Earl of Douglas

The title Earl of Douglas was one of the most powerful noble positions in medieval Scotland. It began in 1358 and lasted until the late 1400s. It was held by members of the Douglas family who became known as the "Black Douglases".^[1]

William Douglas became the 1st Earl of Douglas in 1358. He was already a strong leader before that, serving as Lord of Douglas. His rule helped the Douglases rise in power across Scotland.

After the 2nd Earl died without an heir in 1388, the title passed to Archibald Douglas, nicknamed "the Grim." He was already Lord of Galloway. His new title made him one of Scotland's greatest lords.

The 4th Earl of Douglas, another Archibald, was both a Scottish noble and a military commander. He fought against the English and joined the Scottish allies in France during the Hundred Years' War.

By the mid-1400s, the power of the Black Douglases had grown so strong that the king saw them as a threat. In 1455, the 9th Earl—James Douglas—was stripped of his titles and lands by King James II. This act ended the line of Black Douglases.

• Brown Michael. The Black Douglases-War and Lordship in late Medieval Scotland. East Linton 1998
• Fraser, Sir William, The Douglas Book IV vols. Edinburgh 1885.[1]
• Godscroft, David Hume of. The History of the House and Race of Douglas and Angus. London 1820
• Maxwell, Sir Herbert. A History of the House of Douglas II Vols. London 1902
• Wyntoun, Andrew of, Orygynale Cronikyl of Scotland, ed. Laing. Edinburgh 1872. [2]