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 Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Douglas and Bothwell (c. 1330 – c. 24 December 1400), called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibald, was a late medieval Scottish nobleman. Archibald was the bastard son of ...

, and Joan Moray of Bothwell and Drumsargard (now Cambuslang), d. after 1408.

Regent of Douglas

His rise to dominance in the kingdom began with the disastrous defeat of his elder brother

Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, Duke of Touraine (c. 1369 – 17 August 1424), was a Scottish nobleman and warlord. He is sometimes given the epithet "Tyneman" ( Old Scots: Loser), but this may be a reference to his great-uncle Sir A ...

, at the

Battle of Homildon Hill The Battle of Holmedon Hill or Battle of Homildon Hill was a conflict between English and Scottish armies on 14 September 1402 in Northumberland, England. The battle was recounted in Shakespeare's ''Henry IV, part 1''. Although Humbleton Hil ...

in September 1402, where he was captured by the English. James was now acting head of the main branch of the powerful

Douglas family Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

and was left to maintain their influence in southern Scotland. His successes in this regard preserved Douglas influence until the return of his elder brother from captivity in 1409, at which time he assumed the role of councillor and was rewarded with the grant of extensive estates. The most important of these was the stronghold of

Abercorn Castle Abercorn Castle was a 12th-century castle near Abercorn in West Lothian, Scotland. History The castle was in the possession of William de Avenel in the mid-12th century, before passing to the Clan Graham by marriage and was then passed to the ...

, which would become his principal residence for the rest of his life.

Relationship with the Stewarts

In the early 1420s James acted as the link between his brother, the earl, and the powerful Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany. Murdoch was acting as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

for his cousin,

James I of Scotland James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older brother David, Duke of ...

, while James was being held by the English for ransom. Murdoch's links with the Albany Stewarts however, did not prevent him from becoming a councillor to the king once he returned from imprisonment in 1424. Along with his nephew,

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 ...

, he sat on the jury which convicted Murdoch and two of his sons of treason for failure to pay the ransom and allowing the king to be imprisoned for 18 years. In 1426 as a reward for his loyalty Douglas received royal confirmation of his lands and his eldest son William was knighted in 1430. By 1435 he was made

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...

, further strengthening his place among the king's principal followers. This backing from the Earl of Douglas' senior kinsman was vital to the king for preventing a clash with the powerful Douglas affinity. Shortly before James' death in 1437

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

gave him the title of Earl of Avondale.

Earl of Douglas

When King James was assassinated in 1437 Douglas backed his nephew who became

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

of Scotland and Regent for the young James II until the death of his nephew, the 5th Earl, in 1439 of a fever, set off a deadly chain of events that saw power being uneasily shared between Sir William Crichton, Sir

Alexander Livingston of Callendar Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar (died 1451) was a significant figure in the early part of the reign of King James II of Scotland. Life Alexander Livingston was the son of Sir John Livingston of Callendar and his wife Marjorie, a daughter ...

and Douglas himself. These events culminated in what would become known as the ' Black Dinner' at

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

, where his great-nephew

William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas William, 6th Earl of Douglas (c. 1424 – 24 November 1440) was a Scottish nobleman. In addition to his Earldom of Douglas, he was Earl of Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Bothwell, Selkirk and Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Lauderdale, and ...

, 16 at the time, and his younger brother David were summarily beheaded on trumped up charges in the presence of a protesting young James II. Historians tend to place the blame for the Black Dinner on Crichton and Livingston, but especially Douglas, as the death of his great-nephews brought him the earldom of Douglas and the position as the most powerful

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

in Scotland.

Marriage and issue

He married first Beatrice Stewart, daughter of Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany and Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith. He married second Beatrice Sinclair, daughter of

Henry Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Orkney Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney (c. 1375 – 1420) was the Jarl (Earl) of Orkney, Baron of Roslin and Pantler of Scotland. According to Roland Saint-Clair writing in the late 19th century, Henry Sinclair was also the first of his family t ...

, around 1425. * Beatrice Douglas, married

William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll (1423 – October 1462) was a Scottish peer. He was the first Earl of Erroll and the second Lord Hay of Erroll. Biography William Hay was born in Erroll (now spelled Errol) in Perthshire, the son of Gilbert H ...

, Lord High Constable of Scotland. *

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas 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, and the most powerful magnate in Southern Scotland. He was ki ...

(1425–1452), who succeeded his father *

James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, 3rd Earl of Avondale KG (1426–1491) was a Scottish nobleman, last of the 'Black' earls of Douglas. Early life The son of James the Gross, 7th Earl of Douglas, by his wife Lady Beatrice Sinclair, daugh ...

(1426–1491), who succeeded his older brother *

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray (1426 – 1 May 1455) was a Scottish nobleman during the reign of King James II of Scotland. He was one of the five brothers from the Black Douglas family who clashed with the king. Life Douglas was the son o ...

(1426–1455), James's twin *

Hugh Douglas, Earl of Ormonde Hugh Douglas, Earl of Ormonde (died 1455) was a Scottish Soldier and nobleman, a member of the powerful Black Douglases. He was the fourth son of James the Gross, 7th Earl of Douglas and his wife Beatrice, daughter of Henry II Sinclair, Earl o ...

(d. 1455) *

John Douglas, Lord of Balvenie John Douglas, Lord of Balvenie (or Balveny, Balvany) (c. 1433–1463) was the youngest of the five Black Douglas brothers, who rebelled against King James II of Scotland. Biography Early life Balvenie was the son of James Douglas, 7th Ea ...

* Janet Douglas, had a child with Constantine Dunlop, married Robert Fleming, 1st Lord Fleming * Margaret Douglas, married Henry Douglas of

Borg The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the ''Star Trek'' fictional universe. The Borg are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called "the Collective". The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge ...

(d. 1473) , -

Notes

References

*
thepeerage.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, James Douglas, 7th Earl of 1371 births 1443 deaths Earls of Douglas James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas Lords President of the Court of Session 15th-century Scottish judges Peers created by James I of Scotland