Joanna (Moray) Moray Countess of Douglas (abt. 1340 - abt. 1405)

Born about 1340 in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Archibald (Douglas) Douglas Third Earl of Douglas — married 23 Jul 1362 in (Date of Papal Dispensation)

Descendants

Died about 1405 at about age 65 in Bothwell,Lanarkshire, Scotland

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Biography

Joanna (Moray) Moray Countess of Douglas is a member of Clan Murray.

Joanna (Moray) Moray Countess of Douglas is a member of Clan Douglas.

Joanna de Moray was born about 1340, the only child, heiress and daughter of Maurice de Moray, 9th Earl of Strathearn, by his spouse Joan, daughter of Sir John Menteith of Rusky, Knt. Joanna was the widow of Sir Thomas de Moray, Lord of Bothwell.^[1]

Her father died at the Battle of Neville's Cross on 17 Oct 1346 and was survived by his spouse Joanna Menteith who continued as Countess of Strathearn and their daughter Joanna adopted the title of Drumsagard from her father.

Joanna Moray married Sir Thomas Moray of Bothwell when she was in her teens but she was to see little of him.

By the Treaty of Berwick in October 1357 and a heavy ransom for King David was set to be paid to the English. As security for the payment eight of the great barons of Scotland were selected of whom three were to place themselves in the hands of the King of England as hostages for the payment of the ransom. Sir Thomas Moray, Lord Bothwell was one of the three to whom the lot fell and thus he had to leave his young wife and make his way to captivity in London. Some two years or more later, Sir Thomas fell ill and on 28 June 1360, King Edward granted safe conduct for Walter de Moray with an attendant to travel through England to visit the hostage. This Walter Murray was the uncle of Joanna Moray, young wife of the captive. Whether Walter arrived in time to bring Thomas news from his wife is not known and sadly the illness must have been serious for Sir Thomas died about this time. Joanna however rewarded her uncle for his services. Joanna Moray, Lady of Drumsagard in her free widowhood granted to her beloved uncle, "Walter de Moravia," her whole lands of Artithol and Cullow ("Ardtouchill and Coulowe ") in the barony of Cortachy.^[2] Joanna Menteith as Countess of Strathearn was lady of the barony of Cortachy, having been granted the "lands of Cartachie " by her first husband about 1323, and thus as feudal superior of the lands she ratified her daughter's gift in a charter written about 1362. ^[3]

The young widow married about 1362 to Sir Archibald Douglas Third Earl of Douglas, Lord of Galloway. ^[4] Although Joanna was liferentrix of Drumsagart and Bothwell Sir Archibald "The Grim" appears to have seized these lands displacing Joanna's uncle Alexander Moray of Tillibardine who tried unsuccessfully to recover Drumsagard and Bothwell by law. His claim being that he was served heir to his father Sir John Murray of Drumsagard and furthermore was kinsman of the last Lord Bothwell and next heir-male through Sir Andrew de Moravia who died 1297.

Sir Archibald Douglas and Joanna Moray had issue:

• Archibald b. cicra1372 heir to the earldom as Fourth Earl
• James b. circa 1375 Seventh Earl of Douglas
• Mary who mar. (1) David, Prince of Scotland and (2) Walter Halyburton

Late in life after the death of her husband Johanna, Countess of Douglas, lady of Galloway and of Bothwell, on 6 Feb 1400/01 at Bothwell Castle granted to her eldest son, Archibald, Earl of Douglas and Lord of Galloway in excambion for his £10 lands of Halls of Eirth, her lands of Cranshaws in the constabulary of Haddington. ^[5] Three days later Joanna issued a Precept of Sasine of the lands of Cranshaws in favour of Archibald. ^[6]

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 21:47, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ The Complete Peerage by G. E. Cockayne, edited by the Hon. Vicary Gibbs and H. Arthur Doubleday, vol.iv, London, 1916, p.433 and notes.
2. ↑ Laing Charters 379 Item 1 see [1]
3. ↑ Laing Charters 379 Item 2 see [2]
4. ↑ The Scots Peerage Vol.3 pp 161- 162 see [3]
5. ↑ NRS GD12/14 see [4]
6. ↑ NRS GD12/15 see [5]

See Also:

• Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage : Founded On Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing An Historical And Genealogical Account of The Nobility of That Kingdom. Edinburgh: Douglas (1904) Moray, Earl of Strathearn, Vol VIII, pps 255-8.
• Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage : Founded On Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing An Historical And Genealogical Account of The Nobility Of That Kingdom. Edinburgh: Douglas (1904) Thomas Moray, Lord of Bothwell, Vol II, pps 129 - 131
• Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage : Founded On Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing An Historical And Genealogical Account of The Nobility of That Kingdom. Edinburgh: Douglas (1904) Widow of Sir Thomas, Vol III, pg 161-2
• Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage : Founded On Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing An Historical And Genealogical Account of The Nobility of That Kingdom. Edinburgh: Douglas (1904) Malise Strathearn, Vol VIII, pps 251-2

See Also:

• Stirnet, Murray1
• Stirnet, Murray5