William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, 2nd Earl of Avondale (1425 – 22 February 1452) was a late Mediaeval Scottish nobleman, Lord of Galloway, and Lord of the Regality of Lauderdale, and the most powerful magnate in Southern Scotland.

Douglas was the eldest son of James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas and Beatrice Sinclair, the daughter of Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney.

The power of the Black Douglases, lost after the execution of the 6th Earl, was restored by the 8th Earl, who recovered the lordships of Wigtown, Galloway and Bothwell by marriage (by papal dispensation) to his cousin, Margaret Douglas, Fair Maid of Galloway (daughter of the 5th Earl). He was soon high in favour with James II, and procured the disgrace of Sir William Crichton, presumed murderer of his kinsman the 6th Earl, by an alliance with his rival, Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar.

The Earl and his party was issued with a Safe-conduct for three years, "to pass through England, to the Marches of Calais and elsewhere in the King of England's dominions" dated 9 November 1450 Douglas was planning to attend the Jubilee in Rome and would travel via England, Flanders and France. A further Safe-Conduct, this time expressly stating that the Earl could take a party of 100 and naming many of them, was issued (presumably while they were still travelling) on 23 April 1451. The Earl had returned to Scotland by 14 August 1451 as he was the leading Scottish Conservator of the 3-year truce with England, concluded at Newcastle upon Tyne.

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