See soorce fer Clan Douglas

{{Fixscots}}
{{Unsoorced}}
{{Infobox Clan
|clan name      = Douglas
|image badge    = Clan member crest badge - Clan Douglas.svg
|chiefs crest   =
|chiefs motto   = Jamais Arriere
|chiefs slogan  =
|region         = [[Scots Lawlands|Lawlands]]
|district       =
|gaelic names   =
|patron saint   = [[St. Bride]]
|image arms     = Douglas Arms 3.svg
|plant badge    =
|pipe music     =
|seat           =
|historic seat  = [[Douglas Castle]]
|septs          =
|branches       = Morton, Angus, Hardy, Sandlin, Sterrett
<!-- the following information is for clans without a current chief -->
|last chiefs name=[[Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke o Douglas|His Grace Archibald Douglas]]<br />The 1st [[Duke o Douglas]]
|date of death of last chief=21 Julie 1761
|commander      =
}}

'''Clan Douglas''', referred tae as '''''The Hoose o Douglas''''' an aw, is an auncient [[Scots clan]] frae the [[Scots Lawlands]] takin its name frae [[Douglas, Sooth Lanrikshire]], an thence spreidin oottthrou the [[The Mairches|Scots Borderland]], [[Angus]], [[Lothian]] an ayont. The clan disnae currently hae a [[clan chief|chief]], an is considert tae be ae [[airmigerous clan]].

The Douglases wur ance the maist pouerful faimily in [[Scotland]]. The pouerful Douglas chiefs haudit the titles o the [[Earl o Douglas]] (Black Douglas), [[Earl o Angus]] (Red Douglas) an at ae pynt the [[Earl o Morton]].

Mony Douglases mairit intae Scots an ither European royal an noble hooses, therebi ensurin Douglas pouer athin Scotland, as a result o thair accumulatit wealth.

The faimily's oreeginal seat wis [[Douglas Castle]] in [[Lanrikshire]], but thay spread tae mony properties ootthrou Scotland.

Thare ar mony members o the Douglas Clan buiriet throuoot the warld, sic as the [[Abbey o Saint-Germain-des-Prés]] in Paris, an at [[Melrose Abbey]]. Aiblins maist notable o aw is at St Bride's Kirk in Douglas. Dedicatit tae [[Brigid o Kildare|St Bride]], the patron saunt o the Douglas, it haulds the mausolea o mony distinguished Douglases, includin that o the [[James Douglas, Lord o Douglas|Good Sir James Douglas]].

==History==
===Oreegins o the clan===

Accordin tae tradeetion the Douglases teuk thair name frae the [[Scots Gaelic|Gaelic]] placename "Dubh glas" meanin "black-blue/green" (stream). Ae auld tradeetion is that the first chief o Clan Douglas wis [[Sholto Douglas]] that helpt the king o [[Scotland]] win a battle in the year 767. This is unsubstantiatit.

The true progenitor o Clan Douglas wis amsist certainly "Theobaldus Flammatius" (Theobald the Flemming), that wis gien in 1147 the launds near [[Douglas Water]] in Lanrikshire in return fur services fur the [[Abbot o Kelso]].

Awtho the Douglases wur first recordit in the 1170s, the Douglas faimily names consistit o Arkenbald an Freskin, an wur undoubtedly relatit tae the [[Clan Murray]], an tae be o Flemish oreegin. The Clan Murray wur descendit frae a Flemish knight cried [[Freskin]]. Tho the Flemish oreegin o the Douglases isnae undisputit, it is aften claimt that the Douglases wur descendit frae a [[Flemings|Flemish]] knight that wis grantit launds on the Douglas Water bi the Abbot o Kelso, that held the barony an lordship o [[Holydean]]. Housomeivver this is disputie, it haes been claimed that the launds that wis grantit tae this knight wisnae the launds that the Douglas faimily came frae.

In 1179 [[William I, Lord o Douglas|William Douglas]] wis Lord o Douglas an it seems likely that he wis Theobald the Flemming's son an the first tae tak the surname Douglas.

===Wars o Scots Unthirldom===
[[Image:William le hardi seal.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Seal o [[William Douglas the Hardy]]]]
Durin the [[Wars o Scots Unthirldom]], [[Sir William Douglas the Hardy]], Lord o Douglas wis govrenor o [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]] whan the toun an [[Berwick Castle]] wur besieged bi the forces o [[Edward I o Ingland]]. Douglas wis captured an wis released efter he haed agreed tae accept the claim o the Inglis king tae be owerlaird o Scotland. He subsequently jynt [[William Wallace]] in fechtin for Scots unthirldom, but wis captured an taken tae [[Ingland]], whaur he dee'd in 1298, a preesoner in the [[Touer o Lunnon]].

