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Birth:          ABT 1327 Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Death:          1384 

Notes
ancestry.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Douglas
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (c. 1327–1384) was a Scottish magnate.
Early life[edit]

William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and 
nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy. From the time of 
his father's death at Halidon Hill, he is described as being a ward of his kinsman and 
godfather, William Douglas, Knight of Liddesdale and was educated in France.[2] In 
1342, under pressure from Liddesdale, his uncle Hugh the Dull resigned the Lordship 
of Douglas to him, though Liddesdale rapaciously administered his estates while it was 
in his ward-ship, and assumed direct ownership of some of the Douglas territories.

Douglas returned to Scotland, upon reaching his majority in 1348, and immediately 
started to put his house in order. In 1346-47 following the Battle of Neville's Cross, 
King David II, and other nobility, including Liddesdale, were held captive by the 
English. Edward Baliol used the opportunity to ravage the whole of the south of 
Scotland. Douglas gathered his men and drove the English out from his ancestral 
lands of Douglasdale.[3] Douglas went in the style of his uncle, the Good Sir James, 
and for the following few years waged guerrilla war against the English in the Ettrick 
Forest and Jedforests.[4]

Douglas next became one of the commissioners to negotiate with the English for the 
release of David II of Scotland.[5]

Death of the Knight of Liddesdale[edit]

In 1353, Edward Baliol was ensconced at Buittle in his ancestral territories in 
Galloway. Douglas led a raid there to eject him due to Baliol's forfeiture of those lands 
that had been made over to Sir James Douglas in 1324.[6] Following this raid, 
returning through the Forest, Douglas came across Liddesdale hunting on what 
Douglas viewed as his desmesne. This was the match that lit the fuse of years of 
resentment over Liddesdale's assumption of the Douglas patrimony, notwithstanding 
Liddesdale's murder of Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie which John of Fordun gives 
as a reason for the enmity between the men.[7] Liddesdale, once in high standing with 
the Crown, had fallen into disfavour following his murder of Ramsay and another 
Knight, Sir David de Barclay. Douglas set upon Liddesdale and killed him. In February 
1354, William of Douglas received a new charter from King David bestowing all the 
lands held by his uncle Sir James, his father Sir Archibald, and Liddesdale itself.[8][9]

War with England and Battle of Poitiers[edit]

In 1355 the truce with England expired and Douglas with the Earl of Dunbar and 
March, whose lands had been ravaged, decided to take Norham Castle in retaliation. 
One of Douglas' captains, Sir William Ramsay of Dalhousie, was instructed to despoil 
the lands around Norham and burn the town in an effort to entice the garrison out to 
battle. Ramsay did so and the English under the castle's constable, Sir Thomas Grey 
of Heaton and Lord Dacre, gave chase. Douglas and March meanwhile were 
encamped seven miles away in woodland to the south of Duns, when Ramsay had 
reached them. The English pursuers were ambushed by the Scots force, and 
completely overwhelmed. Following this Battle of Nesbit Moor, Douglas and March 
joined with the Earl of Angus in making an assault upon Berwick, but the Scots had to 
retire from there before the advancing army of Edward III. King Edward laid waste to 
the Lothians in an event that would be known as the "Burnt Candlemas". His supply 
lines were overstretched, and following the sinking of his fleet, and the Scots 
scorched earth policy, Edward had to turn homewards, but not before being ambushed 
and nearly taken by Lord Douglas's men outside Melrose.[10][11] Following Edward's 
retreat into England, Douglas arranged a truce with William de Bohun, 1st Earl of 
Northampton that would last until Michaelmas.[12]

He also arranged a Safe conduct to visit the captive King David. Following this 
Douglas crossed with a large following to France and took up arms with Jean le Bon 
against Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince. Douglas was present at the Battle of 
Poitiers where he was knighted by the French King. Douglas fought in the King's own 
Battle, but when the fight seemed over Douglas was dragged by his men from the 
melee. Froissart states that "... the Earl Douglas of Scotland, who fought a season 
valiantly, but when he saw the discomfiture he departed and saved himself; for in no 
wise would he be taken by the Englishmen, he would rather there be slain".[13] After 
the defeat there Douglas escaped, but left a number of his men either slain or captive, 
including his first cousin latterly the 3rd Earl of Douglas, Archibald the Grim.[14][15]

Douglas returned to Scotland by mid Autumn, and was involved in peace negotiations 
with the English, one aspect of the treaty was the creation of March Wardens of 
which Douglas was one. Under the auspice of this office, Douglas seized Hermitage 
Castle in Liddesdale from the English in response to their depredations on Eskdale.
[16] Douglas was part of the parliament that met at Berwick in 1357, which finalised 
the release of King David through the Treaty of Berwick, Douglas himself being one of 
the securities for his release.[17]

Earl of Douglas and Mar[edit]

Douglas was created Earl of Douglas on 26 January 1358.[18][19] In 1364, he joined 
David II in seeking a treaty with England which would have written off Scotland's debt 
to England in return for depriving his nephew, Robert the Steward, formerly an ally of 
Douglas, of the succession. Edward III's son, Lionel of Antwerp, would have taken the 
Scottish throne, although the independence of Scotland was to be guaranteed, and a 
special clause provided for the restoration of the English estates of the Douglas 
family.

The plan never succeeded and, on the accession of Robert II, Douglas was 
nevertheless reconciled and appointed Justiciar South of the Forth in 1372. The last 
years of his life were spent in making and repelling border raids. He died at Douglas in 
May 1384.

Marriage and Issue[edit]

William, Earl of Douglas married in 1357, Margaret, Countess of Mar and had two 
children:
James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas (1358–1388)
Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar (1360–1408)

The Earl of Douglas also fathered an illegitimate son by his wife's sister-in-law, 
Margaret Stewart, widow of Thomas, Earl of Mar and Countess of Angus in her own 
right:
George Douglas, inherited the estates of Angus and was later created Earl of Angus.
Margaret Douglas, received in 1404 the lands of Bonjedward from her sister Isabel of 
Mar.[20]

Parents
DOUGLAS Archibald (ABT 1290 - 19 Jul 1333)
DE LINDSAY Beatrix (ABT 1300 - )

Siblings
DOUGLAS William (ABT 1327 - 1384)

Marriage To MAR Margaret (ABT 1330 - 19 Oct 1393)
    m. 1357 

Notes

Parents
MAR Domhnaill (Donald) (1293 - 11 Aug 1332)
STEWART Isabel (ABT 1310 - )

Children by MAR Margaret ABT 1330 - 19 Oct 1393
DOUGLAS Margaret (ABT 1375 - )

Marriage To ----- ----- ()
    m.  

Notes


Children by ----- ----- 
DOUGLAS Joan (ABT 1360 - )

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