Sir William DOUGLAS, Knight, 2nd Lord of Nithsdale

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: GNGQ-8PD
• Name: William DOUGLASS

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: GDMF-G11
• _UID: 4FB76637A1D846E9BC65080C1A9E40B0284A

Notes:

Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale (c. 1370-1391 AD) was a Scottish knight and Northern Crusader.

Early life
William Douglas was an illegitimate son of Archibald the Grim, 3rd Earl of Douglas and an unknown mother.

A man of apparently dashing bearing, Douglas was with the Franco-Scots army when it unsuccessfully besieged Carlisle Castle in 1385, the defending Governor being Lord Clifford. He is recorded as there performing feats of valour and killing many Englishmen.

According to Andrew of Wyntoun:

"A yhowng joly bachelere
Prysyd gretly wes off were,
For he wes evyr traveland
Qwhille be se and qwhille be land
To skathe his fays rycht besy
Swa that thai dred him grettumly"

Marriage
Douglas certainly had gained his spurs by 1387 when he married Egidia (or Gelis) Stewart, princess of Scotland, a daughter of King Robert II. According to the Liber Pluscarden, Egidia Stewart's beauty was well renowned. Charles V of France had "sent a certain most subtle painter to do her portrait and portray her charms, intending to take her to wife." But the King of France and all other of Egidia's admirers had lost out to the chivalric charms of Douglas. As part of her marriage portion went the lands of Nithsdale in south-western Scotland, Herbertshire in the county of Stirling and an annuity of ?300.

Ireland
Within his first year of marriage the young Nithsdale led a punitive raid against Irish raiders who had been troubling the tenantry of his father's Fiefdom of Galloway. In early summer 1388, with a party of 500 well prepared veteran men-at-arms he sailed into Carlingford Lough, landed outside the town and summoned their leaders. The chief of the townsfolk offered a sum for a temporary truce, to which Nithsdale agreed. Secretly the townsfolk sent off to Dundalk for reinforcements, with which they were obliged. 800 spearmen from Dundalk surprised the Scots camp by night, and were supported by a sortie from Carlingford town. The Scots, veterans of years of brutal Border warfare, drove the Irishmen off, captured the town and burnt it, seized the Castle and captured 15 ships in the harbour. En route back to Scotland Nithsdale "ravaged" the Isle of Man. Nithsdale's expeditionary force sailed back into Loch Ryan with enough time to participate in the raiding of Northern England that was to culminate in the Battle of Otterburn on 19 August, in which he fought with distinction.

Feuding, Crusading and Death
The year after Otterburn a truce was called between Scotland and England. Nithsdale on a knightly quest for glory decided, about 1389, to join the Teutonic Knights, who were fighting the Lithuanians in Baltic region. Nithsdale had previously quarrelled with Lord Clifford, a former adversary at Carlisle and whose forebear had claimed Douglasdale under Edward I of England's oppression. While both were abroad, it is alleged that Clifford challenged Nithsdale to single combat, and that Douglas even went to France to obtain special armour for the fight. Clifford, however, died on 18 August 1391, but Nithsdale is said to have kept their 'tryst', and whilst walking upon the bridge leading to the main gate at Danzig was "killed by the English". The burghers of Danzig decided that "upon account of a signal service which the Douglas family did to this city in relieving it in its utmost extremities against the Poles, the Scotch were allowed to be free burghers of the town". Subsequently, the stone fascia of the Hohe Thor (High Gate) was adorned with the coat of arms of this nobleman and for centuries it was commonly referred to as the Douglas Port or Douglas Gate, described as such as late as 1734.

In 1391, Douglas was in the Baltic, and became involved in a brawl with Sir Thomas de Clifford, in which Douglas was killed.

Issue
By Princess Egidia, Nithsdale had two children:

1.)Egidia Douglas, known as the "Fair Maid of Nithsdale" married:
a.) Henry Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Orkney (d. 1422)

b.) Sir Alasdair Stewart (executed 1425) son of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany

2.) Sir William Douglas, Knt., Lord of Nithsdale (d.c.1419), knighted when very young as he is described as chevalier in a safe-conduct dated 30 January 1406, when he could not have been more than nineteen.

