The letters below were written in South Africa. The family who wrote them, settled in South Africa around 1793. Their origins are recorded here, but the story of how they landed is lost in time. I am trying to uncover their secrets by following clues hidden in these letters. On my journey, I have uncovered a secret world that I did not know existed.
In the source website it states that the origins of this tartan are lost. Clearly our Douglas knew it well.
Each time I find evidence of the accuracy of these letters, my admiration for the author swells. Clearly he feared for his life. So he left clues rather than being too blunt, unlike me! His story of Sir James is accurate and true. So the next question is: Where does Sir James fit in the family tree? To find the answer, we need some dates.
Starting at the top of the first page under the title 'Douglas Geneology', let us try to find some information on William (1st Lord) and Archibald (2nd Lord).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I,_Lord_of_Douglas
This looks like a good guess. He was the first Douglas to appear on historic record. The title 'Lord' refers to his ownership of the Douglas lands, which he received as a reward from king Solvathius for stubbing out a rebellion. This loyalty to the monarch would stay with the family who grew in power and influence. William died in 1214, well over one hundred years before the death of Sir James in 1330 (Brave Heart).
So let us follow the family tree down the ages and try to find Archibald (2nd Lord):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_I,_Lord_of_Douglas
Join me in this historic journey to the truth and hidden secrets of Scottish and English history.
Below are the original letters which I have researched and analysed in every detail. My findings are published in this blog by drawing fragmented parts of history recorded in various sources together to try and form a story line. When reading this, it is helpful to keep a printout of the first page titled 'Douglas Geneology' to one side so you can refer back to it.
After reading the letter a few times, I could not make head or tail of it. I decided the only way to get to the bottom of what it was trying to tell me, was to go to the places mentioned. Luckily I had emigrated to England, so I did not have to travel across the globe to do my research. I only had to travel about 5 hours from my home in Windsor, very near Windsor Castle where I now live with my daughter.
My first visit was to Tantallon Castle, after my son had accepted a place at St Andrews university in Scotland, the first in our family to study in Scotland that I knew of, and my only red haired offspring. To my delight, Tantallon was only 90 minutes from where my son has now settled, and Drumlanrig, a mere two and a half hour drive, a quick stop on the way back to Windsor. I only noticed Drumlanrig because of a large sign on the side of the motorway, or I might never have found it.
After visiting these castles, I was astounded to find that all the details in the letters given to me by my Aunt in Africa, down to the last bird dropping, was still left exactly as described in the letters above! Tantallon castle is a ruin, but when you climb its walls, you can still feel how spectacular it was. It still has the best views in all of the United Kingdom.
But that is not where my story began. My life changed when my daughter was born in England. I had no idea about these letters at that time. As far as I knew, my family had been in South Africa for ever. They say God works in mysterious ways, and that could not have been more true for us. Due to unforseen circumstances we were booked in for genetic testing at St Thomas hospital. It was a difficult process.
Then when the results came, it was a very strange experience. We were in a private room at St Thomas, and the doctor looked as though he had seen a ghost. He was particularly interested in me, and visibly intrigued by something, but I could not put my finger on it. He told us very calmly that genetically, the test results were positive news. I had a flue virus when I was three months pregnant, and this caused a problem with my young baby's left eye. There was nothing wrong with her genetically. But after that meeting my life changed dramatically. I was thrown into a world of intense encounters, many of which I could not explain and made me feel like I was living in a dream. I'm still not clear on what it all means, but I am on an epic journey with my faith as my only constant companion.
I ended up back in Africa without my husband to be near my family, where I started writing about my strange experiences. Then, slowly things started to make sense, and I moved back to England to start a new life in Windsor. On the advice of a colleague, I moved to Windsor where I have now settled with my daughter. I believe the results of the genetic tests revealed something about me, a secret that was supposed to be dead and buried 300 years ago.
I went to visit my aunt in South Africa with my new baby, the first of our family to be born in UK and she told me that she had something to show me. Then she produced these letters and told me we had royal roots linking us to Mary Queen of Scots and James I of England. You can imagine the shock, not in a nice fairy tale kind of way, but in a nightmarish scary way. My first question was what on earth were we doing in the middle of South Africa? You see, our family had been murdered and exiled and were in hiding for 300 years. One of our ancestors managed to escape the attack on our home in Scotland by William of Orange to Africa, and we survived. He wrote these letters to preserve the story which had effectively been written out of official history.