====The "Good" Sir James Douglas or "Black Douglas"====
{{Main|James Douglas, Lord o Douglas}}

William Le Hardi's son, [[James Douglas (the Black)|James Douglas]], "The Good Sir James", wis the first tae tak the epithet "Black". Douglas wis set tae share in Bruce's early misfortunes, bein present at the defeats at [[Battle o Methven|Methven]] an [[Battle o Dalrigh|Dalrigh]]. But for baith men thir setbacks wur tae provide a valuable lesson in tactics: limitations in baith resoorces an equipment meant that the Scots wad aye be at a disadvantage in conventional Medieval warfare. Bi the time the war wis renewed in the ware o 1307 thay haed learnt the value o guerrilla warfare – kent at the time as 'secret war' – uisin fast movin, lichtly equipped an agile forces tae maximum effect against an enemy aften locked in tae static defensive poseetions. Sir James Douglas recaptured [[Roxburgh Castle]] frae the Inglis in 1313. Sir James Douglas wis made a knight banneret, a heich honour, on the field an commandit a wing o the airmy at the [[Battle o Bannockburn]] in 1314.

James wis cried "The Black Douglas" bi the Inglis for his daurk deeds in Inglis een, becomin the Bogeyman o a Northren Inglis lullaby ''"Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye. Hush ye, hush ye, do no fret ye. The Black Douglas shall no get ye."''  Thare ar forby unsubstantiated theories that this wis acause o his colourin an complexion, this is tenuous, Douglas ae appears in Inglis record as "The Black", in Scots' chronicles he is amaist aye referred tae as "The Guid" or "The Good". Later Douglas Lords teuk the moniker o thair revered forebear in the same wey that thay attached Bruce's Hert tae thair [[Coat o Airms]], tae strike fear intae the hearts o thair enemies an exhibit the prowess o thair race.

====Crusader====
[[Image:Morton Castle - Landscape.jpg|thumb|right|Morton Castle The day]]
King [[Robert the Bruce]] haed requestit that Douglas, latterly his maist esteemed companion in arms, should cairy his hert tae the [[Holy Land]], as atonement for the murder o [[John III Comyn]]. Douglas an his knights haed been invitit tae jyne the forces o [[Alfonso XI o Castile]], [[Edward III o Ingland]]'s cousin bi his mither [[Isabella o France|Queen Isabella]], tae fecht against the [[Moors]] in 1330 at the siege o [[Battle o Teba|Teba]]. Douglas wis killed as he led a cavalry charge against the enemy while outnumbered an cut off frae the main [[Christian]] force; Alfonso kept his airmy back frae the attack; likely in some arrangement wi his cousin Edward who coud niver beat the Douglas in combat. The casket containin the hert o the Bruce wis recovered an returned tae Scotland, tae be interred at [[Melrose Abbey]]. Douglas' bones wur boiled an returned tae Scotland; his embalmed hert wis recently recovered in the Douglas vaults at the Kirk o St Bride but his bones ar no in the stane vault lyin unner his effigy an thay hae yet tae be locatit.

====Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian o the Realm====
{{Main|Sir Archibald Douglas}}
[[Image:Lennoxlove House.jpg|thumb|right|Lennoxlove House, a seat o the Marquess o Douglas]]
The Scots airmy that focht an lost the [[Battle o Halidon Hill]] in 1333 wis led bi James' yungest brither who haed been electit [[Regent o Scotland]] in late Mairch o 1333. Sir Archibald Douglas haes been badly treatit bi some historians; frequently misidentifyin this Douglas warrior as the [[Tyneman]] or loser when the moniker wis intendit for a later less fortunate but equally warlike Archibald. He wis mentioned in Barbour's ''The Brus'' for his great victory durin the Weardale Campaign; leadin the Scots airmy further sooth intae Coonty Durham he devastatit the lands an teuk muckle booty frae Darlington an ither nearby touns an veelages.

