General Notes

REFN: 3626AN
Alias:<ALIA> Bell the /Cat/
REFN: P3627
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449 - November 19, 1513), the famo
us "Bell the Cat," was born about 1449 and succeeded his father, George t
he 4th earl, in 1462 or 1463.
In 1481 he was made warden of the east marches, but the next year he join
ed the league against James III and his favourite Robert Cochrane at Laude
r, where he earned his nickname by offering to bell the cat, i.e. to de
al with the latter, beginning the attack upon him by pulling his gold cha
in off his neck and causing him with others of the king's favourit
es to be hanged.
Subsequently he joined Alexander Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany, in league wi
th Edward IV of England on the 11 February 1483, signing the conventi
on at Westminster which acknowledged the overlordship of the English kin
g. In March however they returned, outwardly at least, to their allegianc
e, and received pardons for their treason.
Later Angus was one of the leaders in the rebellion against James in 14
87 and 1488, which ended in the latter's death.
He was made one of the guardians of the young king James IV. but soon lo
st influence, being superseded by the Homes and Hepburns, and the wardensh
ip of the marches was given to Alexander Home. Though outwardly on good te
rms with James, he treacherously made a treaty with Henry VII. about 14
89 or 1491, by which he undertook to govern his relations with James accor
ding to instructions from England, and to hand over Hermitage Castle, comm
anding the pass through Liddesdale into Scotland, on the condition of rece
iving English estates in compensation.
In October 1491 he fortified his castle of Tantallon against James, but w
as obliged to submit and exchange his Liddesdale estate and Hermitage Cast
le for the lordship of Bothwell.
In 1493 he was again in favour, received various grants of lands, and w
as made chancellor, which office he retained till 1498. In 1501 he was on
ce more in disgrace and confined to Dumbarton Castle. After the disast
er at Flodden Fields in 1513, at which he was not present, but at whi
ch he lost his two eldest sons, Angus was appointed one of the counsello
rs of the queen regent. He died at the close of this year, or in 1514.
He was married three times, firstly on 4 March 1467 to Elizabeth Boyd, dau
ghter of the first Lord Boyd. Secondly, about 1498 he married Janet Kenned
y, daughter of the second Lord Kennedy. And thirdly in 1500, he married Ka
therine Stirling.
DOUGLAS, ARCHIBALD, surnamed BELL-THE-CAT, was the son of George, fifth Ea
rl of Angus. The elder branch of the noble house of Douglas, that was repr
esented by the holders of the earldom of that name, and the dukedom of Tou
raine in France, had become so powerful, and so dangerous to the royal fam
ily, that the Stuarts had tried by every plan, both of violence and polic
y, to lessen its influence and circumscribe its power. One method which th
ey adopted was, to exalt the house of Angus, a younger branch of the famil
y. But this only superseded one evil by another, and the Earls of Angus so
on threatened to become as formidable to royal authority as the Earls of D
ouglas had formerly been. Archibald, who succeeded to the earldom of Ang
us when only six or seven years old, was born to an inheritance which h
is father had greatly enlarged, so that when the young minor attained to m
anhood, he was by far the most powerful nobleman in Scotland, and he was c
ommonly called the "Great Earl of Angus." He married, in 1468, Elizabeth B
oyd, daughter of Robert, Lord Boyd, the all-powerful and afterwards disgra
ced minister of James III., by whom he had four sons and three daughters.
During the earlier part of the reign of James III., little of Angus is kno
wn, except that he was distinguished for stature, strength, and courage, l
ike most of his race, as well as for great possessions and political influ
ence. It was probably during this reign th