William married Princess Egidia STUART, Of Scottland in 1387 in Fordoun, Kincardineshire, Scotland. Egidia (daughter of King Robert II Of SCOTLAND and Euphemia De ROSS) was born in 1368 in Dundonald Castle, Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland; died in 1388 in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland; was buried in 1388 in Ayr, Strathclyde, Scotland, United Kingdom. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LTG9-2SR
• TitleOfNobility: Scotland; Princess
• Name: Egidia STEWART
• Name: Nithsdale Jill Egidia STEWART
• _UID: 1E2D39059AF047599D2494546183D4DDF1E3

Notes:

Egidia is a daughter of Robert II Stewart and Euphemia Ross.[1] She was known for her great beauty, which was so renown that the King of France was said to have offered for her hand and sent an artist to Scotland to paint her likeness. Egidia, however, fell in love with one of the most famous knights in Scotland at that time, Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale, the illegitimate son of Archibald Douglas, 3rd earl of Douglas, by an unknown mistress, and in 1387 she married him.[1][2][3][4] On their marriage, an annuity of ?300 was granted to "Douglas, and the king's daughter, Egidia" and the first of these payments appears in the Exchequer Rolls of 1388.[2]

There were two children from this marriage:[5]

William Douglas, Knt. of Nithsdale[1][5]
Giles Douglas; m(1) c.1407 Henry Sinclair, earl of Orkney;[1][5] m(2) aft. 29 Apr 1418 Alexander Stewart;[1] she succeeded her brother in the territory of Nithsdale[1]
Sir William Douglas was assassinated (probably) in 1392.[1][2] The date of Egid

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LBS5-G9N
• Name: Archibald DOUGLAS
• Name: Black Archibald
• Name: The Grim
• Occupation: 1361; Constable of Edinburgh Castle
• Title: 1369; Lord of Galloway

Notes:

Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Douglas and Bothwell (c. 1330 ? c. 24 December 1400), called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibald, was a late medieval Scottish nobleman. Archibald was the bastard son of Sir James "the Black" Douglas, Robert I's trusted lieutenant, and an unknown mother. A first cousin of William 1st Earl of Douglas, he inherited the earldom of Douglas and its entailed estates as the third earl following the death without legitimate issue of James 2nd Earl of Douglas at the Battle of Otterburn.

Gave land to Robert Rutherford of Chatto and Jean Douglas. See, https://digital.nls.uk/histories-of-scottish-families/archive/95747959#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=51&xywh=548%2C1912%2C1879%2C1392

Archibald married Joan (Jean) DE MORRAY on 23 Jul 1362. Joan (daughter of Maurice MORAY and Joan MENTEITH) was born about 1340 in Drumsargard, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in Aug 1409 in Roxburghshire, Scotland; was buried in 1409 in Scotland, United Kingdom. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: GJY2-F5C
• _UID: 098AA45ADA7C42C9B138CD3AC5B2E6104F67

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• Affiliation: ; House of Stewart - Founder
• FamilySearch ID: LHW6-FV7
• TitleOfNobility: ; Grandson of Robert, The Bruce, 1st Monarch of the House of Stewart, 15 issue, succeeded his uncle King David II)
• TitleOfNobility: ; King of Scotland, Guardian of Scotland, High Steward of Scotland, Earl of Atholl, Earl of Strathearn
• Name: Robert STEWART
• Name: Robert STEWART
• Religion: ; Roman Catholic
• Restored to The Line of Succession: Jul 1326, Cambuskenneth Abbey, Stirlingshire, Scotland; David Bruce became heir to the throne of Scotland upon his birth on 5 March 1324, displacing his nephew from the line of succession. However, 2 heirs are better than only one, and the death of David's twin brother John reminded everyone how fragile baby's
• DUNDONALD CASTLE: 1371, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; Robert Stewart built Dundonald Castle in 1371, probably to mark his accession to the throne as Robert II, and as a safe place for his family to live.
• Ascension to Throne: 22 Feb 1371
• TitleOfNobility: Between 22 Feb 1371 and 19 Apr 1390; 35th King of Scotland - reigned for 19 years

Notes:

Robert II (2 March 1316 ? 19 April 1390) was King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. He was the first monarch of the House of Stewart as the son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of the Scottish king Robert the Bruce by his first wife Isabella of Mar.