The first time I saw the current Queen of England was in Port Elizabeth, my home town. She came to visit a club that our friends sometimes use for birthday parties, called the PE club. I was standing outside with my eldest son on my hip, and I had brought our housekeeper with me to see the Queen of England. My only thought at that time was why someone that famous would come all the way out to PE. Perhaps she liked the city because it was the same as her name. I will never know.
When princess Diana died, I spent two whole days watching the television and crying. I had no idea why, but her death shook me to the roots. I sensed that a very evil crime had been committed. Now that I know what Mary Queen of Scots experienced, I feel intense sadness and grief when I see portraits of her. She was persecuted as was the princess, as story line that has repeated itself many times and then is rewritten to blame the victim.
The letter above only contains six pages. At first it just appears to be the sad ramblings of an old Scot who had lost his way. That's what I thought when I first read it. I had never been to Scotland and did not understand what half of it meant. Who were all these obscure people and why did my aunt think it was important for me to have these letters? I tried to look them up in books, wrote to Windsor Castle and the National Archives for information and even asked Google, but I just hit a brick wall. The archivist at Windsor Castle did not bother to answer, and the National Archives said they had thousands of documents to show me on the topic, but I would need a whole week to dig for it, buried in the bowels of London somewhere. As a working mother, there was no chance that I had a whole week to look for a needle in a haystack. Perhaps I will be motivated at some point in the future to do some more digging.
What I did manage to find is what I think is the first ancestor who we could trace from the South African records. His name was not Douglas and there was no record of how he ended up in Africa in 1793, long before the 1820 settlers. I tried to find him in the English birth and death records, but there was nothing. Yet, the family had vast farms where they commercially produced all kinds of food and commercially bred animals, so these were knowledgeable men. The only reasonable conclusion that I can draw is that when he landed in Africa, he changed his name for security reasons or under some secret agreement to cut ties with home.
As Wikipedia developed and the internet exploded with new websites from as far as Australia, I could do some real research. I finally started to put the pieces of my puzzle together. I started by tracing each person and each castle in the letter. A whole new Universe opened up. One that I was not prepared for.
So now, let's go on this journey together. Let us start with Sir James Douglas. He appears on the second page in the following inscription:
"Shortly before his death, King Robert the Bruce gave Sir James Douglas a sword and instructions to carry his heart on a crusade and bury it in the Holy Land. Douglas died fighting the Moors in Spain in 1330, while on his way to the Holy Land. According to legend, he threw the casket with the Bruce's heart forward, crying "Forward, brave heart." Above, engraved on the sword blade is the Douglas motto, "Forward" and the crest of the Douglas family in the crowned, winged heart of the Bruce."
Now remember, these letters were written in Africa, before the existence of the internet. My aunt who gave them to me lived on a farm in the Orange Free State (how much more meaningful that name is now!) and when I was a child, they still used the old 'party lines' where you had to share phone lines with other farmers. They had no contact with the UK or with anywhere near Europe, no Google and no Amazon to buy books. To the best of my knowledge, these letters were written from memory. The accuracy is astonishing. To demonstrate, see the link below:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/warsofindependence/blackdouglas/index.asp
On the gravestone, in the picture, Sir James Douglas died in 1330. He fought alongside Robert the Bruce of Scotland, and was hated by king Edward I of England. Page 1 of the letter, directly beneath the family tree, describes the story of Sir James. It appears to present some copies or torn pieces of paper with bits of the story and a black and white picture. The notes describe the colours of the Douglas tartan as "light green, dark green with a touch of blue and white". Below is a picture of the actual tartan.
Source http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/articles/Tartans.htm#.VAOYq9JdWQo
My first visit was to Tantallon Castle, after my son had accepted a place at St Andrews university in Scotland, the first in our family to study in Scotland that I knew of, and my only red haired offspring. To my delight, Tantallon was only 90 minutes from where my son has now settled, and Drumlanrig, a mere two and a half hour drive, a quick stop on the way back to Windsor. I only noticed Drumlanrig because of a large sign on the side of the motorway, or I might never have found it.
