General Notes

Name Prefix:<NPFX> Earl
Also Known As:<_AKA> First Earl of Douglas
Ancestral File Number:<AFN> 9FBQ-C5
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, as which created 26 Jan 1357/8; of
ageby 1348; present Battle of Poitiers 1356 where wounded fighting
alongside theFrench against the English; married probably just prior to
13 Nov 1357 Margaret, Countess of Mar in her own right, and adopted her
Earldom of Mar as hisown by 21 June 1374; died May 1384. The 1st Earl
also had illegitimate issueby Margaret Stewart, Countess of Angus in her
own right. [Burke's Peerage]
Built Tantallon Castle about 1350.
"On the death of his brother-in-law [ThomasStewart] he obtained
possession of the historical earldom of Mar and transmitted it, along
with his own hereditary titles and estates, to his son James, the hero of
Otterburn, 'the dead man that won a fight' one of the most renowned in
Scottish history. The Douglas estates were inherited by Archibald 'the
Grim,' the kinsman of Earl James, while the earldom of Mar passed to his
sister, Isabella, wife of Sir Malcolm Drummond, brother of Annabella,
Queen of Scotland, wife of Robert III.
Though he is often shown as having married Margaret of Mar, daughter of
Donald of Mar, that is questionable. He had illegitimate children with
Margaret Stewart, whose father was Earl of Mar, but she wasCountess of
Angus (having inherited this title from her brother). Widely varying
dates of birth for the legitimate children make it possible that he was,
in fact, married twice.
" ... son of the Regent who fell at Halidon Hill, and nephew of the 'Good
Sir James,' returned from France, where he had been bred to arms, soon
after the battle of Neville's Cross and the captivity of theScottish
king, and, with the hereditary valour and energy of his house, succeeded
in expelling the English from Douglasdale, and in the course of time from
Ettrick Forest, Tweeddale, and Teviotdale. He was created Earl of Douglas
by King David in 1357. He faithfully supported the cause of national
independence, and even went so far as to unite with the Steward and the
Earl of March in a formal bond to compel David to change his counsellors
and to give up his intrigues for altering the succession to the crown in
favour of one of thesons of the English king. He made a pilgramage to
the shrine of St. Thomas-a-Becket in the year 1363; but, unlike some
others of the great Scottish barons, who made such pilgramages a pretext
for treasonable intrigues with the English Government, Douglas continued
steadfast in his adherence of his country's cause, and resolutely opposed
the atempts of the unworthy son of Robert Bruce to betray it to the
enemy. On the accession of Robert II, the son of the Steward and Marjory
Bruce, the Earl of Douglas unexpectedly put forth pretensions to the
crown, but abandoned them on finding that they were not likely tomeet
with public support. As a reward for the promptitude of his submission,
the King's eldest daughter was promised in marriage to his eldest son,
andthe Earl himself was appointed Justicular of Scotland south of the
Forth, andWarden of the East Marches. This great noble, one of the best
of his race, died in 1384 at an advance age. He was succeeded by his
eldest son by his wifethe Countess of Mar."
The Great Historic Families of Scotland, James Taylor
Source:  http://www.tantallon.de/English/index_english.htm
The history of Tantallon Castle begins in the year 1346. In that year,
the man who is to build the stronghold returns to Scotland.
1346 William Douglas returned from Franceto Scotland to claim his
inheritance after the battle of Neville's Cross.
1353 By murdering his godfather William 'Knight of Liddesdale' in the
EttrickForest, William became the undisputed head of the House of
Douglas.
1357 William Douglas married Margaret, sister of Thomas, Earl of Mar.
They had a son, James. Later, William took the widow of his
brother-in-law, Margaret, Countess of A