In 1336, he first married Elizabeth Mure, daughter of Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan. The marriage was criticized for being uncanonical, so he remarried her in 1349 after receiving a papal dispensation in 1347.
From this union, ten children reached adulthood:
- John, who became King of Scotland as Robert III, married Anabella Drummond.
- Walter, husband of Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Fife.
- Robert, Earl of Fife and Duke of Albany, married Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith, and 2nd Muriella Keith.
- Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, "The Wolf of Badenoch", married Euphemia of Ross.
- Margaret, married John of Islay, Lord of the Isles.
- Marjorie, married John Dunbar, Earl of Moray, then Sir Alexander Keith.
- Elizabeth married Thomas de la Hay, Lord High Constable of Scotland.
- Isabella, married James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas, and 2nd John Edmonstone of Edmonstone.
- Johanna (Jean), married Sir John Keith, then 2nd John Lyon, Lord of Glamis and 3rd Sir James Sandilands.
- Katherine, married Sir Robert Logan of Grugar and Restalrig, Lord High Admiral of Scotland.

In 1355, Robert married his second wife Euphemia de Ross, daughter of Hugh, Earl of Ross. They had four children:
- David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn, born about 1356 and died in 1389.
- Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, born about 1360, beheaded at Edinburgh in 1437 for being involved in the assassination of King James I.
- Elizabeth, married in 1380 David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford.
- Egidia, married William Douglas of Nithsdale.


[Information added by OldeBruce in April 2022:
Edward Bruce, younger brother of Robert the Bruce, was named heir to the throne but he died without legitimate children on 3 December 1318 in a battle near Dundalk in Ireland. Marjorie by this time had died in a riding accident ? probably in 1317. Parliament decreed her infant son, Robert Stewart, as heir presumptive, but this lapsed on 5 March 1324 on the birth of a son, David, to King Robert and his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh. Robert Stewart inherited the title of High Steward of Scotland on his father's death on 9 April 1326, and a Parliament held in July 1326 confirmed the young Steward as heir should Prince David die without a successor. In 1329 King Robert I died and the six-year-old David succeeded to the throne with Sir Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray appointed Guardian of Scotland.

Edward Balliol, son of King John Balliol, assisted by the English and Scottish nobles disinherited by Robert I, invaded Scotland inflicting heavy defeats on the Bruce party on 11 August 1332 at Dupplin Moor and Halidon Hill on 19 July 1333. Robert fought at Halidon, where his uncle and former guardian, Sir James Stewart, was killed. Following this battle, Robert's lands in the west were given by Balliol to his supporter David Strathbogie, the titular Earl of Atholl. Robert took refuge in the fortress of Dumbarton Castle in the Clyde estuary to join his uncle, King David. In May 1334 David escaped to France leaving Robert and John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray as joint Guardians of the kingdom. Robert succeeded in regaining his lands but following Randolph's capture by the English in July 1335, his possessions were once again targeted by the forces of Balliol and King Edward III of England. This may have persuaded Robert to submit to Balliol and the English king and may explain his removal as Guardian by September 1335. The Guardianship transferred to Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell but following his death in 1338 Robert was re-appointed and retained the office until King David returned from France in June 1341. Robert accompanied David into battle at Neville's Cross on 17 October 1346 but he and Patrick Dunbar, Earl of March escaped or fled the field and David was taken prisoner. In October 1357, the king was ransomed for 100,000 marks to be paid in installments over ten years.

