71-512: Black Douglas may refer to: People [ edit ] James Douglas, Lord of Douglas ( c. 1286–1330 ), companion in arms of Robert I of Scotland Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas , called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibalde (c. 1330 – c. 1400), 3rd Earl of Douglas Any Earl of Douglas until their forfeiture in 1455 Others [ edit ] Schooner Black Douglas ,
142-831: A sheriff court and meeting place for the Commissioners of Supply , the main administrative body for the county prior to the creation of the county council. The council's staff were based at the Bank of Scotland Buildings in the Market Place in Selkirk. The county council was abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which reorganised local government in Scotland into upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Selkirkshire became part of
213-515: A general rout and the entire Granadan force was driven back in confusion to their camp in the Turon valley, 10 miles to the south. It is in this phase of the battle that some modern commentators have placed Douglas' death, either caught in flank when Uthman's force reached the river or in the ensuing pursuit to the Granadan camp. According to John Barbour 's description of Douglas' last battle, when
284-465: A good position but declined all attempts to draw them into battle. After a while they left, only to take up an even stronger position at Stanhope Park, a hunting preserve belonging to the bishops of Durham. From here on the night of 4 August Douglas led an assault party across the river in a surprise attack on the sleeping English, later described in a French eyewitness account; The Lord James Douglas took with him about two hundred men-at-arms, and passed
355-461: A home guard, which of necessity included a great number of priests and other minor clerics. The two sides met up at Myton-on-Swale, with inevitable consequences. So many priests, friars and clerics were killed in the Battle of Myton that it became widely known as the 'Chapter of Myton.' It was hardly a passage of any great military glory for Douglas but as a strategy the whole Yorkshire raid produced
426-416: A knight banneret. Barbour does state Douglas and others were knighted on the field of the Battle of Bannockburn , "each in their own degree" which would suggest not all were knights bachelor. Others believe that he was knighted late in his career. There is disagreement on the point. Traditional Scottish accounts dating from the 1370s state that during the battle, Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray commanded
497-627: A large diversionary raid into Yorkshire . It would appear that the Scottish commanders had news of the Queen's whereabouts, for the rumour spread that one of the aims of the raid was to take her prisoner. As the Scots approached York she was hurriedly removed from the city, eventually taking refuge in Nottingham . With no troops in the area, William Melton, Archbishop of York , set about organising
568-516: A more accurate date. However, as Barbour states that at the time of the Douglas Larder the Scots were not yet established in south-west Scotland and indeed that Douglas was the only one of Bruce's men anywhere in the area, there is reason to think that Barbour's date is probably correct. Barbour says that the Larder was the first act toward becoming established in that part of Scotland. With
639-520: A parliament held at Scone in December 1318, where it was noted that "Randolph and Sir James took the guardianship upon themselves with the approbation of the whole community." In April 1318 Douglas was instrumental in capturing Berwick from the English, the first time the castle and town had been in Scottish hands since 1296. For Edward, seemingly blind to the sufferings of his northern subjects, this
710-479: A party of loyal Highlanders further up the mountain, launching a surprise attack from the rear. Soon the Battle of Pass of Brander turned into a rout. Returning south soon after, Douglas joined with Edward Bruce , the king's brother, in a successful assault on Rutherglen castle near Glasgow , going on to a further campaign in Galloway . In the years that followed Douglas was given time to enhance his skills as
781-530: A pen portrait of the Black Douglas , among the first of its kind in Scottish history, which in 1914 was rendered in modern verse translation: But he was not so fair that we Should praise his looks in high degree. In visage he was rather grey; His hair was black, so I heard say, His limbs were finely made and long, His bones were large, his shoulders strong, His body was well-knit and slim And those say that set eyes on him, When happy, loveable
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#1732773394432852-590: A premature attack on the enemy. The Gran Cronica suggests this might have been during fighting for access to water. Citing John Barbour , some modern commentators believe he died in the decisive Battle of Teba . Barbour describes a grand battle in Spain but the setting is vague and the outcome ambiguous. According to the Gran Cronica de Alfonso XI , Uthman, unable to bring the Christians to battle, devised
