William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus

William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus (1552 – March 3, 1611), was the son of William, the 9th Earl (1533-1591). He was a direct descendant of King James I through his paternal grandmother, Lady Agnes Keith, a daughter of William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal.

He studied at St. Andrews University and joined the household of the Earl of Morton. Subsequently, while visiting the French court, he became a Roman Catholic, and was in consequence, upon his return, disinherited and placed under restraint.

Nevertheless he succeeded to his father's titles and estates in 1591, and though in 1592 he was disgraced for his complicity in Lord Bothwell's plot, he was soon liberated and performed useful services as the King's Lieutenant in the north of Scotland. In July 1592, however, he was asking for help from Queen Elizabeth in a plot with Erroll and other lords against Sir John Maitland, the Chancellor, and protesting his absolute rejection of Spanish offers, but in October he signed the Spanish Blanks, and upon the discovery of this treason was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle on his return in January 1593.

He succeeded on the 13th in escaping by the help of his Countess, joining the Earls of Huntly and Erroll in the north. They were offered an Act of "oblivion" or "abolition" provided they renounced their religion or quit Scotland. Declining these conditions they were declared traitors and "forfeited."

They remained in rebellion, and in July 1594 an attack made by them on Aberdeen roused James's anger. Huntly and Erroll were subdued by James himself in the north, and Angus failed in an attempt upon Edinburgh in concert with the Earl of Bothwell.

Subsequently in 1597 they all renounced their religion, declared themselves Presbyterians, and were restored to their estates and honours. Angus was again included in the Privy Council, and in June 1598 was appointed the King's Lieutenant in southern Scotland, in which capacity he showed great zeal and conducted the "Raid of Dumfries," as the campaign against the Johnstones was called.

Not long afterwards, Angus, offended at the advancement of Huntly to a Marquessate, recanted, resisted all the arguments of the ministers to bring him to a "better mind," and was again excommunicated in 1608.

In 1609 he withdrew into exile, and died in Paris, France on 3 March 1611. He is buried at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

He married Elizabeth Oliphant, a daughter of Lawrence, 4th Lord Oliphant, in spring 1585, and they had three sons and two daughters. His second son, James, was created Lord Mordington in 1641. His daughter Mary was married to Alexander Livingston, 2nd Earl of Linlithgow.

From "The Scottish Nation"::cquote| William, ..., tenth earl, was well versed in the antiquities and history of his country, and wrote a chronicle of the Douglases. Becoming a Roman Catholic, he, in 1592, engaged with the earls of Errol and Huntley in the treasonable plot of obtaining the king of Spain’s assistance for the reestablishment of popery in Scotland, and on the 1st of the following January he was seized and committed to the castle of Edinburgh. On the 15th of February, however, he made his escape, and joined the other two earls in the north. On the 11th October, they came suddenly into the king’s presence, and offered to submit themselves to trial. On the 26th November, it was determined that they and their associates should be exempted from all farther inquiry or prosecution on account of their correspondence with Spain, and that before the 1st of February 1594, they should either submit to the church, and renounce popery, or remove out of the kingdom. They refused to accede to these conditions, and continued their treasonable negotiations. After the battle of Glenlivet, 3d October of the same year, in which, however, he was not present, Angus retired to the continent, and spent the remainder of his life in acts of devotion. He died at Paris 3d March 1611, in the 57th year of his age, and was buried in the church of St. Germain de Prez, where a magnificent monument was erected to his memory, the inscription on which is printed at length in the Scots Magazine for 1767. By his countess, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Lawrence, fourth Lord Oliphant, he had three sons and two daughters; James, the second son, was the first Lord Mordington, see that title. [ [http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/douglas.htm Anderson, William "The Scottish Nation" or "The Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours and Biographical History of The People of Scotland" 1863] ]

Issue

He was the author of the "Chronicle of the House of Douglas".

He was succeeded by his son William, as 11th earl of Angus, afterwards 1st marquess of Douglas (1580-1660). The title Earl of Angus is now held by the Dukes of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the "heir apparent" to the current dukedom.

See also

*Earl of Angus
*Earl of Linlithgow
*James I of Scotland

References

*1911