Robert joined a rebellion against David in 1363 but submitted to him following a threat to his right of succession. In 1364, David presented a proposal to Parliament that would cancel the remaining ransom debt if it was agreed that a Plantagenet heir would inherit the Scottish throne should he die without issue. This was rejected and Robert succeeded to the throne at the age of 55 following David's unexpected death in 1371. England still controlled large sectors in the Lothians and in the border country so King Robert allowed his southern earls to engage in actions in the English zones to regain their territories, halted trade with England and renewed treaties with France. By 1384, the Scots had re-taken most of the occupied lands, but following the commencement of Anglo-French peace talks, Robert was reluctant to commit Scotland to all-out war and obtained Scotland's inclusion in the peace treaty. Robert's peace strategy was a factor in the virtual coup in 1384 when he lost control of the country, first to his eldest son, John, Earl of Carrick, afterwards King Robert III, and then from 1388 to John's younger brother, Robert, Earl of Fife, afterwards the first Duke of Albany. Robert II died in Dundonald Castle in 1390 and was buried at Scone Abbey.

Heir presumptive
Robert Stewart, born in 1316, was the only child of Walter Stewart, High Steward of Scotland and King Robert I's daughter Marjorie Bruce, who died probably in 1317 following a riding accident.[1] He had the upbringing of a Gaelic noble on the Stewart lands in Bute, Clydeside, and in Renfrew.[1] In 1315 parliament removed Marjorie's right as heir to her father in favour of her uncle, Edward Bruce.[2] Edward was killed at the Battle of Faughart, near Dundalk on 14 October 1318,[3] resulting in a hastily arranged Parliament in December to enact a new entail naming Marjorie's son, Robert, as heir should the king die without a successor.[4] The birth of a son, afterwards David II, to King Robert on 5 March 1324 cancelled Robert Stewart's position as heir presumptive, but a Parliament at Cambuskenneth in July 1326 restored him in the line of succession should David die without an heir.[2] This reinstatement of his status was accompanied by the gift of lands in Argyll, Roxburghshire and the Lothians.[5]

The first war of independence began in the reign of King John Balliol.[6] His short reign was bedeviled by Edward I's insistence on his overlordship of Scotland. The Scottish leadership concluded that only war could release the country from the English king's continued weakening of Balliol's sovereignty and so finalised a treaty of reciprocal assistance with France in October 1295.[7] The Scots forayed into England in March 1296? this incursion together with the French treaty angered the English king and provoked an invasion of Scotland taking Berwick on 30 March before defeating the Scots army at Dunbar on 27 April.[8] John Balliol submitted to Edward and resigned the throne to him before being sent to London as a prisoner. Despite this, resistance to the English led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray had emerged in the name of King John Balliol.[8] On their deaths, Robert the Bruce continued to resist the English and eventually succeeded in defeating the forces of Edward II of England and gained the Scottish throne for himself.[7]

David Bruce, aged five, became king on 7 June 1329 on the death of his father Robert. Walter the Steward had died earlier on 9 April 1327,[9] and the orphaned eleven-year-old Robert was placed under the guardianship of his uncle, Sir James Stewart of Durrisdeer,[2] who along with Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, and William Lindsey, Archdeacon of St Andrews were appointed as joint Guardians of the kingdom.[10] David's accession kindled the second independence war which threatened Robert's position as heir.[11] In 1332 Edward Balliol, son of the deposed John Balliol, spearheaded an attack on the Bruce sovereignty with the tacit support of King Edward III of England and the explicit endorsement of 'the disinherited'.[12] Edward Balliol's forces delivered heavy defeats on the Bruce supporters at Dupplin Moor on 11 August 1332 and again at Halidon Hill on 19 July 1333, at which the 17-year-old Robert participated.[10] Robert's estates were overrun by Balliol, who granted them to David Strathbogie, titular earl of Atholl, but Robert evaded capture and gained protection at Dumbarton Castle where King David was also taking refuge.[11] Very few other strongholds remained in Scottish hands in the winter of 1333? only the castles of Kildrummy (held by Christian Bruce, elder sister of Robert I and wife of Andrew Murray of Bothwell), Loch Leven, Loch Doon, and Urquhart held out against Balliol forces.[13]

Dairsie Castle where the 1335 Parliament was held
In May 1334, the situation looked dire for the house of Bruce and David II gained safety in France. Robert set about winning back his lands in the west of Scotland.

