Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas

Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas, (b. before 1540 - d. after 1587) was also Parson of Glasgow, a Senator of the College of Justice, Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I of England, and a notorious intriguer.

As a clergyman and Master of Arts, he was known as Mr Archibald Douglas throughout his career. He was Parson of Douglas, Lanarkshire, prior to 15 January 1561/2 when he was awarded the income of the Third of the Benefices for that parish. He was appointed to the College of Justice on 13 November 1565 as an Extraordinary Lord in place of Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney.

Accused with his brother, William Douglas of Whittingehame, of involvement in the conspiracy to murder David Riccio, he was obliged to retire to France for some time. But the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, secured his return to Scotland, where Douglas then successfully negotiated the pardons of the other conspirators, gazetted on 25 December 1566.

He then entered into the intrigues of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell for the assassination of Darnley, and acted as the agent between them and the Earl of Morton. According to the on-the-scaffold confession of his servant Thomas Binning, he was actually present at Kirk o' Field on the night of the murder (9/10 February 1567). In the confusion of the hour Douglas lost his shoes, which he had removed, which were found in the morning and known to be his. No pursuit was however, at that time, instituted against him. Later Morton said that Archibald and his brother Robert had helped find the Casket Letters. When George Dalgleish was threatened with torture he asked to speak to Archibald, and showed Robert where he had hidden the letters.

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