Sir William Douglas (c. 1220 – c 1289), known as 'Longleg', was a Scottish

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

. He was the son of

Archibald I, Lord of Douglas Archibald of Douglas (before 1198 – died c. 1238) was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish knight. He was the son of William I, Lord of Douglas, William of Douglas. Life The earliest attestation of his existence is in a charter of confirmation ...

. The years of the minority of King Alexander III (1249–1262) featured an embittered struggle for the control of affairs between two rival parties, the one led by the nationalistic Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, the other by pro-English

Alan Durward Alan Hostarius (or Alan Durward) () (died after 1264, or in 1275) was the son of Thomas de Lundin, a grandson of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Mar. His mother's name is unknown, but she was almost certainly a daughter of Máel Coluim, Mormaer of ...

Justiciar of Scotia The Justiciar of Scotia (in Norman-Latin, ''Justiciarus Scotie'') was the most senior legal office in the High Medieval Kingdom of Scotland. ''Scotia'' (meaning Scotland) in this context refers to Scotland to the north of the River Forth and Riv ...

. The former dominated the early years of Alexander's reign. In 1255, an interview between the English and Scottish kings at Kelso led to Menteith and his party losing to Durward's party. Later, both parties called a meeting of the great Magnates of the Realm to establish a

regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

until Alexander came of age. The Lord of Douglas was one of the

magnate The term magnate, 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 ...

s called to witness. Douglas was a partisan of Durward's party. This can be explained by the fact that although most of his territories lay in Douglasdale, through his wife, Constance, he had obtained the rich Manor of Fawdon in

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

and it would do well to keep English royal favour.

David Hume of Godscroft David Hume or Home of Godscroft (1558–1629) was a Scottish historian and political theorist, poet and controversialist, a major intellectual figure in Jacobean Scotland. It has been said that "Hume marks the culmination of the Scottish humani ...

, the arch-

panegyric A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of - ' ...

ist of the

House of Douglas Clan Douglas (Gaelic: ''Dùbhghlas'') is an ancient clan or noble house from the Scottish Lowlands. Taking their name from Douglas in Lanarkshire, their leaders gained vast territories throughout the Borders, Angus, Lothian, Moray, and also i ...

, states that Longleg married

Marjorie, Countess of Carrick :''See also Marjorie Bruce, her granddaughter.'' Marjorie, Marjory or Marsaili of Carrick (also called Margaret; died before 9 November 1292) was Countess of Carrick, Scotland, Carrick, Scotland, from 1256 to 1292, and is notable as the mother of ...

, and had by her two sons and a daughter, the daughter inheriting the Earldom of Carrick. Marjorie went on to marry

Robert de Brus Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

, father to King

Robert I of Scotland Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

; this, however, does not make any sense historically. William Longleg married Constance Battail of Fawdon, and had two sons and a daughter: *Hugh I, Lord of Douglas (died c. 1259) * William the Hardy, Lord of Douglas (1240–1298) *Willelma de Douglas (d. 1302)

References

Notes

Sources

* Balfour Paul, Sir James -''

The Scots Peerage ''The Scots Peerage'' is a nine-volume book series of the Scottish nobility compiled and edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, published in Edinburgh from 1904 to 1914. The full title is ''The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Rober ...

'' IX vols. Edinburgh 1906

* William Fraser (historian), Fraser, Sir William -''The Douglas Book'' IV vols. Edinburgh 188

* David Hume of Godscroft, Hume, David -''The history of the House and race of Douglas and Angus''. London 1820

* Herbert Maxwell, Maxwell, Sir Herbert -''A History of the House of Douglas'' II vols. London 1902. 1220s births 1270s deaths Nobility from South Lanarkshire 13th-century Scottish nobility Scoto-Normans William Longleg, Lord of Douglas Year of death uncertain {{Scotland-noble-stub