Was in command of the second division of the Scotch Army at Halidon Hill, and was one of the few who escaped the carnage of that disastrous day. See Europ?isch Stammtafeln Band II tafel 69. There is some confusion over which daughter is which and who are their mothers which still needs some clarification.

Robert II (2 March 1316 ? 19 April 1390) was King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. He was the first monarch of the House of Stewart as the son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of the Scottish king Robert the Bruce by his first wife Isabella of Mar.

Edward Bruce, younger brother of Robert the Bruce, was named heir presumptive but died without heirs on 3 December 1318. Marjorie Bruce had died probably in 1317 in a riding accident and parliament decreed her infant son, Robert Stewart, as heir presumptive, but this lapsed on 5 March 1324 on the birth of a son, David, to King Robert and his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh. Robert Stewart became High Steward of Scotland on his father's death on 9 April 1327, and in the same year parliament confirmed the young Steward as heir should Prince David die without a successor. In 1329 King Robert I died and the six-year-old David succeeded to the throne under the guardianship of Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray.

Robert married Euphemia De ROSS on 2 May 1355. Euphemia (daughter of Earl Hugh De ROSS and Margaret GRAHAM) was born about 1334 in Scotland; died about 1387. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: K6S2-5L7
• _UID: E92A2A7EAD694975AADB806D3F6F5D0A16C9

Other Events:

• Cause of Death: ; died in the Battle of Teba
• FamilySearch ID: L6KK-BW5
• Land: ; Grants of the land were made to Sir James Douglas by Robert Bruce due to his many brave exploits.
• MilitaryService: ; as Chief Lieutenant to Robert the Bruce
• MilitaryService: ; as General of the Wars of Independence
• Title: ; 2nd Earl of Galloway
• Title: ; 2nd Lord of Douglas Castle
• Name: James DOUGLAS
• Name: James of Loudon
• Name: The Good
• Residence: Hermiston, Lothian, Scotland
• _UID: 97FCB966F31C4D7EA61C5D5C0B37E0648D6B

Notes:

Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and the Black Douglas) (c. 1286 ? 25 August 1330[1]) was a Scottish knight and feudal lord. He was one of the chief commanders during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Early life
He was the eldest son of Sir William Douglas, known as "le Hardi" or "the bold", who had been the first noble supporter of William Wallace (the elder Douglas died circa 1298, a prisoner in the Tower of London).[2] His mother was Elizabeth Stewart, the daughter of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland, who died circa 1287 or early 1288. His father remarried in late 1288 so Douglas' birth had to be prior to that; however, the destruction of records in Scotland makes an exact date or even year impossible to pinpoint.

Douglas was sent to France for safety in the early days of the Wars of Independence, and was educated in Paris. There he met William Lamberton, Bishop of St. Andrews, who took him as a squire. He returned to Scotland with Lamberton. His lands had been seized and awarded to Robert Clifford. Lamberton presented him at the occupying English court to petition for the return of his land shortly after the capture of Stirling Castle in 1304, but when Edward I of England heard whose son he was he grew angry and Douglas was forced to depart.[3]

Alliance with Bruce
For Douglas, who now faced life as a landless outcast on the fringes of feudal society, the return of his ancestral estates was to become an overriding obsession, inevitably impacting on his political allegiances. In John Barbour's rhyming chronicle, The Brus, as much a paean to the young knight as the hero king, Douglas makes his feelings plain to Lamberton;

Sir, you see,

How the English tyrant forcibly
Has dispossessed me of my land
And you are made to understand
That the earl of Carrick claims to be
The rightful king of this country.
The English, since he slew that man,
Are keen to catch him if they can;
And they would seize his lands as well
And yet with him I faith would dwell!
Now, therefore, if it be your will,
With him will I take good or ill.
Through him I hope my land to win
Despite the Clifford and his kin.

