIgilli Regum Scotorum. Edinburgh: H.M. Register House (1882), vol. 2, p. 7, no. 39.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1 19.2} Cokayne, George Edward,The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. London: St. Catherine Press (1916), vol. 4, p. 436
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1 20.2} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 183.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1 21.2} Cokayne, George Edward,The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. London: St. Catherine Press (1916), vol. 4, p. 437
22. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 6, p. 308.
23. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 447.
24. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 6, p. 309.
25. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 449.
26. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 6, p. 586.
27. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 452.
28. ↑ Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 454.
29. ↑ ^{29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 175.
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1 30.2} Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 445.
31. ↑ ^{31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3} Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p.161
32. ↑ ^{32.0 32.1 32.2} Fraser, Sir William. The Douglas Books. Edinburgh: by the author (1885), vol. 1, p. 446.
33. ↑ ^{33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 33.6 33.7 33.8 33.9} Brown, M.H. Douglas, William, 8th earl of Douglas and 2nd earl of Avondale. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online edition (23 Sep 2004), available here by subscription.
34. ↑ ^{34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4} Mackay, A.J.G. Douglas, James (1371?-1443). Dictionary of National Biography archive edition.
35. ↑ ^{35.0 35.1} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1906), vol. 3, p. 173
36. ↑ ^{36.0 36.1} Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas., London: Freemantle Co. (1902), vol. 1, p. 160

See Also:

• Borthwick, Alan R. Douglas, James, 9th earl of Douglas and 3rd earl of Avondale (c.1425-1491). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online edition (23 Sep 2004), available here by subscription.

• Brown, M.H. Douglas, William, eighth earl of Douglas and second earl of Avondale. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online edition (23 Sept 2004), available here by subscription.

• Wikipedia: James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas
• Clan MacFarlane: James Douglas

• Wikidata: Item Q1680292