Sir James 'The Good' Douglas' naitural son [[William IV, Lord o Douglas|William]] succeedit tae the title as Lord o Douglas but mey no hae completit his title tae the estates, possibly acause he might hae been unnerage. He dee'd at [[Battle o Halidon Hill]] wi his uncle, [[Sir Archibald Douglas]]. James' younger brither, [[Hugh the Dull, Lord o Douglas]], a Canon servin the See o Glasgae an held a Prebendary at [[Roxburgh]] became Lord Douglas in 1342; Hugh o Douglas resigned his title tae his nephew, the yungest survivin son o the Regent Archibald, [[William Douglas, 1st Earl o Douglas|William Lord o Douglas]] who wis tae become the first Earl. The First Earl's legitimate son [[James Douglas, 2nt Earl o Douglas]] succeedit him. His [[Illegitimacy|illegitimate]] son bi [[Margaret Stewart, 4t Coontess o Angus]] wis [[George Douglas, 1st Earl o Angus]], who wis the progenitor o the [[Earl o Angus|Earls o Angus]] kent as the "Red Douglases" an aw.

The prestige o the faimily wis greatly increased when James Douglas's great nephew, [[James Douglas, 2nt Earl o Douglas]] mairit a [[House o Stuart]] princess. In 1388 at the [[Battle o Otterburn]] he wis instrumental tae the Scots' victory, but wis killed durin the feghtin. Leavin nae legitimate heir, his titles passed tae the illegitimate son o his great uncle.

===15t Century===
[[Image:DalkeithPalace Morris edited.jpg|thumb|right|Dalkeith ane o the Douglas seats]]
====Wars with Ingland====
[[Archibald the Grim|Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl o Douglas]] did muckle tae consolidate the faimily's pouer an influence. He successfully defendit [[Edinburgh Castle]] against [[Henry IV o Ingland]] in 1400 but dee'd the follaein year.

His son, [[Archibald Douglas, 4t Earl o Douglas]], marriet the dochter o [[Robert III o Scotland]]. The fowert Earl focht against King [[Henry IV o Ingland]] at the [[Battle o Shrewsbury]] in 1403, whaur he wis taken preesoner. He became a general in [[Joan o Arc]]'s airmy an continued the fecht against the Inglis. He wis rewardit for his efforts wi the [[Duchy o Touraine]].

In 1406, wi the daith o the king, the 4t Earl o Douglas became ane o the cooncil o regents tae rule Scotland durin the childhood o [[James I o Scotland]]. In 1412 the 4t Earl haed visitit [[Paris]], when he entered intae a personal alliance wi [[John the Fearless, Duke o Burgundy]], an in 1423 he commandit a contingent f 10,000 Scots sent tae the aid o [[Charles VII o Fraunce]] against the Inglis. He wis made [[lieutenant-general]] in the French airmy, an received the title [[Duke o Touraine]], wi remainder tae his heirs-male, on 19 Aprile 1424. The newly creatit French duke wis defeatit an slain at [[Battle o Verneuil]] on 17 August 1424, alang wi his seicont son, James, an son-in-law [[John Stewart, 2nt Earl o Buchan]].

====Murder o the Douglas chiefs at Edinburgh Castle====

The Douglases became sae pouerful that bi the early fifteent century thay wur seen as a threat tae the stability o the naition. In 1440 the young [[William Douglas, 6t Earl o Douglas]] an his brither wur invitit tae dine wi the ten year-auld King [[James II o Scotland]]. The dinner wis organised bi Sir William Crichton o [[Clan Crichton]]. Kent as the '''Black Bull Dinner''', a black bull's heid, the seembol o daith, wis brocht in. Efter the dinner the Douglas chiefs wur dragged oot tae Castle Hill, gien a mock trial an beheadit. The Clan Douglas then laid siege tae [[Edinburgh Castle]]. Crichton perceivin the danger surrendered the castle tae the King an wis raised tae the title o Lord Crichton. It is still unclear exactly who else wis ultimately responsible, tho it is thocht Crichton, Livingstone an Buchan as likely candidates.

====Clan Conflicts====
[[Image:Douglastartan.jpg|thumb|right|210px|The tartan o Clan Douglas (no the Black Douglases)]]
In 1448 [[Hugh Douglas, Earl o Ormond]] held command alang wi John Wallace o [[Clan Wallace]] when he led a Scots force tae victory against an Inglis airmy at the [[Battle o Sark]] in 1448.