? The Brus, John Barbour
This was a particularly dramatic moment in Scottish history: Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick had played a role in the slaying of John Comyn, a leading Scottish rival, on 6 February 1306 at Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries. Bruce, having wounded Comyn with his dagger, rushed from the church and encountered his attendants outside. Bruce told them what had happened and said, "I must be off, for I doubt I have slain the Red Comyn,"[2] "Doubt?" Sir Roger de Kirkpatrick of Closeburn answered, "I mak sikker," ("I'll make sure," or "I make sure") and rushing into the church, finishing Comyn.[2]Bruce immediately claimed the crown of Scotland, in defiance of the English king. Less than seven weeks after the killing in Dumfries, Bruce was crowned King on 25 March. It was while he was on his way to Glasgow to meet with Bishop Wishart, and then to Scone, the traditional site of Scottish coronations, that he was met by Douglas, riding on a horse borrowed from Bishop Lamberton. The site is traditionally believed to be the summit of a hill in Dumfries and Galloway, that is now known as the Crown of Scotland. Douglas explained his circumstances and immediately offered his services;

And thus began their friendship true
That no mischance could e'er undo
Nor lessen while they were alive.
Their friendship more and more would thrive.

? The Brus, John Barbour
Douglas was set to share in Bruce's early misfortunes, being present at the defeats at Methven and Battle of Dalrigh. But for both men these setbacks were to provide a valuable lesson in tactics: limitations in both resources and equipment meant that the Scots would always be at a disadvantage in conventional medieval warfare. By the time the war was renewed in the spring of 1307 they had learnt the value of guerrilla warfare ? known at the time as "secret war" ? using fast moving, lightly equipped and agile forces to maximum effect against an enemy often locked into static defensive positions.

The Douglas Larder

All that remains of the house that stood on the site of Douglas Castle is this seventeenth-century tower which was spared demolition in 1938.
Douglas's actions for most of 1307 and early 1308, although confined for the most part to his native Douglasdale, were essential to keeping the enemy in the South and freeing Bruce to campaign in the north. He soon created a formidable reputation for himself as a soldier and a tactician. While Bruce was campaigning in the north against his domestic enemies, Douglas used the cover of Selkirk Forest to mount highly effective mobile attacks against the enemy. He also showed himself to be utterly ruthless, particularly in his relentless attacks on the English garrison in his own Douglas Castle, the most famous of which quickly passed into popular history. Barbour dates this incident to Palm Sunday 1307, which fell on 19 March.[4] Some question whether this date is too early as Bruce and his small army were not yet established in south-west Scotland, suggesting Palm Sunday 1308 ? 17 April ? as a more accurate date. However, as Barbour states that at the time of the Douglas Larder the Scots were not yet established in south-west Scotland and indeed that Douglas was the only one of Bruce's men anywhere in the area, there is reason to think that Barbour's date is probably correct. Barbour says that the Larder was the first act toward becoming established in that part of Scotland.[5][6]

With the help of local farmer Thomas Dickson, a former vassal of his father, Douglas and his small troop were hidden until the morning of Palm Sunday, when the garrison left the battlements to attend the local church. Gathering local support, he entered the church and the war-cry "Douglas! Douglas!" went up for the first time. Some of the English soldiers were killed and others taken prisoner. The prisoners were taken to the castle, now largely empty. All the stores were piled together in the cellar, the wine casks burst open and the wood used for fuel. The prisoners were then beheaded and placed on top of the pile, which was set alight. Before departing, the wells were poisoned with salt and the carcasses of dead horses. The local people soon gave the whole gruesome episode the name "the Douglas Larder." As an example of frightfulness in war, it was meant to leave a lasting impression, not least upon the men who came to replace their dead colleagues. Further attacks followed by the man now known to the English as "The blak Dowglas", a sinister and murderous force "mair fell than wes ony devill in hell."[7]

