The Skaggs-Files

From: http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/royal/gedx.html

Douglas, Archibald, Earl of Angus VI

Born: ABT 1490
Acceded: 1514
Died: BEF 22 JAN 1557, Tantallon Castle
Interred: Abernethy
Notes: died of erysipelas****.

Father: Douglas, George, Master of Angus, b. ABT 1469
Mother: Drummond, Elizabeth

Married 26 JUN 1509 to Hepburn, Margaret

Married 4 AUG 1514, Kinnoul Church Divorce 1528 to Tudor, Margaret
Child 1: Douglas, Margaret, Lady, b. 6 OCT 1515

Married 9 APR 1543 to Maxwell, Margaret
Child 2: Douglas, James, Master of Angus

****Erysipelas is a superficial bacterial skin infection that characteristically extends into the cutaneous lymphatics. This disease has been traced back to the Middle Ages where it was referred to as "St Anthony’s Fire," named after an Egyptian healer who was known for successfully treating the infection. Classically, this infection is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and occurs on the face.

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Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of the Realm

The Scottish army that fought and lost the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333 was led by James’ youngest brother who had been elected Regent of Scotland in late March of 1333. Sir Archibald Douglas has been badly treated by some historians; frequently misidentifying this Douglas warrior as the Tyneman or loser when the moniker was intended for a later less fortunate but equally warlike Archibald. He was mentioned in Barbour’s The Brus for his great victory during the Weardale Campaign; leading the Scottish army further south into County Durham he devastated the lands and took much booty from Darlington and other nearby towns and villages. He was elected by the Estates to the position of Regent when his cousin Andrew de Moray, then Regent of Scotland, was captured and taken to Durham to surrender to King Edward III of England. The earls and barons of the kingdom recognized his prowess as a warrior; leading the successful rout at Annan earlier in the year; bringing fire and sword to Cumbria to chase Edward and his vassals further south and out of Scotland. He had brought the Scottish army to Tweedsmouth; relieving the garrison at Berwick Castle with Sir William Keith and others; all in response to a treat of peace initiated by the constantly wavering Earl of March; then proceeded south burning his way through Northumbria as his brother James would have done; finally arriving at the mighty fortress of Bamburgh Castle where Edward’s queen Phillipa was secretly hiding from the Scots. He was found there laying siege to that castle when the representations of Sir William Keith and the Earl of March appeared to the Regent; they announced the sad tidings that the Governor of Berwick and the Garrison Commander had both entered into a second treaty; with express covenants to surrender the castle and the town of Berwick on Tweed should the Regent not return by St. Margaret’s Day and either relieve the garrison in full view of the English and only during the daylight hours or risk battle with Edward’s army. The Regent reluctantly raised the siege at Bamburgh and returned to Duns Law where he called a muster; likely at the demand of the estates as it was well known Sir Archibald was of the party of Brus and would not break his solemn word to never again engage the English in battle when he could burn the countryside instead. On the Eve of St. Margaret, Sir Archibald of Douglas was mortally wounded at the foot of Halidon Hill; taken prisoner and held until he died; reportedly one hour after his nephew William, Lord Douglas passed from his wounds; the son and heir to James, Lord Douglas, Chief of the Douglas Clan. At nearby Bondington stood Halyston, St. Leonard’s; a Cistercian nunnery and hospital where the Regent likely spent his last hours. Archeologists found lead shot at Bondington and records indicate that the English brought with them a large artillery train. During earlier encounters with Edward III in 1326-1327 the English had used gunpowder as a weapon against the Scots. It appears that they may have perfected the weaponry with the amount of devastation that was caused to both the Scottish army on the field and to nunnery which was destroyed and burned. Later Edward awarded the nuns some payments for the damages sustained to their buildings during the fight and dedicated an altar to St. Margaret there after the battle.

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Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was born circa 1453.1 He was the son of George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus and Isabel Sibbald.1 He and Catherine Seton were engaged on 30 September 1461.1 He married, firstly, Elizabeth Boyd, daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd of Kilmarnock and Mariot Maxwell, on 4 March 1467/68.1 He married, secondly, Janet Kennedy, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy and Lady Elizabeth Gordon, circa 1498.1 He married, thirdly, Katherine Stirling, daughter of Sir William Stirling, 2nd of Keir and Margaret Crichton, on 1 June 1500.2 He and Katherine Stirling were separated before 1513.1 He died between 29 November 1513 and 31 January 1514 at Priory of St. Ninian, Galloway, Scotland.1

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus also went by the nick-name of 'The Great Earl'.1 Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus also went by the nick-name of 'Bell the Cat' for his courage in initiating opposition to King James III's favourites at court.1 He succeeded to the title of 5th Earl of Angus [S., 1389] on 14 November 1462.1 He was created 1st Lord Douglas [Scotland] in 1475/76.3 He held the office of Warden of the East Marches on 11 April 1481.1 He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.).1 He held the office of High Chancellor [Scotland] between 1493 and 1498.1 His marriage to Janet Kennedy was annulled circa 1499.1 Cokayne writes that "his advice to the King against the fatal engagement at Flodden being insultingly received, he quitted the field shortly before the fight, bidding his two sons remain, both of whom were there slain, with their King."1

Children of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus and Elizabeth Boyd:

George Douglas, Master of Angus+ b. c 1469, d. 9 Sep 1513

Sir William Douglas+ b. bt 1470 - 1475, d. 9 Sep 1513

Lady Marion Douglas+ b. bt 1470 - 1477

Elizabeth Douglas b. bt 1471 - 1478

Janet Douglas b. bt 1472 - 1480

Gavin Douglas b. c 1475, d. Sep 1522

Sir Archibald Douglas b. a 1475, d. c 1536

Citations

[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 156. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.

[S8] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 1283. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.

[S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 1742. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume I, page 157.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume I, page 159.