923-410: A raid, accompanied by many horsemen from the army, Robert Bruce's men, who had been concealed in caves and woodland, made a serious attack on our men...From such ambushes our men suffered heavy losses. For Robert Bruce, knowing himself unequal to the king of England in strength or fortune, decided it would be better to resist our king by secret warfare rather than dispute his right in open battle. Edward
994-483: A result of his own rash behaviour. This is one of only two battle casualties mentioned individually in the Castilian narrative of the campaign. Barbour relates that Douglas and all the men caught with him were killed, including Sir William St. Clair of Rosslyn , Sir Robert Logan and Sir Walter Logan . Barbour states that, after this battle, Douglas' body and the casket with Bruce's heart were recovered. His bones,
1065-650: A review of boundaries, particularly where burghs straddled county boundaries. The boundary review for Selkirkshire concluded in 1891 and made a number of mostly minor changes. The most significant change was that the burgh of Galashiels was brought entirely within Selkirkshire, where it had previously been partly in Roxburghshire . Selkirkshire County Council met at the County Buildings on Ettrick Terrace in Selkirk, which had been built in 1870 as
1136-559: A ship built in 1930 The Black Douglas (novel) , by S. R. Crockett Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Black Douglas . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Douglas&oldid=1215708797 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1207-458: A significant engagement at Skaithmuir near Coldstream with a party of horsemen sent out from the garrison of Berwick. The dead included one Edmond de Caillou Gascon governor of Berwick Castle, and seemingly a nephew of Piers Gaveston , the former favourite of Edward II. Douglas reckoned this to be the toughest fight in which he had ever taken part. Further successes followed: another raiding party led by Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel
1278-566: A soldier. Edward II came north with an army in 1310 in fruitless pursuit of an enemy that simply refused to be pinned down. The frustrations this obviously caused are detailed in the Vita Edwardi Secundi , a contemporary English chronicle; The king entered Scotland with his army but not a rebel was to be found...At that time Robert Bruce, who lurked continually in hiding, did them all the injury he could. One day, when some English and Welsh, always ready for plunder, had gone out on
1349-524: A stratagem in an attempt to force them to abandon the siege. A body of cavalry was sent to make a diversionary attack across the Guadalteba river, luring Alfonso out to fight while Uthman circled round to attack the Christian camp and destroy the besieging army's supplies. Alfonso, however, having received report of Uthman's approach, kept most of his army back in camp while he sent a contingent to meet
1420-653: A token of his unfulfilled ambition to go on crusade. Given that Jerusalem had been in Muslim hands since 1187, this second is perhaps more likely. When Bruce was dead, his heart was cut from his body and placed in a silver and enamelled casket which Sir James placed around his neck. Early in 1330, Douglas set sail from Berwick upon Tweed , accompanied by seven other knights with twenty esquires and gentlemen. The party stopped first at Sluys in Flanders . There it may be that Douglas received confirmation that Alfonso XI of Castile
1491-434: Is a historic county and registration county of Scotland . It borders Peeblesshire to the west, Midlothian to the north, Roxburghshire to the east, and Dumfriesshire to the south. It derives its name from its county town , the royal burgh of Selkirk . The county was historically also known as Ettrick Forest . Unlike many historic counties, Selkirkshire does not have its own lieutenancy area , but forms part of
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#17327733944321562-807: Is a rural county, with a handful of small settlements set within hill and forest country. It forms part of the Southern Uplands geographical region. The Ettrick Water and Yarrow Water , both tributaries of the river Tweed , flow through the county. The most prominent loch is St Mary's Loch (including the Loch of the Lowes), with smaller lochs being found east of this such as Akermoor Loch , Shaws Under Loch , Shaws Upper Loch , Halemoor Loch , Alemoor Reservoir , Clearburn Loch , Kingside Loch , Crooked Loch and Windylaw Loch . The traditional highest point (county top) of Selkirkshire prior to border changes in
1633-531: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages James Douglas, Lord of Douglas Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and The Black Douglas ; c. 1286 – 25 August 1330) was a Scottish knight and feudal lord . He was one of the chief commanders during the Wars of Scottish Independence . He was the eldest son of Sir William Douglas , known as "le Hardi" or "the bold", who had been
1704-526: The Borders region and part of the Ettrick and Lauderdale district. At the time of the local government reorganisation in 1975, the posts of lord-lieutenant of Selkirkshire and lord-lieutenant of Roxburghshire were both held by John Scott, 9th Duke of Buccleuch . The new district of Ettrick and Lauderdale and the neighbouring district of Roxburgh became nominally separate lieutenancy areas , although
