Archibald Douglas: Related To Royalty???? How Cool Is That???


    My 15th Great-Grandfather on my Mother's, Mother's side.
    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 He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.4
     
Children of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus and Elizabeth Boyd
George Douglas, Master of Angus+5 b. c 1469, d. 9 Sep 1513
Sir William Douglas+6 b. bt 1470 - 1475, d. 9 Sep 1513
Lady Marion Douglas+2 b. bt 1470 - 1477
Elizabeth Douglas2 b. bt 1471 - 1478
Lady Janet Douglas2 b. bt 1472 - 1480
Gavin Douglas2 b. c 1475, d. Sep 1522
Sir Archibald Douglas2 b. a 1475, d. c 1536


Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449 - October 1513), was a late medieval Scottish magnate. He became known as "Bell the Cat". He became the most powerful nobleman in the realm through a successful rebellion and established his family as the most important in the kingdom.










Angus, born about 1449 at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, succeeded his father, George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, in 1462 or 1463 at the age of just fourteen.
In 1481, Angus became Warden of the East March, but the next year he joined the league against James III and his favorite, Robert Cochrane, at Lauder. Here he earned his nickname by offering to "bell the cat"-specifically, to deal with Cochrane-beginning the attack upon him by pulling his gold chain off his neck, and then ordering the hanging of Cochrane and others of the king's favorites. (The phrase "to bell the cat" comes from one of Aesop's fables, "The Mice in Council", and refers to a dangerous task undertaken for the benefit of all.)
Subsequently he joined Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, in league with Edward IV of England on 11 February 1483, signing the convention at Westminster which acknowledged the overlordship of the English king. However, in March Albany and Angus returned, outwardly at least, to their allegiance, and received pardons for their treason.
After a period of peace between them, Angus and the king again started to quarrel. Angus now decided to rebel against the king. Having the support of the Scottish nobility this time, he marched against James III and they fought the Battle of Sauchieburn during which the king was killed.
Angus became one of the guardians of the young king James IV. but soon lost influence, to the Homes and Hepburn's, and the warden-ship of the marches went to Alexander Home. Though outwardly on good terms with James, Angus treacherously made a treaty with Henry VII around 1489 or 1491, by which he undertook to govern his relations with James according to instructions from England. He also agreed to hand over Hermitage Castle, commanding the pass through Liddesdale into Scotland, on the condition of receiving English estates in compensation.
In October 1491 he fortified his castle of Tantallon against James, but had to submit and to exchange his Liddesdale estate and Hermitage Castle for the lordship of Bothwell.
In 1493 Angus again returned to favor, receiving various grants of lands. He became Chancellor, which office he retained till 1498. In June 1497 he opened talks for the surrender of Perkin Warbeck at 'Jenyn Haugh'.[2] In 1501, in disgrace once more, he was confined to Dumbarton Castle. At the disaster at Flodden Field in 1513, though absent himself, Angus lost his two eldest sons. As the Scottish nation licked its wounds, Angus won appointment as one of the councilors of Margaret Tudor the queen regent; but the newly appointed councilor died at the end of October 1513. His successor to the Earldom of Angus was his grandson, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.

















Comments