After visiting these castles, I was astounded to find that all the details in the letters given to me by my Aunt in Africa, down to the last bird dropping, was still left exactly as described in the letters above! Tantallon castle is a ruin, but when you climb its walls, you can still feel how spectacular it was. It still has the best views in all of the United Kingdom.
But that is not where my story began. My life changed when my daughter was born in England. I had no idea about these letters at that time. As far as I knew, my family had been in South Africa for ever. They say God works in mysterious ways, and that could not have been more true for us. Due to unforseen circumstances we were booked in for genetic testing at St Thomas hospital. It was a difficult process.
Then when the results came, it was a very strange experience. We were in a private room at St Thomas, and the doctor looked as though he had seen a ghost. He was particularly interested in me, and visibly intrigued by something, but I could not put my finger on it. He told us very calmly that genetically, the test results were positive news. I had a flue virus when I was three months pregnant, and this caused a problem with my young baby's left eye. There was nothing wrong with her genetically. But after that meeting my life changed dramatically. I was thrown into a world of intense encounters, many of which I could not explain and made me feel like I was living in a dream. I'm still not clear on what it all means, but I am on an epic journey with my faith as my only constant companion.
I ended up back in Africa without my husband to be near my family, where I started writing about my strange experiences. Then, slowly things started to make sense, and I moved back to England to start a new life in Windsor. On the advice of a colleague, I moved to Windsor where I have now settled with my daughter. I believe the results of the genetic tests revealed something about me, a secret that was supposed to be dead and buried 300 years ago.
I went to visit my aunt in South Africa with my new baby, the first of our family to be born in UK and she told me that she had something to show me. Then she produced these letters and told me we had royal roots linking us to Mary Queen of Scots and James I of England. You can imagine the shock, not in a nice fairy tale kind of way, but in a nightmarish scary way. My first question was what on earth were we doing in the middle of South Africa? You see, our family had been murdered and exiled and were in hiding for 300 years. One of our ancestors managed to escape the attack on our home in Scotland by William of Orange to Africa, and we survived. He wrote these letters to preserve the story which had effectively been written out of official history.
The first time I saw the current Queen of England was in Port Elizabeth, my home town. She came to visit a club that our friends sometimes use for birthday parties, called the PE club. I was standing outside with my eldest son on my hip, and I had brought our housekeeper with me to see the Queen of England. My only thought at that time was why someone that famous would come all the way out to PE. Perhaps she liked the city because it was the same as her name. I will never know.
When princess Diana died, I spent two whole days watching the television and crying. I had no idea why, but her death shook me to the roots. I sensed that a very evil crime had been committed. Now that I know what Mary Queen of Scots experienced, I feel intense sadness and grief when I see portraits of her. She was persecuted as was the princess, as story line that has repeated itself many times and then is rewritten to blame the victim.
The letter above only contains six pages. At first it just appears to be the sad ramblings of an old Scot who had lost his way. That's what I thought when I first read it. I had never been to Scotland and did not understand what half of it meant. Who were all these obscure people and why did my aunt think it was important for me to have these letters? I tried to look them up in books, wrote to Windsor Castle and the National Archives for information and even asked Google, but I just hit a brick wall. The archivist at Windsor Castle did not bother to answer, and the National Archives said they had thousands of documents to show me on the topic, but I would need a whole week to dig for it, buried in the bowels of London somewhere. As a working mother, there was no chance that I had a whole week to look for a needle in a haystack. Perhaps I will be motivated at some point in the future to do some more digging.
What I did manage to find is what I think is the first ancestor who we could trace from the South African records. His name was not Douglas and there was no record of how he ended up in Africa in 1793, long before the 1820 settlers. I tried to find him in the English birth and death records, but there was nothing. Yet, the family had vast farms where they commercially produced all kinds of food and commercially bred animals, so these were knowledgeable men. The only reasonable conclusion that I can draw is that when he landed in Africa, he changed his name for security reasons or under some secret agreement to cut ties with home.