In August 1308, Douglas met the king for a joint attack on the MacDougalls of Lorn, kinsmen of the Comyns, the climax to Bruce's campaign in the north. Two years before, the Macdougalls had intercepted and mauled the royal army at the Battle of Dalrigh. Now they awaited the arrival of their opponents in the narrow Pass of Brander, between Ben Cruachan and Loch Awe in Argyllshire. While Bruce pinned down the enemy in a frontal advance through the pass, Douglas, completely unobserved, led a party of loyal Highlanders further up the mountain, launching a surprise attack from the rear. Soon the Battle of Pass of Brander turned into a rout. Returning south soon after, Douglas joined with Edward Bruce, the king's brother, in a successful assault on Rutherglen castle near Glasgow, going on to a further campaign in Galloway.[8]

Roxburgh Falls
In the years that followed Douglas was given time to enhance his skills as a soldier. Edward II came north with an army in 1310 in fruitless pursuit of an enemy that simply refused to be pinned down. The frustrations this obviously caused are detailed in the Vita Edwardi Secundi, a contemporary English chronicle;

The king entered Scotland with his army but not a rebel was to be found...At that time Robert Bruce, who lurked continually in hiding, did them all the injury he could. One day, when some English and Welsh, always ready for plunder, had gone out on a raid, accompanied by many horsemen from the army, Robert Bruce's men, who had been concealed in caves and woodland, made a serious attack on our men...From such ambushes our men suffered heavy losses. For Robert Bruce, knowing himself unequal to the king of England in strength or fortune, decided it would be better to resist our king by secret warfare rather than dispute his right in open battle.

Edward was even moved to write to the Pope in impotent fury, complaining that "Robert Bruce and his accomplices, when lately we went into parts of Scotland to repress their rebellion, concealed themselves in secret places after the manner of foxes."

In the years before 1314 the English presence in Scotland was reduced to a few significant strongholds. There were both strengths and weaknesses in this. The Scots had no heavy equipment or the means of attacking castles by conventional means. However, this inevitably produced a degree of complacency in garrisons provisioned enough to withstand a blockade. In dealing with this problem the Scots responded in the manner of foxes; and among the more cunning of their exploits was Douglas' capture of the powerful fortress at Roxburgh. His tactic, though simple, was brilliantly effective. On the night of 19/20 February 1314 ? Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday ? several dark shapes were seen beneath the battlements and mistakenly assumed to be cattle. Douglas had ordered his men to cover themselves with their cloaks and crawl towards the castle on their hands and knees. With most of the garrison celebrating just prior to the fast of Lent, scaling hooks with rope ladders attached were thrown up the walls. Taken by complete surprise the defenders were overwhelmed in a short space of time. Roxburgh Castle, among the best in the land, was slighted or destroyed in accordance with Bruce's policy of den

James married Joan ARMSTRONG, of Blackness about 1304 in Midlothian, Scotland. Joan (daughter of Prince Alexander IV OF SCOTLAND) was born in 1278 in Scotland; died in 1337 in Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: G612-WL6
• Title: ; Countess of Douglas
• Name: Joanna LOVELL

Notes:

The Life Summary of Joan
When Lady Joan Lovel - Lady Douglas was born in 1287, in Castle Cary, Somerset, England, United Kingdom, her father, Sir Richard III de Lovel, was 11 and her mother, Lady Muriel de Soules, was 11. She had at least 1 son with Sir James the Good Douglas. She died on 21 August 1337, in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland at the age of 50, and was buried in Lanarkshire, Scotland

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• FamilySearch ID: G6F6-SY9
• _UID: 5A1FDDF8B1B94E8D970788B57AA9B7FC444E

Maurice married Joan MENTEITH on 11 Jul 1339. Joan was born in in Rusky, Perthshire, Scotland; died after 1366. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: GJNN-D5X
• _UID: ACD32A30713D4E7283C72411BC8421527998

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• FamilySearch ID: L8MB-CP1
• Name: Walter STEWART
• Occupation: ; High Steward
• _UID: E676A1C3C36E4275B0843DD292040E901F32

