Biography of James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas 1358-1388

Paternal Family Tree: Douglas

James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas and Isabella Stewart Countess Douglas were married. She by marriage Countess Douglas. She the daughter of King Robert II of Scotland and Elizabeth Mure Queen Consort Scotland. He the son of William Douglas 1st Earl Douglas and Margaret Mar Countess Douglas 11th Countess Mar. They were half third cousin once removed. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King John "Lackland" of England.

In 1357 [his father] William Douglas 1st Earl Douglas (age 34) and [his mother] Margaret Mar Countess Douglas 11th Countess Mar were married. She the daughter of Domhnall Mar II Earl Mar (age 64) and Isabella Stewart.

In 1358 James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas was born to William Douglas 1st Earl Douglas (age 35) and Margaret Mar Countess Douglas 11th Countess Mar.

On 26 Jan 1358 [his father] William Douglas 1st Earl Douglas (age 35) was created 1st Earl Douglas. [his mother] Margaret Mar Countess Douglas 11th Countess Mar by marriage Countess Douglas.

In 1377 [his uncle] Thomas Mar 10th Earl Mar (age 47) died. His sister [his mother] Margaret Mar Countess Douglas 11th Countess Mar succeeded 11th Countess Mar.

Around 1378 [his illegitimate son] Archibald "Black Archibald" Douglas 1st Lord Cavers was born illegitimately to James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas (age 20) and Mistress Unknown.

In 1384 [his father] William Douglas 1st Earl Douglas (age 61) died. His son James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas (age 26) succeeded 2nd Earl Douglas.

Froissart. Before 05 Aug 1388. Now let us speak of the earl Douglas (age 30) and other, for they had more to do than they that went by Carlisle, Cumberland [Map]. When the earls of Douglas (age 30), of Moray (age 46), of March, and Dunbar (age 50)¹ departed from the great host, they took their way thinking to pass the water and to enter into the bishopric of Durham, and to ride to the town and then to return, brenning and exiling the country and so to come to Newcastle [Map] and to lodge there in the town in the despite of all the Englishmen. And as they determined, so they did assay to put it in use, for they rode a great pace under covert without doing of any pillage by the way or assaulting of any castle, tower or house, but so came into the lord Percy's land and passed the river of Tyne without any let a three leagues above Newcastle not far from Brancepeth, and at last entered into the bishopric of Durham, where they found a good country. Then they began to make war, to slay people and to bren villages and to do many sore displeasures.

Note 1. George, earl of March and Dunbar (age 50): the text gives Mare, but there was at this time no earl of Mar.

Froissart. Before 05 Aug 1388. When these three Scottish earls who were chief captains had made their enterprise in the bishopric of Durham and had sore overrun the country, then they returned to Newcastle and there rested and tarried two days, and every day they scrimmished. The earl of Northumberland's two sons were two young lusty knights and were ever foremost at the barriers to scrimmish. There were many proper feats of arms done and achieved: there was fighting hand to hand: among other there fought hand to hand the earl Douglas (age 30) and sir Henry Percy (age 46), and by force of arms the earl Douglas won the pennon of sir Henry Percy's, wherewith he was sore displeased and so were all the Englishmen. And the earl Douglas said to sir Henry Percy: 'Sir, I shall bear this token of your prowess into Scotland and shall set it on high on my castle of Dalkeith, that it may be seen far off.' 'Sir,' quoth sir Henry, 'ye may be sure ye shall not pass the bounds of this country till ye be met withal in such wise that ye shall make none avaunt thereof.' 'Well, sir.' quoth the earl Douglas, 'come this night to my lodging and seek for your pennon: I shall set it before my lodging and see if ye will come to take it away.' So then it was late, and the Scots withdrew to their lodgings and refreshed them with such as they had. They had flesh enough: they made that night good watch, for they thought surely to be awaked for the words they had spoken, but they were not, for sir Henry Percy was counselled not so to do.

Battle of Otterburn

                    On either 05 Aug 1388 or 19 Aug 1388 a Scottish army commanded by John Swinton defeated an English army commanded by Henry "Hotspur" Percy (age 24) during the Battle of Otterburn at Otterburn [Map]. Henry "Hotspur" Percy (age 24) and his brother Ralph Percy (age 29) were captured as was Matthew Redman (age 60). The English suffered 1000 killed, 2000 captured. The Scottish 100 killed, 200 captured.
                
                    On the Scottish side James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas (age 30) was killed. His sister [his sister] Isabel Douglas Countess Mar (age 28) succeeded Countess Mar.                

                    John Dunbar 1st Earl Moray (age 46) fought.

Froissart. Battle of Otterburn. KNIGHTS and squires were of good courage on both parties to fight valiantly: cowards there had no place, but hardiness reigned with goodly feats of arms, for knights and squires were so joined together at hand strokes, that archers had no place of nother party. There the Scots shewed great hardiness and fought merrily with great desire of honour: the Englishmen were three to one: howbeit, I say not but Englishmen did nobly acquit themselves, for ever the Englishmen had rather been slain or taken in the place than to fly. Thus, as I have said, the banners of Douglas and Percy and their men were met each other, envious who should win the honour of that journey. At the beginning the Englishmen were so strong that they reculed back their enemies: then the earl Douglas, who was of great heart and high of enterprise, seeing his men recule back, then to recover the place and to shew knightly valour he took his axe in both his hands, and entered so into the press that he made himself way in such wise, that none durst approach near him, and he was so well armed that he bare well off such strokes as he received¹. Thus he went ever forward like a hardy Hector, willing alone to conquer the field and to discomfit his enemies: but at last he was encountered with three spears all at once, the one strake him on the shoulder, the other on the breast and the stroke glinted down to his belly, and the third strake him in the thigh, and sore hurt with all three strokes, so that he was borne perforce to the earth and after that he could not be again relieved. Some of his knights and squires followed him, but not all, for it was night, and no light but by the shining of the moon. The Englishmen knew well they had borne one down to the earth, but they wist not who it was; for if they had known that it had been the earl Douglas, they had been thereof so joyful and so proud that the victory had been theirs. Nor also the Scots knew not of that adventure till the end of the battle; for if they had known it, they should have been so sore despaired and discouraged that they would have fled away. Thus as the earl Douglas was felled to the earth, he was stricken into the head with an axe, and another stroke through the thigh: the Englishmen passed forth and took no heed of him: they thought none otherwise but that they had slain a man of arms. On the other part the earl George de la March and of Dunbar fought right valiantly and gave the Englishmen much ado, and cried, 'Follow Douglas,' and set on the sons of Percy: also earl John of Moray with his banner and men fought valiantly and set fiercely on the Englishmen, and gave them so much to do that they wist not to whom to attend.

Note 1. 'No man was so well armed that he did not fear the great strokes which he gave.'

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After 05 Aug 1388 James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas (age 30) was buried at Melrose Abbey, Melrose.

[his illegitimate son] William Douglas 1st Lord Drumlanrig was born illegitimately to James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas and Mistress Unknown.

[his illegitimate daughter] Joan Douglas Baroness Dacre Gilsland was born illegitimately to James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas and Mistress Unknown.

[his illegitimate son] William Douglas 1st Lord Drumlanrig and Elizabeth Stewart Lady Drumlanrig were married. He the illegitmate son of James Douglas 2nd Earl Douglas and Mistress Unknown.