As Wikipedia developed and the internet exploded with new websites from as far as Australia, I could do some real research. I finally started to put the pieces of my puzzle together. I started by tracing each person and each castle in the letter. A whole new Universe opened up. One that I was not prepared for.
So now, let's go on this journey together. Let us start with Sir James Douglas. He appears on the second page in the following inscription:
"Shortly before his death, King Robert the Bruce gave Sir James Douglas a sword and instructions to carry his heart on a crusade and bury it in the Holy Land. Douglas died fighting the Moors in Spain in 1330, while on his way to the Holy Land. According to legend, he threw the casket with the Bruce's heart forward, crying "Forward, brave heart." Above, engraved on the sword blade is the Douglas motto, "Forward" and the crest of the Douglas family in the crowned, winged heart of the Bruce."
Now remember, these letters were written in Africa, before the existence of the internet. My aunt who gave them to me lived on a farm in the Orange Free State (how much more meaningful that name is now!) and when I was a child, they still used the old 'party lines' where you had to share phone lines with other farmers. They had no contact with the UK or with anywhere near Europe, no Google and no Amazon to buy books. To the best of my knowledge, these letters were written from memory. The accuracy is astonishing. To demonstrate, see the link below:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/warsofindependence/blackdouglas/index.asp
On the gravestone, in the picture, Sir James Douglas died in 1330. He fought alongside Robert the Bruce of Scotland, and was hated by king Edward I of England. Page 1 of the letter, directly beneath the family tree, describes the story of Sir James. It appears to present some copies or torn pieces of paper with bits of the story and a black and white picture. The notes describe the colours of the Douglas tartan as "light green, dark green with a touch of blue and white". Below is a picture of the actual tartan.
Source http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/articles/Tartans.htm#.VAOYq9JdWQo
Each time I find evidence of the accuracy of these letters, my admiration for the author swells. Clearly he feared for his life. So he left clues rather than being too blunt, unlike me! His story of Sir James is accurate and true. So the next question is: Where does Sir James fit in the family tree? To find the answer, we need some dates.
Starting at the top of the first page under the title 'Douglas Geneology', let us try to find some information on William (1st Lord) and Archibald (2nd Lord).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I,_Lord_of_Douglas
This looks like a good guess. He was the first Douglas to appear on historic record. The title 'Lord' refers to his ownership of the Douglas lands, which he received as a reward from king Solvathius for stubbing out a rebellion. This loyalty to the monarch would stay with the family who grew in power and influence. William died in 1214, well over one hundred years before the death of Sir James in 1330 (Brave Heart).
So let us follow the family tree down the ages and try to find Archibald (2nd Lord):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_I,_Lord_of_Douglas
Described above as Archibald I, he died in 1238, it appears uneventfully. From a charter of Melrose Abbey, it appears there is evidence that Archibald was knighted before 1226 and served king Alexander II at Selkirk.
His castle is not mentioned in the letter, but it is on Wikipedia, not far from Tantallon castle and became disused in the 16th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berwick_Castle
A narrative summary of the entire family tree in the letters appears on Wikipedia in the link below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berwick_Castle
A narrative summary of the entire family tree in the letters appears on Wikipedia in the link below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Douglas
William the Hardy, next in line after Archibald (2nd Lord) died in the Tower of London in 1298, after helping William Wallace'd uprising (from the film Braveheart)
His son was Sir James Douglas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Douglas,_Lord_of_Douglas who died in 1330
James never married. The family tree clearly states (unmarried) with dotted lines to two children. I presume the dotted lines refer to illegitimate children. Wiki pages are kinder and state the spouse was 'unknown'.
Our Wiki reference shows William IV, Lord of Douglas and Archibald the Grim (eeek!) as his two children. There is a note next to Archibald's name on the family tree that states: "Lord of Galloway, Third Earl of Douglas". This appears to be the same Archibald as described in the Wiki page below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_3rd_Earl_of_Douglas
The 'bastard son by an unknown mother' died in 1400, confirming the dotted lines refer to illegitimate children. Nevertheless, God was good to him as he inherited all the wealth of 'Good Sir James' who died without a legitimate heir. He has a fascinating story. He grew up in France in exile, and fought with the French against the black prince of England, who captured and imprisoned him. He later escaped with the help of William Ramsay who tricked him and beat him with his own boot! It seems Archibald had gained the respect of the guards, who let him run back to Scotland. He was appointed constable of Edinburgh Castle and from there he drove the English out of his territories. Through his marriage to Joanna de Moravia, he obtained Bothwell Castle and was appointed Lord of Galloway by king David.
