William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus facts for kids

William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus (born 1398 – died 1437) was an important Scottish nobleman and soldier. He was the son of George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus and Princess Mary of Scotland. This made him the grandson of King Robert III.

William Douglas's life was closely connected to his uncle, James I of Scotland, who was also the King. William was born around 1398 at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian. He became the Earl of Angus in 1402. This happened after his father died from the plague while being held prisoner in England. His father had been captured after the Battle of Homildon Hill.

King James Returns Home

In 1420, William Douglas was chosen as one of the noblemen who would go to England. They were to be held as security for the ransom of King James I. King James had been captured by the English in 1406. He was held by King Henry IV and later by King Henry V.

During the King's time as a prisoner, Scotland was ruled by his uncle, Robert Stewart. Robert was not in a hurry to pay the King's ransom. After Robert died in 1420, the Scots finally paid the money. William Douglas was not on the final list of hostages. Instead, he was part of the group of Scottish nobles who met King James in Durham in 1424.

The King was brought back to Scotland with great celebration. William Douglas received a Knighthood from the King. This happened at the King's coronation at Scone Abbey on June 2, 1424.

Keeping Important Prisoners

In 1425, King James took strong action against the powerful Stewart family, known as the Albany Stewarts. William Douglas was part of a large group of Douglas nobles on the jury for a trial at Stirling Castle. Several important people faced execution. These included Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, his two sons, and the Earl of Lennox.

The Duchess of Albany, Isabella, was held as a prisoner. She was kept at Tantallon Castle under William Douglas's watch for eight years.

In 1429, King James traveled north to deal with the Lord of the Isles, Alexander of Islay. Alexander and his men had burned Inverness. This was after King James had captured some Highland chiefs in 1427. William Douglas was a captain in the King's army. When Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, finally surrendered to the King at Holyrood Abbey, William Douglas was given the job of keeping Alexander at Tantallon for two years.

Protecting the Borders

In 1430, William Douglas was sent to England as a special representative. His job was to help negotiate an extension of the peace agreement with the new King, Henry VI of England. The agreement was extended for five years. Later that year, he was appointed Warden of the Middle March. This meant he was in charge of protecting that part of the border with England.

In 1435, William Douglas led his men to take Dunbar Castle. The castle's owner, George II, Earl of March, had been placed under the King's care. The castle's defenders gave up without a fight. William Douglas and Sir Adam Hepburn of Hailes then held Dunbar Castle for the King.

George II, Earl of March, fled to England and asked for help to get Dunbar Castle back. In the spring of 1435, Sir Robert Ogle, the Governor of Berwick upon Tweed, and Henry Percy marched north with 4000 men. They wanted to retake the castle.

William Douglas, along with Hepburn and Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie, decided not to let their castle be surrounded. They fought the English forces at the Battle of Piperdean, near Cockburnspath. The English were defeated, but not many lives were lost. Fifteen hundred prisoners were taken and later released for a payment.

Later Years

William Douglas continued to strengthen his family's lands. He often took control of places that belonged to his cousins, the Black Douglases. He gained control of fortresses like Lintalee and, for a time, Hermitage Castle.

In February 1437, his uncle, King James, was assassinated. William Douglas played a key role in finding and capturing the people who had planned the assassination. One of these was Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, who was also William Douglas's great-uncle. William Douglas died in October of the same year, when he was thirty-nine years old.

Family Life

William Douglas's mother remarried in 1409. It is believed that around this time, William was promised to Margaret Hay. She was the daughter of Sir William Hay of Yester. They married in 1425 and had five children:

• James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus
• George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus
• William Douglas of Cluny
• Hugh Douglas, who became a Rector (a church leader) in St. Andrews
• Helen Douglas, who married William Graham and later James Ogilvy

Later, William Douglas's sister, Lady Elizabeth Douglas, married his brother-in-law, Sir David Hay of Yester. Their son, John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of Yester, is an ancestor of the Marquesses of Tweeddale.