1775-615: The Earl of Pembroke assumed the hereditary sheriffdom. Under and after King Robert the Bruce , the Earls of Douglas , and later Earls of Angus administered the county. In 1501 John Murray (d. 1510), laird of Falahill, was made sheriff of Selkirkshire and on 30 Nov. 1509 he obtained a grant of the hereditary sheriffdom of Selkirkshire. His descendant Sir James Murray was deprived of office in 1681 for being remiss in punishing conventicles , but at
1846-544: The Glorious Revolution was raised to the session bench as Lord Philiphaugh and reinstated as sheriff. His son John Murray (died 1753) was the hereditary Sheriff of Selkirk from 1708 to 1734, when he was returned unopposed as MP for Selkirkshire, having resigned his hereditary sheriffdom to one of his sons. When in 1747 the heritable jurisdictions were abolished , Murray of Philiphaugh received £4,000 in compensation. The Sheriff-Deputes, previously appointed by
1917-476: The Humber . But in a real sense this 'war of the borders' belonged uniquely to Douglas, and became the basis for his family's steady ascent to greatness in years to come. War ruined many ancient noble houses; it was the true making of the house of Douglas. The tactics used by Douglas were simple but effective: his men rode into battle – or retreated as the occasion demanded – on small horses known as hobbins , giving
1988-626: The Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale lieutenancy area. In the 1st Century AD Selkirk formed part of the lands of the native people who hunted it rather than settled there. Neither the Romans , Angles , or the Saxons cleared much of the forestry there and for centuries Selkirk was known for its forest coverage. Indeed, an alternative name for the county was Ettrick Forest . Under the Scottish kings
2059-467: The vanguard , the left wing though nominally led by the young Walter Stewart was commanded by his cousin Douglas, Edward Bruce took the right wing, and King Robert the rearguard. However, contemporary English accounts state that the Scottish army consisted of three units, so the idea that Douglas and Stewart commanded a unit could be a later invention or the English account is simply mistaken. Once
2130-629: The 20th century was Dun Rig , with a height of 744 metres (2,441 ft) above sea level. Ettrick Forest , also known as Selkirk and Traquair Forests , is a former royal forest in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland . It is a large area of moorland , south of Peebles , that once stretched from Ayr to Selkirk . The Borders Railway connects Galashiels and Tweedbank with Edinburgh . Closed for many years, this line re-opened in 2015. There are also buses to Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Carlisle operated by Borders Buses . Selkirkshire
2201-627: The Comyns, the climax to Bruce's campaign in the north. Two years before, the Macdougalls had intercepted and mauled the royal army at the Battle of Dalrigh. Now they awaited the arrival of their opponents in the narrow Pass of Brander, between Ben Cruachan and Loch Awe in Argyllshire . While Bruce pinned down the enemy in a frontal advance through the pass, Douglas, completely unobserved, led
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2272-495: The Duke of Buccleuch was appointed to both positions, effectively continuing the pre-1975 arrangement. When local government was reorganised again in 1996, the two lieutenancies were formally united into a single lieutenancy area called Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale . Folk ballads written of the county commemorate the Battle of Philiphaugh in 1645, the 'Dowie Dens' at Yarrow and Tibbie Shiels at St Mary's Loch . Selkirkshire
2343-543: The English army was defeated, Douglas requested the honour of pursuing the fleeing Edward and his party of knights, a task carried out with such relentless vigour that the fugitives, according to Barbour, "had not even leisure to make water". In the end Edward managed to evade Douglas by taking refuge in Dunbar Castle . Bannockburn effectively ended the English presence in Scotland, with all strongpoints – outwith Berwick – now in Bruce's hands. It did not, however, end
2414-515: The autumn of 1316. Douglas' military achievements inevitably increased his political standing still further. When Edward Bruce, the king's brother and designated successor, was killed in Ireland at the Battle of Faughart in the autumn of 1318, Douglas was named as Guardian of the Realm and tutor to the future Robert II , after Randolph if Robert should die without a male heir. This was decided at
2485-445: The camp: Edward himself only narrowly escaped capture, his own pastor being killed in his defence. The Battle of Stanhope Park , minor as it was, was a serious humiliation, and after the Scots outflanked their enemy the following night, heading back to the border, Edward is said to have wept in impotent rage. His army retired to York and disbanded. With no other recourse Mortimer and Isabella opened peace negotiations, finally concluded
2556-433: The castle, now largely empty. All the stores were piled together in the cellar, the wine casks burst open and the wood used for fuel. The prisoners were then beheaded and placed on top of the pile, which was set alight. Before departing, the wells were poisoned with salt and the carcasses of dead horses. The local people soon gave the whole gruesome episode the name "the Douglas Larder." As an example of frightfulness in war, it
