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Douglas ( gd, Dùbhghlas) is a village in
South Lanarkshire gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas , image_skyline = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms_slanarkshire.jpg , image_blank_emblem = Slanarks.jpg , blank_emblem_type = Council logo , image_map ...
, Scotland. It is located on the south bank of the Douglas Water and on the
A70 road The A70 road is a major road in Scotland, United Kingdom . It runs a total of from Edinburgh to Ayr. It begins as Dalry Road at the Haymarket, Edinburgh junction with the A8, passing near but not through Lanark and ending as Miller Road in Ay ...
that links Ayr, on the West coast of Scotland, to
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on the East, around 12 miles south west of
Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of ...
. The placename is of Gaelic origin, derived from the
Old Gaelic Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...
''dub'' and ''glais'', meaning "dark stream", in reference to the Douglas Water. The Douglas family took this name when their ancestors settled here in the 12th century.


History

The village grew to service the nearby
Douglas Castle Douglas Castle was a stronghold of the Douglas (later Douglas-Home) family from medieval times to the 20th century. The first castle, erected in the 13th century, was destroyed and replaced several times until the 18th century when a large man ...
, the seat of the Lords of Douglas. The first recorded mention of the Parish of Douglas is in a charter of Bricius de Douglas, Bishop of Moray dated between 1203–1222 to the monks of
Kelso Abbey Kelso Abbey is a ruined Scottish abbey in Kelso, Scotland. It was founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Twe ...
which is witnessed by Freskin
Parson A parson is an ordained Christian person responsible for a small area, typically a parish. The term was formerly often used for some Anglican clergy and, more rarely, for ordained ministers in some other churches. It is no longer a formal term ...
of Douglas, brother to the bishop. The castle was well established by the time of William the Hardy when he was called upon to imprison Hugh de Abernethy there in 1288 and where Abernethy died at some point before 1293. The castle was occupied for some time by
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
forces during the
Scottish Wars of Independence The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of ...
. However the castle was liberated by Sir James Douglas when in 1307 he and some followers trapped the English garrison inside the castle chapel whilst they were worshiping and burnt it to the ground, causing some damage to the castle.


Notable buildings

The only remains of the castle are those of a 17th-century corner tower, still known as "
Castle Dangerous ''Castle Dangerous'' (1831) was the last of Walter Scott's Waverley novels. It is part of ''Tales of My Landlord, 4th series'', with '' Count Robert of Paris''. The castle of the title is Douglas Castle in Lanarkshire, and the action, based on a ...
", after the
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy'' ...
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
which took Douglas Castle as its inspiration. In the 1930s
Charles Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home Charles Cospatrick Archibald Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home, (29 December 1873 – 11 July 1951), styled Lord Dunglass between 1881 and 1918, was a British peer and banker. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1930 to 1951. H ...
allowed the mining of coal in the park near to the castle, in a philanthropic effort to alleviate local unemployment. The Lanarkshire coal industry, once the mainstay of Scotland's production, had seen its output almost halved by 1937, with catastrophic consequences for local communities. As a consequence of the mining works, the castle was considered to be at risk of subsidence and had to be demolished in 1938. The oldest structure within the village itself is the ruin of St. Bride's Church which, like the castle, originated in the 14th century. This church became the mausoleum of the Lords of Douglas. The church clock dates back to 1565 and is said to be Scotland's oldest working public clock. It is said to have been given as a gift to the village by
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
, after she spent time in the area. The clock is still in working order today, having been repaired and maintained by
James Ritchie & Son James Ritchie & Son are a firm of Clockmakers in Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland. The company was established in 1809 and is Scotland's oldest turret clock manufacturer. The firm produces and maintains all sorts of clocks, including public cl ...
in 2007/2008. The parish church was moved to its present site, near to the old chapel, where the Douglas St Bride's Parish Church still stands. Its congregation now worships at the newer St Bride's Church, built some distance away. Within the village stands a monument to the
Covenanter Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covena ...
James Gavin, a local tailor, who had his ears cut off with his own tailoring scissors for refusing to renounce his
presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...
principles. After suffering this humiliation he was transported to a life of slavery in the West Indies. The ruins of the house he built after his eventual return from banishment stood until 1968 with its engraved lintel still in place above the front door, featuring a carving of a pair of tailor's scissors. The lintel has been incorporated within the monument erected in what was the rear garden of the house. Also within the village is a statue of
James Douglas, Earl of Angus James Douglas, Earl of Angus (1671 – 3 August 1692) was a Scottish nobleman and soldier. He was born at Douglas Castle, Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The son of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas and his first wife Lady Barbara Erskine, ...
, commemorating the Cameronians regiment which he raised in 1689. Nearby, another memorial commemorates its disbanding, over two and a half centuries later, in 1968. The village was shaped later by the
Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
, which brought woollen mills and coal mining (in common with other villages in this part of Scotland). There is a heritage museum in Douglas that charts the history of the area. The village was one of several locations near which a large camp of the
Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ...
was set up in 1940. Units of the 10th Polish Cavalry, including the Podhalanski (Highland) Battalion, 10th Mounted Rifles Regiment, the 24th Lancers, as well as brigade support and service units, were stationed here for a brief period in a temporary tented camp before moving north to Fife and
Angus Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * An ...
where they were deployed to defend the east coast of Scotland against invasion. Three Polish monuments created by the 10th Cavalry Brigade in the vicinity of the village have been put together in a Memorial Garden.


