Archibald the Grim
| Archibald Douglas | |
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Lord of Galloway Earl of Douglas Earl of Wigtown Lord of Bothwell |
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Seal of Archibald Douglas
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| Predecessor | James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas |
| Successor | Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas |
| Spouse(s) | Joanna de Moravia, Lady of Bothwell |
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Issue
Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas
James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas Marjorie Douglas Helen Douglas Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale (illegitimate) |
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| Noble family | Douglas |
| Father | Sir James Douglas |
| Mother | unknown |
| Born | 1328 Scotland |
| Died | 1400 Threave Castle |
| Buried | 1400 Bothwell |
Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Douglas and Bothwell, called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibald, was a late medieval Scottish nobleman. Archibald was the bastard son of Sir James "the Black" Douglas, Robert I's trusted lieutenant, and an unknown mother. A first cousin of William 1st Earl of Douglas, he inherited the earldom of Douglas and its entailed estates as the third earl following the death without legitimate issue of James 2nd Earl of Douglas at the Battle of Otterburn.
He was an infant when his father went on crusade and was killed at the Battle of Teba whilst fighting the Moors. According to Walter Bower, "He was dark and ugly more like a coco [cook-boy] than a Noble." Jean le Bel in his chronicle describes Douglas, as an adult, as a large man capable of wielding a huge sword. It has been suggested that the young Archibald spent time with his cousin William at the court in exile of King David II at Château Gaillard in Normandy. It was only natural for them to take service with the French King. This was in keeping with the spirit of the Auld Alliance.
Archibald's first major appearance in history is recorded in 1356 at the Battle of Poitiers where he was captured by the English. Archibald had accompanied his cousin, William Lord of Douglas, to serve King John II of France in his wars against the Black Prince. Edward III of England had concluded truce negotiations with the Scots lasting from 25 March until Michaelmas, following the Burnt Candlemas of 2 February. During the truce, Earl William had secured safe passage to travel to Château Gaillard to visit David II; amongst his entourage was the 28-year-old Archibald. Once in France, in the chivalric spirit of the age the Douglases joined the French army, to prevent their harnesses rusting through inactivity.
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