The king gae the [[Earl o Atholl]]'s confiscatit lands o Strathbogie tae [[Clan Gordon]]. The castle thare became kent as Huntly, a reminder o the Gordons' Berwickshire lands. Sir Alexander Gordon wis creatit [[Earl o Huntly]] in 1449. At this time the king wis at enmity wi the pouerful Clan Douglas. The Gordons stood on the king's side, an wi thair men involved in the sooth o the kintra. The [[Earl o Moray]] wis a relation an ally o the Douglases. He an the Douglases teuk the opportunity tae sack the Gordon lands, settin Huntly Castle ablaze. Housomeivver the Gordons returned an quickly destroyed thair enemies. Awtho the castle wis burned tae the grund, a grander castle wis biggit in its place.

The Douglases haed a lang feud wi [[Clan Colville]]. Sir Richard Colville haed killed the Laird o Auchinleck who wis an ally o the Douglases. Tae avenge this murther the Douglases attacked the Colvilles in thair castle, whaur mony wur killed. The Douglases levelled the Colville's castle an put thair men tae the swuird. [[William Douglas, 8t Earl o Douglas]] personally executit Richard Colville.

====Murder o the Douglas chiefs at Stirling Castle====

The strength o the Douglases made it impossible for [[James II o Scotland]] tae rule freely.  Efter fruitless feudin wi the Douglases the King invitit William Douglas, 8t Earl o Douglas tae [[Stirling Castle]] in 1452 unner the promise o safe conduct, but then the King accused the Earl o conspiracy in his dealings wi the Yorkists in Ingland an throu a pact made atween Douglas, the Earl o Crawford an the Lord o the Isles. Upon Douglas' refusal tae repudiate the pact an reaffirm his lealtie tae James II, the King drew his dagger an stabbed Douglas in the throat. The story goes that the King's Captain o the Guard then finished off the Earl wi a [[Pollaxe (polearm)|pole axe]]. The body wis thrown frae the windae intae a gairden belaw, whaur it wis later gien burial. A stained gless windae bearin the Douglas Arms nou owerluiks "Douglas Garden", the spot whaur the Earl is said tae hae fallen.

====Feud wi the Stewart royal family====

In 1455 [[James Douglas, 9t Earl o Douglas]] rebelled against the king but his forces wur defeatit at the [[Battle o Arkinholm]] bi the king's forces who wur commandit bi the Reid Douglas, Earl o Angus. This brocht an end tae the Black Douglases. Efter the battle an act o parliament gae the [[Earl o Angus]] the lordship o Douglas wi the oreeginal possessions o his ancestors in Douglasdale. The 9t earl wis later defeatit bi the forces o King [[James III o Scotland]] at the [[Battle o Lochmaben Fair]] in 1484.

===16t Century Conflicts===
[[Image:Drumlanrig Castle.jpg|thumb|right|Drumlanrig Palace ane o the Douglas seats]]
In 1513, thare wis a strang Douglas contingent at the [[Battle o Flodden Field]], whaur twa o [[Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl o Angus]]'s (Red Douglas's) sons wur killed alang wi 200 men o the Clan Douglas.

A dispute occurred in 1530, when Sir Robert Charteris, the 8t Laird an chief o [[Clan Charteris]] focht a duel wi [[James Douglas, 7t Baron Drumlanrig|Sir James Douglas o Drumlanrig]] in what wis said tae hae been ane o the last great chivalric contests. It wis focht wi aw the observance o a medieval tournament wi heralds an the king himsel watchin frae the castle walls. The joust wis apparently focht wi sic fury that Charteris' swurd wis brakken an the king haed tae send his men-at-arms tae pairt the combatants.

[[Archibald Douglas, 6t Earl o Angus]] held the post o Lord Chancellor an became guardian o [[James V o Scotland]] bi marryin his widowed mither, [[Margaret Tudor]], wi whom he haed a dochter, [[Margaret Douglas]], mither o [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]]. In 1545, Angus led his forces tae victory at the [[Battle o Ancrum Moor]] whaur thay defeatit the Inglis airmy durin the [[Rough Wooing]], an he wis present at the defeat in 1547 at the [[Battle o Pinkie Cleugh]] an aw.

[[James Douglas, 4t Earl o Morton]], nephew o the 6t Earl o Angus, wis a bitter enemy o [[Mary, Queen o Scots]]. He wis ane o the murderers o the queen's secretary [[David Rizzio]] an wis hivily implicatit in the murther o her seicont husband Lord Darnley. As regent, he wis brutal in crushin factions still lyal tae Mary, housomeivver, he wis accused o complicity in the murther o Darnley an wis executit in 1581.

