George Douglas (earl of Angus 4°, lord Douglas, Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest)

   Red Chief of Douglas

Personal and Family Information

George was born about 1427 in Mar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the son of William Douglas and Margaret Elizabeth Hay.

He died on 14 NOV 1462 in Abernethy, Perthshire, Scotland.

His wife was Isabel Sibbald, who he married in BEF 1446. The place has not been found. Their eight known children were Janet (?-?), Margaret (c1458-?), Archibald (1453-<1513/14), John (?-?), Isabel (?-?), Elizabeth (?-?), Egidia (?-?) and Alice (?-?).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Attributes

Notes

Note 1

In 1462 the 8th Earl of Douglas was murdered at Stirling Castle, by his monarch James II while under assurances of safe-conduct. Other notable magnates assisted the drunken King James in the act. The whole of Douglasdale rose in rebellion under the late Earl's younger brothers, James the new 9th Earl of Douglas, his twin Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray, and the younger Hugh Douglas, Earl of Ormonde, and John Douglas, Lord of Balvenie. During this time of intermittent internecine strife in Scotland, it would have been expected that Angus would have thrown his lot in with his Douglas cousins. If this had been the case it could have spelled disaster for the House of Stewart. Contemporary opinion would not have been surprised if he had, but as alluded above the ties of kinship were closer between Angus and King James were close, being first cousins within one degree. A magnate as powerful as Angus could not abstain from declaring himself either way. So, when the rebellion began in earnest in early 1455, and the King took to the field against the Douglas brothers, Angus came out in full support of his Monarch, and was given high command within the Royal army. It has been suggested that Angus accompanied the King at the siege of Abercorn. Following the defection of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, Douglas' chief lieutenant to the King's side, the Earl of Douglas fled to England in an attempt to gain support from Henry VI of England. Douglas' brothers stayed in Scotland to continue the struggle. The brothers had appeared in force in Annandale and King James sent Angus to deal with them. Angus mustered the Border Clans and encountered the rebels on the 18th of May near Langholm. The ensuing Battle of Arkinholm was a rout for the Douglas brothers, Moray was killed and Ormonde captured (to be executed soon after) and only Balvenie escaped to England. That summer the Black Douglases were attainted and their estates declared forfeit. Angus appended his seal to the charter in token of approval.