William Douglas of Whittinghame

William Douglas of Whittingehame (c. 1540 – 17 December 1595) was a Senator of the College of Justice at Edinburgh, and a Royal conspirator.

Dalrymple appears to have his ancestry incorrect, as the Great Seal of Scotland (number 1995, 1 November 1648) and other references contain an accurate account. William Douglas was the eldest son and heir of William Douglas of Whittingehame (died bef. 24 August 1557) and his spouse Elizabeth (d. after 24 August 1557), daughter of Sir Robert Lauder of The Bass (d.1517/18) by his spouse, Elizabeth Lawson.

He acquired some Church lands. He obtained, on 17 August 1560, a charter of the ecclesiastical lands of Whittingehame from Claud Hamilton, then Dean of Dunbar. The grant of Whittinghame was confirmed in the Great Seal in January, where we can see the extent of the church lands Douglas has acquired: "the King [sic] and Queen confirm to William Douglas of Whittinghame and Elizabeth Maitland, his spouse, 8 husbandlands (208 acres) and four 'terras' cottages in the 'villa' of Whittinghame". He joined the Lords of the Congregation and seems to have been frequently employed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in their communications with Mary, Queen of Scots and the Privy Council of Scotland.

It is said that the plot to murder Mary's husband, Lord Darnley, was discussed at length in the grounds of Whittinghame Castle early in 1566, and the Privy Council cited William Douglas of Whittinghame, brother to Master Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas, amongst others, as one of the conspirators in the murder of David Riccio, for which he was pardoned on 24 December 1566. In 1567 he joined the Association for the Preservation of James VI. However, later, on 26 August 1582 William Douglas of Whittinghame was cited in the Privy Council as one of the 'Ruthven Raiders'.

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