2627-532: The cover of Selkirk Forest to mount highly effective mobile attacks against the enemy. He also showed himself to be utterly ruthless, particularly in his relentless attacks on the English garrison in his own Douglas Castle , the most famous of which quickly passed into popular history. Barbour dates this incident to Palm Sunday 1307, which fell on 19 March. Some question whether this date is too early as Bruce and his small army were not yet established in south-west Scotland, suggesting Palm Sunday 1308 – 17 April – as
2698-422: The demonstration on the river. It is as part of this force that some commentators assume Douglas and his company joined the battle. When Uthman arrived at the enemy camp he found Alfonso's men armed and ready. He abandoned his attack and rode to support the diversionary force on the river where, unable to withstand the Castilian assault, his men were already starting to fall back. Uthman arrived too late to prevent
2769-433: The enemy broke, Sir James and his companions followed hard behind. Having outstripped most of his men in the pursuit, Douglas suddenly found himself far out in front with only a few of his followers around him. As they rode back to rejoin the main body, a body of Moors, seizing their opportunity, quickly rallied and counterattacked. When Douglas saw Sir William St. Clair of Rosslyn about to be surrounded and cut off, he led
2840-474: The few knights who were with him to attempt a rescue but, outnumbered twenty to one, the group was overrun. It has become a popular legend that Douglas then took from his neck the silver casket which contained the heart of Bruce and threw it before him among the enemy, saying, "Now pass thou onward as thou wert wont, and Douglas will follow thee or die." This anecdote has its origin in a 16th-century addition to Barbour's poem which, however, describes Douglas making
2911-500: The first noble supporter of William Wallace (the elder Douglas died circa 1298, a prisoner in the Tower of London ). His mother was Elizabeth Stewart, the daughter of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland , who died circa 1287 or early 1288. His father remarried in late 1288 so Douglas' birth had to be prior to that; however, the destruction of records in Scotland makes an exact date or even year impossible to pinpoint. Douglas
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2982-537: The flesh boiled off them, were taken back to Scotland by Sir William Keith of Galston in Ayrshire (who had missed the battle because of a broken arm), and deposited at St Bride's Church. The tradition that Sir Simon Locard was a member of the company and also survived is not found in any of the sources. The heart of Bruce was taken by Moray, the regent, and solemnly interred under the high altar of Melrose Abbey . The poet and chronicler John Barbour provides us with
3053-714: The following year with the Treaty of Northampton , which recognised the Bruce monarchy and the independence of Scotland. Robert Bruce died in 1329. According to Jean le Bel, when Bruce was dying he asked that Sir James, as his friend and lieutenant, should carry his heart to the Holy Land and present it at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem as a mark of penance. John Barbour, alternatively, has Bruce ask that his heart should simply be carried in battle against "God's foes" as
3124-519: The forest was regarded as Royal. Despite this it was not until the reign of James V that sheriffs were appointed to administer the county on the Crown's behalf. During the military occupation of Scotland by Edward I of England , the forest was granted to the Earl of Gloucester . In the Middle Ages the area that would become Selkirkshire formed part of the province of Tweeddale . The origins of
3195-459: The gesture at the beginning of his final battle. It was Sir Walter Scott in Tales of a Grandfather who created the image of Douglas throwing Bruce's heart as his dying act. The Castilian cronica makes no reference to such a catastrophe. It does, however, state that in a fierce skirmish some days prior to the climactic battle, an unnamed "foreign count" (arguably a reference to Douglas) had died as
3266-461: The government. By mid-summer Douglas and Moray were ravaging Weardale and the adjacent valleys. On 10 July a large English army, under the nominal command of the young king, left York in a campaign that resembles nothing less than an elephant in pursuit of a hare. The English commanders finally caught sight of their elusive opponents on the southern banks of the River Wear. The Scots were in
3337-475: The hapless Edward II was deposed in a coup led by his wife and her lover, Roger Mortimer, Lord Wigmore . He was replaced by Edward III , his teenage son, though all power remained in the hands of Mortimer and Isabella. The new political arrangements in England effectively broke the truce with the former king, arranged some years before. Once again the raids began, with the intention of forcing concessions from
