General Notes

Alias:<ALIA> /Le Hardi/
REFN: 3379AN
Alias:<ALIA> "Le /Hardi"/
REFN: P3380
William "le Hardi", third from his name sake William De Duglas, was a
prominent baron at the time of William Wallace. He is most notable for
being the first Lord to join Wallace in his revolt ag ainst English rule.
Ronald McNair Scott, in his book "Robert the Bruce: King of Scots",
writes about William "le Hardi's" eager alliance with Wallace,
"T he gesture of Sir William (Douglas) was typical of the man. Crusader,
warrior , egoist, he had gone his own throughout life with very little
regard for any one else. He had flouted the guardians of the interregnum
and insulted the au thority of King Edward by abducting and forcibly
marrying Eleanor De Ferrers, an English widow, while she was staying with
relatives in Scotland."
He was captured by the English and executed. He had three sons; Sir James
"The Good ", Hugh "The Dull", and Archibald, who became the first Regent
of Scotland.
" ... surnamed the 'Hardy,' from his valour and heroic deeds, fought on
the p atriotic siDe in the War of Independence. He was governor of the
Castle of Be rwick in 1296, when that town was besieged and taken, after a
resolute defenc e, by Edward I. The garrison of the castle on capitulating
were allowed to ma rch out with the honours of war; but Sir William
douglas was detained for som e time a prisoner in one of the towers of
that fortress. On regaining his lib erty he rejoined the patriotic party,
but fell once more into the hands of th e English, and died in confinement
in the Tower of York in 1302. He was the f ather, by a sister of the High
Stewart, of Sir James Douglas."
The Great His toric Families of Scotland, by James Taylor
Captured by the English and execut ed in the Tower of York.