After some battles with the English, Archibald retreated to Threave Castle, fondly known as 'Sweetheart Abbey".
Archibald had five children:
Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas
James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas
Marjorie Douglas
Helen Douglas
Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale
There is a dotted line to 'Will of Nithedale" again, referring to illegitimate an child.
According to the letters, two of these sons marry daughters of Robert III.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_4th_Earl_of_Douglas
Again, our Wiki links appear to confirm both statements. On 4 June 1400 king Robert appointed Archibald Douglas (4th Earl) Keeper of Edinburgh castle for life. Douglas and his men chased Henry IV of England out of Scotland in the same year, only to be captured at Homildon Hill in 1402. George Douglas, the 1st Earl of Angus, was also captured at this battle. He was allowed to return to Scotland and had to pay a ransom to free his men. He died in 1424, and was written into part 1 of the play Henry IV by William Shakespeare.
George Douglas, first Earl of Angus is our direct ancestor, as indicated in the family org chart on the bottom right corner! But before I jump ahead, let us start at the beginning of his line. So back up to the top of the family tree.
William the Hardy, son of Archibald (2nd Lord) had a younger son, Archibald, named after his grandfather. In the family tree it states he was Regent for king David, a highly appointed position. Sir Archibald Douglas was born before 1298 and died in 1333 at the age of "under 40". He is titled the Guardian of Scotland and governer of the castle Berwick-upon-Tweed, described above. He died in battle against Edward III at Halidon Hill.
His son, William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, was educated in France.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Douglas
In 1348 William returned to Scotland. He started driving out the English from his ancestral land and negotiated the release of King David II from English captivity, successfully negotiating the treaty of Berwick. After taking care of some rebels, king David gave William vast estates and an the title of Earl of Douglas. He died in 1384.
Now this is where history gets interesting. William had four children, two (James and Isabel) with Margaret, Countess of Mar and two (George and Margaret) with the widow of Thomas, Earl of Mar, Margaret Stewart. His children with Margaret Stewart were illegitimate. However, illigitemate George, our ancestor, married princess Mary Stewart, and took the title second earl of Angus. He was born at Tantallon Castle, where my story begins. The wiki link is below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Angus
The Wiki page states he was the product of incest, as his mother was the aunt by marriage. However, they were no blood relatives, so strictly speaking it was not incest.
In accordance with Biblical instruction, George was legitimate:
William the Hardy, next in line after Archibald (2nd Lord) died in the Tower of London in 1298, after helping William Wallace'd uprising (from the film Braveheart)
His son was Sir James Douglas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Douglas,_Lord_of_Douglas who died in 1330
James never married. The family tree clearly states (unmarried) with dotted lines to two children. I presume the dotted lines refer to illegitimate children. Wiki pages are kinder and state the spouse was 'unknown'.
Our Wiki reference shows William IV, Lord of Douglas and Archibald the Grim (eeek!) as his two children. There is a note next to Archibald's name on the family tree that states: "Lord of Galloway, Third Earl of Douglas". This appears to be the same Archibald as described in the Wiki page below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_3rd_Earl_of_Douglas
The 'bastard son by an unknown mother' died in 1400, confirming the dotted lines refer to illegitimate children. Nevertheless, God was good to him as he inherited all the wealth of 'Good Sir James' who died without a legitimate heir. He has a fascinating story. He grew up in France in exile, and fought with the French against the black prince of England, who captured and imprisoned him. He later escaped with the help of William Ramsay who tricked him and beat him with his own boot! It seems Archibald had gained the respect of the guards, who let him run back to Scotland. He was appointed constable of Edinburgh Castle and from there he drove the English out of his territories. Through his marriage to Joanna de Moravia, he obtained Bothwell Castle and was appointed Lord of Galloway by king David.
