William Douglas the Hardy
| William Douglas | |
|---|---|
| Lord of Douglas | |
Seal of William the Hardy
|
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| Predecessor | William Longleg, Lord of Douglas |
| Successor | Sir James Douglas |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Stewart Eleanor de Lovaine |
| Issue | |
| Father | William Longleg, Lord of Douglas |
| Mother | Constance of Fawdon |
| Born | 1243 Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Died | 1298 Tower of London |
| Buried | 1298 |
Sir William Douglas "le Hardi" (the Bold), Lord of Douglas (1255 – January 24, 1298) was a Scottish nobleman and warlord.
William Douglas was the son of William Longleg, Lord of Douglas and it is supposed by his possible second wife, Constance Battail of Fawdon. He first is recorded at an Assize at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1256, when his father made over a Carucate of land at Warndon, Northumberland to him. Douglas' father William Longleg was Lord of Fawdon, and had as his superior Gilbert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus, Longleg was acquitted of withholding rents by a jury, Umfraville notwithstanding attacked Fawdon, imprisoned Longleg at Harbottle Castle and made off with some £100 sterling of goods. William Douglas was injured in the fight. Ita quod fere amputaverunt caput ejus – So as to nearly cut off his head.
Sir William Fraser puts forward a theory that David Hume of Godscroft is mistaken about the William Douglas that went Crusading, and suggests that it is this William Douglas, the son the rather than the father, who accompanied David I Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, and other Scots nobility on the Eighth Crusade in 1270, as recorded by John of Fordun in his Chronica Gentis Scotorum. Fraser also concedes that there is no existing evidence left to verify this, except the reference in Godscroft's work.
Douglas' father, Longleg died at some point c. 1274 and there is some confusion as to whether his eldest son Hugh predeceased him, however William the Hardy was certainly in possession of his estates by the end of the decade. Douglas was knighted before 1288, when he was called upon by Sir Andrew Moray, to imprison his uncle Sir Hugh de Abernethy at Douglas Castle. Abernethy had been party to the murder of Donnchadh III, Earl of Fife, one of the six Guardians of Scotland. Abernethy died in custody despite attempts by Edward I of England to have him released.
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