James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus facts for kids

James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus (1426–1446) was an important Scottish nobleman. He was also known as the Lord of Liddesdale and Jedburgh Forest. James was the son of William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus and Margaret Hay of Yester.

Early Life and Family

James Douglas was born in 1426, likely at Tantallon Castle in Scotland. He became the Earl of Angus when he was only eleven years old. His family, the Douglas family, was very powerful in Scotland.

The Douglas Family Rivalry

The Douglas family had two main branches: the Black Douglases and the Red Douglases. James Douglas belonged to the Red Douglas line. Soon after he became Earl, James was involved in disagreements with his Black Douglas cousins. These were times of great power struggles among the noble families in Scotland.

Challenges and Loss of Lands

In 1445, King James II took away James Douglas's lands and titles. This happened because of the influence of his cousin, William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas. William Douglas was trying to make his own branch of the family even more powerful. This was a time of great conflict and changes in power among the Scottish nobles.

Collecting Payments

Even after losing his lands, James Douglas still had to deal with some of his tenants. He noticed that they were slow to pay their "feus," which were payments for using the land. James made sure to collect these payments himself, showing his determination.

A Royal Connection

Some people believe that the rivalry between the Black and Red Douglas families was encouraged by Bishop Kennedy of St. Andrews. Bishop Kennedy was a powerful church leader. He wanted to limit the power of strong noble families. This would help make sure the Stewart kings, like James II, stayed in charge of Scotland. Bishop Kennedy was also a relative of James Douglas. His mother, Princess Mary of Scotland, was James Douglas's grandmother.

Later Life and Succession

James Douglas died in 1446 when he was about 20 years old. He had been briefly engaged to Princess Joan, who was the third daughter of King James I. She was only twelve years old when James died. Princess Joan later married James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton.

After James Douglas passed away, his brother, George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, became the next Earl of Angus in 1446.