After some battles with the English, Archibald retreated to Threave Castle, fondly known as 'Sweetheart Abbey".
Archibald had five children:
Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas
James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas
Marjorie Douglas
Helen Douglas
Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale
There is a dotted line to 'Will of Nithedale" again, referring to illegitimate an child.
According to the letters, two of these sons marry daughters of Robert III.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_4th_Earl_of_Douglas
Again, our Wiki links appear to confirm both statements. On 4 June 1400 king Robert appointed Archibald Douglas (4th Earl) Keeper of Edinburgh castle for life. Douglas and his men chased Henry IV of England out of Scotland in the same year, only to be captured at Homildon Hill in 1402. George Douglas, the 1st Earl of Angus, was also captured at this battle. He was allowed to return to Scotland and had to pay a ransom to free his men. He died in 1424, and was written into part 1 of the play Henry IV by William Shakespeare.
George Douglas, first Earl of Angus is our direct ancestor, as indicated in the family org chart on the bottom right corner! But before I jump ahead, let us start at the beginning of his line. So back up to the top of the family tree.
William the Hardy, son of Archibald (2nd Lord) had a younger son, Archibald, named after his grandfather. In the family tree it states he was Regent for king David, a highly appointed position. Sir Archibald Douglas was born before 1298 and died in 1333 at the age of "under 40". He is titled the Guardian of Scotland and governer of the castle Berwick-upon-Tweed, described above. He died in battle against Edward III at Halidon Hill.
His son, William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, was educated in France.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Douglas
In 1348 William returned to Scotland. He started driving out the English from his ancestral land and negotiated the release of King David II from English captivity, successfully negotiating the treaty of Berwick. After taking care of some rebels, king David gave William vast estates and an the title of Earl of Douglas. He died in 1384.
Now this is where history gets interesting. William had four children, two (James and Isabel) with Margaret, Countess of Mar and two (George and Margaret) with the widow of Thomas, Earl of Mar, Margaret Stewart. His children with Margaret Stewart were illegitimate. However, illigitemate George, our ancestor, married princess Mary Stewart, and took the title second earl of Angus. He was born at Tantallon Castle, where my story begins. The wiki link is below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Angus
The Wiki page states he was the product of incest, as his mother was the aunt by marriage. However, they were no blood relatives, so strictly speaking it was not incest.
In accordance with Biblical instruction, George was legitimate:
Deuteronomy 25
Widowhood and Marriage
5If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. 6And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
This arrangement caused a great deal of confusion, but Margaret Stewart, George's mother, was close to Robert III and secured titles and land for her son. James, the son regarded as legitimate, died without an heir, so the earldom of Douglas passed to his cousin, Archibald the Grim (Black Archibald, 3rd Earl of Douglas). It was not all bad news for his children though. For on the letter there is a reference to 'William of Drumlanrig". I looked him up and was astonished to find only two lines:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas_of_Drumlanrig
"Sir William Douglas, First of Drumlanrig, (died 1427) was the illegitimate son of James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas. He fought against the English in the Hunderd Years' war in France, where he was killed in action in 1427. He married Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of Sir Robert Stewart of Durisdeer. He had one son, William Douglas, 2nd of Drumlanrig."
The family divided and the descendants of Archibald the Grim formed the black line, whilst those of George formed the Red line. The Red line forms part of the story of the formation of the United Kingdom and the passing of the English crown to Scottish Royals, commonly known as the Stuart Dynasty. George built the first bricks of Drumlanrig castle, where Bonnie Prince Charlie spent his last night in England before fleeing for France and losing the crown to George I of Hanover. WOW!! When you look at the scribbles on this page, they look so unassuming and innocent, but therein lies the entire history of the English and Scottish Royals. More about Drumlanrig later. For now, we need to plough further down the family tree.
I always felt that I was carrying not only a letter, but a message that I needed to deliver. I have been put through many tests by God, before I was lead to unveil its secrets. I was appointed to complete a mission for God, one that I am determined to carry out, much like my ancestor the Good Sir James.