===17t century & the Bishops' War===
[[Image:Hermitage Castle.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Hermitage Castle]]]]
Durin the [[Wars o the Three Kinricks]], [[William Douglas, 1st Marquess o Douglas|William Douglas, 11t Earl o Angus]], a [[Catholic]], wis a supporter o [[Charles I o Scotland]]. In 1633, he wis creatit Marquess o Douglas. Followin the [[Battle o Kilsyth]] in 1645, he jynt [[James Graham, 1st Marquess o Montrose]], an wis present when [[Cavalier|Royalist]] forces focht [[Covenanter]] cavalry at the [[Battle o Philiphaugh]] whaur he barely escaped wi his life. Follaein [[Oliver Cromwell|Cromwell]]'s victory, he wis able tae mak peace an wis fined £1,000.

In 1660, [[William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke o Hamilton|William Douglas]], the brither o the seicont Marquess o Douglas became, throu marriage, the [[Duke o Hamilton]]. Eventually, the titles o Marquess o Douglas, Earl o Angus, an several others devolved tae the Dukes o Hamilton an the heir o that hoose is aaways styled 'Marquess o Douglas an Clydesdale'. The Douglas an Hamilton lines became Douglas-Hamilton an, unner [[Scots law]], ar barred frae inheritin the title o chief o Clan Douglas due tae the hyphenatit surname. This similarly applies tae the [[Clan Home|Douglas-Home]] faimily who jynt thair surnames in the aichteent century.

In 1689, [[James Douglas, Earl o Angus]] raised the [[26t (Cameronian) Regiment o Fuit|Cameronian regiment]] (Earl o Angus's regiment) Awtho greatly outnumbered, the regiment managed tae defeat a lairger Jacobite force at the [[Battle o Dunkeld]]. The regiment wis victorious unner the command o Captain [[George Munro o Auchinbowie]].

===18t century & the Jacobite risins===

In 1703 the [[Earls o Angus|Marquisate o Douglas]] wis elevatit tae a Dukedom, housomeivver, in the late 17t century, mair politeecal pouer wis wieldit bi the Douglases o Drumlanrig, in Dumfriesshire who ar descendit frae the Black Douglases an aw. The Douglases o Drumlanrig haed become [[Earl o Queensberry]] in 1633, [[Marquess o Queensberry|Marquis]]es in 1682 an [[Duke o Queensberry|Duke]]s in 1684. The manoeuvres o [[James Douglas, 2nt Duke o Queensberry]], contributit tae the [[Union o 1707]]. Later, in the 18t century, durin the Jacobite Uprisings, the Douglases continued thair support for the Breetish govrenment. The [[Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke o Douglas|Duke o Douglas]] led the volunteer horse durin the [[Battle o Sheriffmuir]] in 1715. At that fecht wis the Duke's young cousin an aw, [[Archibald Douglas, 2nt Earl o Forfar]], colonel o the [[Buffs (Royal Aest Kent Regiment)|3rd Regiment o fit]], an who dee'd o wounds taken thare shortly efterwards. Douglas Castle wis burnt bi the Hieland armies o [[Bonnie Prince Charlie]] in the 1745 uprisin. Douglas Castle wis again burnt doun in 1755, an the Duke commenced wirk on a new edifice designed bi [[Robert Adam]]. Biggin wirk ceased on the Duke's daith in 1761, an wi it his Dukedom became extinct. The Marquisate o Douglas, an Earldom o Angus devolved tae [[James Hamilton, 7t Duke o Hamilton]], the senior male line descendant o the [[James Douglas, 2nt Marquess o Douglas|2nt Marquis o Douglas]], his great-great-great grandfaither.

== Freemit airtins ==
* [http://www.clandouglassociety.org/ Clan Douglas Society o North Americae]
* [http://www.douglas.ca/ancestry/index.html Douglas Family Site, Brief Historical Account] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030034302/http://www.douglas.ca/ancestry/index.html |date=2008-10-30 }}
* [http://www.douglashistory.co.uk Douglas History] The Douglas Archives - a compendium o historical notes an biographies.
{{Commonscat|Clans of Scotland}}

{{Scots clans}}

[[Category:Scots clans|Douglas]]
[[Category:Hoose o Douglas an Angus| ]]
[[Category:Airmigerous clans]]