British and Irish History: Biographies

The Oxford Companion to British History A Dictionary of British History Further reading

Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of

The Oxford Companion to British History | 2002 | | Copyright

Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of [S] (c.1425–52). Eldest son of James ‘the Gross’, 7th earl of Douglas. Knighted while still an infant (1430), together with the royal child who would eventually kill him, he grew up to become by far the most powerful magnate in Scotland. Lieutenant-general for the young James II from 1444, and married to the Galloway heiress Margaret, Douglas and his brothers James (who succeeded him), Archibald ( earl of Moray), Hugh ( earl of Ormond), and John, Lord Balvenie, defeated all opposition and dominated Scottish politics between 1444 and 1452.

During William's absence abroad, cutting a fine figure in Rome during Jubilee Year 1450, the adult James II plundered the Douglas lands of Wigtown and Selkirk. A hollow reconciliation between king and earl followed in 1451, but the following year a bond between Douglas, Crawford, and Ross provided the excuse for the earl's murder, by James II in person, at Stirling castle.

Norman Macdougall

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JOHN CANNON. "Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-DouglasWilliamDogls8thrlf.html

JOHN CANNON. "Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-DouglasWilliamDogls8thrlf.html

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Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of

A Dictionary of British History | 2004 | | Copyright

Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of [S] (c.1425–52). Eldest son of James ‘the Gross’, 7th earl of Douglas. Douglas grew up to become the most powerful magnate in Scotland. Lieutenant‐general for the young James II from 1444, with his brothers James (who succeeded him), Archibald (earl of Moray), Hugh ( earl of Ormond), and John, Lord Balvenie, Douglas dominated Scottish politics between 1444 and 1452. During William's absence abroad, the adult James II plundered the Douglas lands of Wigtown and Selkirk. A reconciliation followed in 1451, but in 1452 a bond between Douglas, Crawford, and Ross provided the excuse for the earl's murder by James II at Stirling.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN CANNON. "Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-DouglasWilliamDogls8thrlf.html

JOHN CANNON. "Douglas, William Douglas, 8th earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-DouglasWilliamDogls8thrlf.html

Learn more about citation styles

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