3408-446: The help of his kinsman Thomas Dickson, son of Earl Richard Keith and Castellan of Douglas Castle, Douglas and his small troop were hidden until the morning of Palm Sunday, when the garrison left the battlements to attend the local church. Gathering local support, he entered the church and the war-cry "Douglas! Douglas!" went up for the first time. Some of the English soldiers were killed and others taken prisoner. The prisoners were taken to
3479-434: The hereditary sheriffs, were now appointed by the crown and acted in place of the hereditary sheriffs One such sheriff of Selkirkshire was Sir Walter Scott who was appointed Sheriff-Depute in 1799, an office he held until his death in 1832. Selkirkshire County Council was created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 , which established elected county councils across Scotland. The 1889 Act also instigated
3550-404: The means of attacking castles by conventional means. However, this inevitably produced a degree of complacency in garrisons provisioned enough to withstand a blockade. In dealing with this problem the Scots responded in the manner of foxes; and among the more cunning of their exploits was Douglas' capture of the powerful fortress at Roxburgh . His tactic, though simple, was brilliantly effective. On
3621-574: The morning of 24 June and prior to battle, Barbour states it was then that Douglas was made a knight. Many now believe that Douglas was made a knight banneret . The knight banneret was established under Edward I. A knight banneret held no command responsibilities so much as greater honours . A knight banneret fought under his own banner unlike a knight bachelor who was limited to a pennon . In his The Brus , John Barbour writes in Book XV that Douglas fought under his own banner, hence Douglas had to be
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#17327733944323692-510: The name of ' hobelar ' to both horse and rider. All fighting, however, was on foot. Scottish hobelars were to cause the same degree of panic throughout northern England as the Viking longships of the ninth century. With the king, Moray and Edward Bruce diverted in 1315 to a new theatre of operations in Ireland , Douglas became even more significant as a border fighter. In February 1316 he won
3763-414: The night of 19/20 February 1314 – Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday – several dark shapes were seen beneath the battlements and mistakenly assumed to be cattle. Douglas had ordered his men to cover themselves with their cloaks and crawl towards the castle on their hands and knees. With most of the garrison celebrating just prior to the fast of Lent , scaling hooks with rope ladders attached were thrown up
3834-464: The real intention of drawing out Bruce and his men. The Scots army, roughly a quarter the size of the enemy force, was poised to the south of Stirling and prepared to make a quick withdrawal into the wild country to the west. However, their position just north of the Bannock Burn had strong natural advantages, and the king gave orders to suspend for a time the guerrilla tactics pursued hitherto. On
3905-425: The result intended: there was such dissension among Edward's army that the attempt on Berwick was abandoned. It was to remain in Scottish hands for the next fifteen years. Four years later Edward mounted what was to be his last invasion of Scotland, advancing to the gates of Edinburgh . Bruce had pursued a scorched-earth campaign, denying the enemy essential supplies, so effective that they were forced to retreat by
3976-504: The river far off from the host so that he was not perceived: and suddenly he broke into the English host about midnight crying 'Douglas!' 'Douglas!' 'Ye shall all die thieves of England'; and he slew three hundred men, some in their beds and some scarcely ready: and he stroke his horse with spurs, and came to the King's tent, always crying 'Douglas!', and stroke asunder two or three cords of the King's tent. Panic and confusion spread throughout
4047-407: The same tactics as that of Brander in 1308: while Douglas and Moray attacked from the front a party of Highlanders scaled the cliffs on Richmond's flank and attacked from the rear. The Battle of Old Byland turned into a rout, and Edward and his queen were forced into a rapid and undignified flight from Rievaulx, the second time in three years that a Queen of England had taken to her heels. In 1327,
4118-506: The shire are obscure, but sometime around the twelfth century the area of Tweeddale was divided into two sheriffdoms : Peeblesshire to the north and Selkirkshire or Ettrick Forest to the south. The first recorded sheriff of Selkirkshire was Andrew de Synton, who was appointed by William the Lion (d. 1214). Synton in the parish of Ashkirk , just east of the village centre, was an enclave of Selkirkshire surrounded by Roxburghshire . Later,
4189-544: The spur of starvation alone. Once again this provided the signal for a Scottish advance: Bruce, Douglas and Moray crossed the Solway Firth , advancing by rapid stages deep into Yorkshire. Edward and Isabella had taken up residence at Rievaulx Abbey . All that stood between them and the enemy raiders was a force commanded by John de Bretagne, 1st Earl of Richmond , positioned on Scawton Moor, between Rievaulx and Byland Abbey . To dislodge him King Robert used essentially
