William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas
{{Short description|Scottish nobleman}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, 2nd Earl of Avondale (1425 – 22 February 1452) was a late Medieval Scottish nobleman, Lord of Galloway, and Lord of the Regality of Lauderdale,Sasine Precept, National Archives of Scotland RH1/2/691 and the most powerful magnate in Southern Scotland. He was killed by James II of Scotland.
Life
Douglas was the eldest son of James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas, and Beatrice Sinclair, the daughter of Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney.
His father, having been a part of the conspiracy that led to the "Black Dinner" and execution of the 6th Earl and his brother, on his death only three years later left the title and lands to his eldest son William, who may have taken part in the conspiracy. William gained the lordships of Galloway and Bothwell by marriage (by papal dispensation) to his cousin, Margaret Douglas, Fair Maid of Galloway (daughter of the 5th Earl), thus becoming even more powerful and a danger to the throne.
The Earl and his party were issued with a safe conduct for three years, "to pass through England, to the Marches of Calais and elsewhere in the King of England's dominions" dated 9 November 1450.Abercromby's Martial Atchievements, vol. II, pp. 249, 328. Douglas was planning to attend the Jubilee in Rome and would travel via England, Flanders and France.Mackay, A.E.J.G., editor, The Historie and Cronicles of Scotland by Robert Lindesay of Pitscottie, Edinburgh, 1899, volume 1, p. 80. A further safe conduct, this time expressly stating that the Earl could take a party of 100 and naming many of them, was issued (presumably while they were still travelling) on 23 April 1451.Bain, Joseph, editor, Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland 1357-1509, vol. IV, Edinburgh, 1888, number 1232, p. 250. The Earl had returned to Scotland by 14 August 1451 as he was the leading Scottish Conservator of the 3-year truce with England, concluded at Newcastle upon Tyne.Bain,1888, no.1239, p. 251.
At this time he owned Glendevon Castle in what is now south Perthshire.The Castles of Scotland by Andrew Coventry ISBN 1-899874-00-3
During Douglas's absence in Rome, James II had attacked the lands of the Douglas because of Douglas offences against neighbouring lords. After Douglas's return, although there was an outward truce, relations continued to be strained between the king's party and that of the earl. In early February [1452] Sir William Lauder of Haltoun, a close friend and relative (his mother Helen was a daughter of Archibald, 3rd Earl of Douglas, "The Grim")Crawfurd's Peerage,p.91.Maxwell, Sir Herbert, Bt., A History of the House of Douglas, London, 1902, vol.1, p. 124. of Douglas, brought a summons to the Earl to attend the King at Stirling. There was abundant precedent for suspicion in a mandate of this nature, but, as if to allay it, Lauder brought safe conduct for Douglas given under the King's hand in council.Maxwell, 1902, vol.1, p. 171.
Once there, King James demanded the dissolution of a league into which Douglas had entered with Alexander Lindsay, the "Tiger" Earl of Crawford, and John of Islay. Upon Douglas's refusal, the king stabbed him as did the several men with the king, and Sir Patrick Gray, according to the Auchinleck Chronicle, "struck out his brains with a pole ax", and his body was thrown out of a window.
Since Douglas died without issue, his titles passed to his brother James.
Douglas in fiction
Douglas is the central character in Black Douglas, a novel by Nigel Tranter, which is speculative about a few issues e.g. claiming that he had a dysfunctional marriage.
William Douglas is portrayed in James II: Day of the Innocents which is part of "The James Plays" trilogy penned by Rona Munro. This massive theatre production portrays a fictional account (heavily based on what is accepted as facts) of the lives of three generations of Scottish kings (James I, II and III). The stabbing of Douglas by James II is in the play.
References
{{reflist}}
= Sources =
- Fraser, Sir William, The Douglas Book (4 Vols), Edinburgh 1885 [https://archive.org/stream/douglasbook01fras#page/1117/mode/2up]
- {{EB1911|wstitle = Douglas|volume=8}}
- [http://www.thepeerage.com/p10920.htm#i109198 thepeerage.com]
- John Prebble, The Lion in the North
{{s-start}}
{{s-reg|sct}}
{{s-bef |rows=2 |before=James Douglas }}
{{s-ttl |title=File:Douglas Arms 3.svg
Earl of Douglas |years=1443–1452 }}
{{s-aft |rows=2 |after=James Douglas }}
{{s-ttl |title=Earl of Avondale |years=1443–1452}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, William Douglas, 08th Earl Of}}
Category:Nobility from South Lanarkshire
Category:Medieval murder victims
William Douglas, 08th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 08th Earl of Douglas
Category:Deaths by stabbing in Scotland
Category:People executed by defenestration