Walter married Princess Marjory Of SCOTLAND in 1315 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland. Marjory (daughter of King Robert BRUCE, I of Scottland and Isabel (Matilda) De MAR) was born on 12 Dec 1296 in Cardross, Dunbartonshire, Scotland; died on 2 Mar 1316 in Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland; was buried in 1316 in Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Clan: ; Clan Bruce
• FamilySearch ID: LDQR-9B8
• Name: Marjorie BRUCE -
• _UID: DDB76C26788E4CB894D438006DA3672E75DE
• ENGLISH CAPTIVE FOR 8 YEARS: Between 1306 and 1314, Watton Abbey, Watton, Norfolk, England; Captured by the English in 1306 at age 9, Marjorie was held captive at Watton Abbey until 1314.
• Cause of Death: Oct 1317, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland; DIED AFTER FALLING FROM A HORSE DURING HER SECOND PREGNANCY

Notes:

Marjorie Bruce was the oldest child of Robert I, King of Scotland, also known as Robert the Bruce, and his first wife Isabella of Mar. She was born in December of 1296 and her mother died 12 December, 1296 shortly after giving birth. Marjorie was named after her paternal grandmother, Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, who had died 4 years before.

In March of 1306 Scotland was in the midst of the First War of Scottish Independence with England when Marjorie's father Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland. "The Bruce" suffered a defeat at the Battle of Methven and sent Marjorie, her step-mother Elizabeth, and her 2 aunts Mary and Christina North for safety. Unfortunately, they were captured by the English along with Isabella MacDuff. All the men captured were executed including Marjorie's Uncle Niall who was hanged, drawn and quartered and then beheaded. Marjorie's step-mother Elizabeth was deemed a valuable hostage and sent to the Tower of London. Her Aunt Christina, whose husband was just executed, was imprisoned at the convent at Sixhills. Mary Bruce and Isabella MacDuff were imprisoned separately in wooden cages and hung outside the castles of Roxburgh and Berwick, exposed to public view and the elements for 4 long years. A cage was built outside the Tower of London for 9 year old Marjorie but English King Edward I reconsidered and sent her to the convent in Watton instead. Marjorie would remain an English captive until 1314 when she was finally released, exchanged for English prisoners, at the age of 17. Robert the Bruce could not accompany his wife and daughter home himself, he would have been a rich prize for the English, however, he sent Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, to escort them home.

Scotland was free and King Robert the Bruce was at the height of his power. Not wanting to leave Scotland without a clear ruler, as had happened previously after the death of Alexander III and Margaret the Maid of Norway, on April 25 1315 Parliament agreed that if King Robert I, and his brother Edward de Brus, both died without male issue then Marjory de Brus would inherit the throne of Scotland. King Robert I was the most powerful man in Scotland, and now Marjory was the most important woman in Scotland.
Shortly after this Marjorie married the 2nd most powerful man in Scotland, Walter Stewart, High Steward of Scotland. The man who had accompanied her back home from her captivity the year before.

Marjorie and Walter welcomed a son Robert Stuart on March 2 1316. Robert would grow up to become Robert II King of Scotland. Unfortunately, Marjorie would not live to see it. Some historical sources tell us that Marjorie died giving birth to her only son. That she was thrown from a horse while heavily pregnant, and that the baby was delivered safely but Marjorie died. More modern research now indicates that the facts were a little confused. Marjorie did die after a fall from a horse while pregnant, however, it was in October 1317 during her 2nd pregnancy, and both mother and child died. Marjory was buried at Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Like her own mother, Isabella, Marjorie died young, leaving behind a single young motherless child. Robert would not grow up an only child, however, his father married a 2nd time, to Isabel de Graham, and they gave Robert 3 younger siblings.

Marjorie's marriage to Walter, High Steward of Scotland united Clan Stewart and the royal House of Bruce. Her son Robert II was the first Stewart monarch, through him she was the ancestress of a long line of royalty including Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Princess Marjorie, the only daughter of King Robert I of Scotland by his first wife Isabella of Mar. Marjorie died in March 1316 giving birth to their only child:[11]
King Robert II of Scotland (born 1316-died 1390), the first monarch of the House of Stewart who reigned as King of Scotland from 1371 to his death in 1390.

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Hugh married Margaret GRAHAM about 1326. Margaret and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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