4260-402: The walls. Taken by complete surprise the defenders were overwhelmed in a short space of time. Roxburgh Castle, among the best in the land, was slighted or destroyed in accordance with Bruce's policy of denying strongpoints to the enemy. The greatest challenge for Bruce came that same year as Edward invaded Scotland with a large army, nominally aimed at the relief of Stirling Castle , but with
4331-473: The war. Edward had been soundly defeated but he still refused to abandon his claim to Scotland. For Douglas one struggle had ended and another was about to begin. Bannockburn left northern England open to attack and in the years that followed many communities in the area became closely acquainted with the 'Blak Dowglas.' Along with Randolph, Douglas was to make a new name for himself in a war of mobility, which carried Scots raiders as far south as Pontefract and
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#17327733944324402-485: Was even moved to write to the Pope in impotent fury, complaining that "Robert Bruce and his accomplices, when lately we went into parts of Scotland to repress their rebellion, concealed themselves in secret places after the manner of foxes." In the years before 1314 the English presence in Scotland was reduced to a few significant strongholds. There were both strengths and weaknesses in this. The Scots had no heavy equipment or
4473-481: Was he grew angry and Douglas was forced to depart. Douglas's actions for most of 1307 and early 1308, although confined for the most part to his native Douglasdale , were essential to keeping the enemy in the South and freeing Bruce to campaign in the north. He soon created a formidable reputation for himself as a soldier and a tactician. While Bruce was campaigning in the north against his domestic enemies, Douglas used
4544-518: Was he, And meek and sweet in company, But those with him in battle saw Another countenance he wore! Sir James had two children by unknown mothers: By 1333 the 'bloody heart' was incorporated in the arms of Sir James' son, William, Lord of Douglas. It subsequently appeared, sometimes with a royal crown, in every branch of the Douglas family. Selkirk Forest Selkirkshire or the County of Selkirk ( Scottish Gaelic : Siorrachd Shalcraig )
4615-445: Was historically divided into civil parishes. There were originally nine parishes; Ashkirk, Bowside, Buccleuch (or Rankilburn), Duchoire, Ettrick, Kirkhope, Lindean, St Mary's (or St Mary of the Lowes) and Selkirk. There have been a number of changes since the medieval period: Population of the county by Civil Parish, according to the latest census (2011): The population of the towns in the county (in 2011): Historical population of
4686-553: Was intercepted and defeated at Lintalee, to the south of Jedburgh ; a third group was defeated outside the walls of Berwick, where their leader, Sir Robert Neville, known as the 'Peacock of the North', and elder son to Ralph Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby , was killed by Douglas in single combat. Such was Douglas' status and reputation that he was made Lieutenant of the Realm, with the Steward , when Bruce and Moray went to Ireland in
4757-460: Was meant to leave a lasting impression, not least upon the men who came to replace their dead colleagues. Further attacks followed by the man now known to the English, according to the poet John Barbour, as "The blak Dowglas", a sinister and murderous force "mair fell than wes ony devill in hell." In August 1308, Douglas met the king for a joint attack on the MacDougalls of Lorn , kinsmen of
4828-433: Was one humiliation too many. A new army was assembled, the largest since 1314, with the intention of recapturing what had become a symbol of English prestige and their last tangible asset in Scotland. Edward arrived at the gates of the town in the summer of 1319, Queen Isabella accompanying him as far as York , where she took up residence. Not willing to risk a direct attack on the enemy, Bruce ordered Douglas and Moray on
4899-462: Was preparing a campaign against the Muslims of the kingdom of Granada . In anticipation, he had with him a letter of introduction to King Alfonso from Edward III of England, his cousin. Accordingly, the Scots sailed on to Seville , where, according to John Barbour , Sir James and his solemn relic were received by Alfonso with great honour. Douglas and his company joined Alfonso's army, which then
4970-589: Was sent to France for safety in the early days of the Wars of Independence, and was educated in Paris. There he met William Lamberton , Bishop of St. Andrews , who took him as a squire. He returned to Scotland with Lamberton. His lands had been seized and awarded to Robert Clifford . Lamberton presented him at the occupying English court to petition for the return of his land shortly after the capture of Stirling Castle in 1304, but when Edward I of England heard whose son he
5041-507: Was setting out for the frontier of Granada to besiege the castle of Teba. Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula , the Berber general in command of the Moorish forces, marched to relieve the border stronghold. At some point during the siege, Douglas was killed. Sources and commentators differ as to how. According to Jean Froissart and the Gran Cronica de Alfonso XI , Douglas was killed as a result of making
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