Sports

Glenbuck & Douglas Valley Football Academy play at Douglas' Crabtree Park. They take their inspiration from
Bill Shankly William Shankly (2 September 1913 – 29 September 1981) was a Scottish football player and manager, who is best known for his time as manager of Liverpool. Shankly brought success to Liverpool, gaining promotion to the First Division and winnin ...
and the original Glenbuck Cherrypickers. The club, formed in 2012, have various teams at different age groups. * Boys (2008’s) * Mixed Junior (2012’s, 2014’s, 2016 Minikickers * Girls (Training) * Mens (Walking Football)


Burials at St. Bride's Church (in the Douglas family mausoleum)

* William Longleg, Lord of Douglas *
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and the Black Douglas; – 1330) was a Scottish knight and feudal lord. He was one of the chief commanders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Early life He was the eldest son of Sir Wil ...
*
George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus (1380–1403) was a Scottish nobleman and peer. Life He was born at Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, Scotland. He was the natural-illegitimate son of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and Margaret S ...
*
William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas and 11th Earl of Angus (1589–1660) was a Scottish nobleman. Life Master of Angus William Douglas was the eldest son of William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus and his Countess, Elizabeth Oliphant, eldes ...
*
Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, 1st Earl of Ormond (1609–1655) was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas, from whom he obtained the courtesy title of Earl of Angus.Vian in the DNB spells the title Earl of Ormonde. Lee in ...
*
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas (c. 1391 – 26 June 1439) was a Scottish nobleman and general during the Hundred Years' War. Life Douglas was the son of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart, eldest daughter of ...
* William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas *
James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas, 1st Earl of Avondale (1371 – 24 March 1443), latterly known as James the Gross, and prior to his ennoblement as James of Balvenie, was a late mediaeval Scottish magnate. He was the second son of Archibald Do ...
and his wife Beatrice Sinclair


References


Notes


Sources

* Fraser, Sir W., ''The Douglas Book'' 4 vols. Edinburgh, 188

* Francis Hindes Groome, Groome, F. H., ''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland : a survey of Scottish topography, statistical, biographical, and historical'', 6 vols, Edinburgh, 188

* Herbert Maxwell, Maxwell, Sir H., ''A History of the House of Douglas'' 2 vols, London, 1902.


External links


Video footage of St Bride's Church and Douglas CastleThe Douglas Clan and St Bride's ChurchA comprehensive history of Douglas Castle
{{authority control Villages in South Lanarkshire Burial sites of the House of Douglas and Angus Mining communities in Scotland