There are two distinct paragraphs in the letter that allude to further to these events:
On page 3 it states: "In 1707, James Douglas, Duke of Queensberry, presented the treaty (Act of Union) to Queen Anne. 16 Scottish and 16 English signed, ending 600 years of independence. He died in 1717." Again, Wiki pages confirm this below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707
On page 6, it states: "The great, great grandson of Earl of Angus, Earl Darnley, married Mary Queen of Scots. Their son, James V, became James I of England and Scotland." And thus, out of Douglas and Stuart blood, the United Kingdom's royal bloodline was born, and I found myself right in the middle of a war.
So how do we bridge the gap from William's death in 1384 to the Act of Union in 1707 and where does Lord Darnley fit in?
On each Wiki page, you will notice a short information summary to the top right of Predecessors, Sucessors, Spouses and Issue. The date of birth and death of each person is also listed and so begins the arduous task of drawing a timeline from George born in 1380 to James and the Act of Union in 1707.
First I will draw up the list, then I will provide a short summary of significant achievements and disasters of each one, intertwined with the story of the Douglas castles.
George Douglas, first Earl of Angus (1380 - 1403)
William Douglas, second Earl of Angus (1398 - 1437)
James Douglas, third Earl of Angus (1426 - 1446)
George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus (1417 - 1463)
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449 - 1513)
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (1489 - 1557)
David Douglas, 7th Earl of Angus (1515 - 1558)
Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus (1555 - 1588)
William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus (? - 1591)
William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus (1552 - 1611)
William Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus (1589 - 1660)
James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas (1646 - 1700)
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas (1694 - 1761)
The Duke of Douglas, Archibald, had to flee Scotland after closing the last Parliment of Scotland. His title passed to the 7th Duke of Hamilton, apparently a 'distant' cousin of the Duke. This was around the time that the Hanovarian line engineered their German takeover of the English crown, seven years after Queen Anne, the last monarch in the line of Stuart royals, passed the Act of Union. My family mysteriously appeared in Africa around 1793. The tale is complicated and full of twists, quite hard to pin down. But I am sure with a little bit of effort, we can work it out together.
To follow, a short summary of the Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of Douglas, and what they each got up to.
George Douglas, First Earl of Angus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Angus
George was born at Tantallon castle, the same castle described on page 1 of the letters. He only lived a short 23 years but in that time married Princess Mary, daugther of Robert the third and had two children with her, William and Elizabeth. The product of an affair between his parents, who were brother and sister in law, he was unable to inherit his father's title, which passed to his half brother. Instead his mother, Countess of Mar and Angus, relinquished her title to him when he married Princess Mary in 1397. It did not last long, for only six years later, James died in prison in England after being captured at Homildon Hill. The Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, ordered him to assist the Earl of Douglas to invade Northumberland, but the mission failed.
I want to digress at this point to Tantallon Castle. The Castle is beautifully preserved to this day despite many attempts to plunder it to the ground. The story of how it was plundered will unfold naturally with the story of the Earls of Angus, but to link the letters to the story, it is useful to visit the castle and compare some of the detail in the letter to some photographs I have been lucky enough to take.
The first sentence in the letter perfectly describes the feel of the castle and gives me the distinct impression that the author had experienced the castle in all its glory first hand. In fact, it is so confusing to read, that I cannot believe someone who did not at least visit it could have written about it.
"Tantellon made a sight to hold the eye, more like a feature of nature than the work of man." Indeed, when you first enter the grounds, you don't realise you are looking at a castle. It looks like a stone wall, or like a section of a cliff has been lifted from the sea and placed on a hill.
A little further along: "A couple of inches to one side of the great grassy cone of Northern Berwick, rose high out of the rolling pasture land and a mile or so on the other side, the mighty mass of the bass rock soared out of the blue sea almost as high. Bird droppings painted its frowning cliffs" As you can see, no bass rock from this view, but we headed along anyway through the grassy slopes and ditches all the way to the entrance. From there, a tiny curling swirling stone staircase takes one to the top of the wall, and then the bass rock suddenly appears, the same as described in the letter, down to the last bird dropping. A mass of black rock in the middle of the ocean, with no business being there, covered in bird shit as it always has been. The wall is so high - probably four stories of your ordinary office block - that it completely hides the Bass Rock. Today there is a castle built on the Bass Rock itself, dangling off the cliff staring back at Tantallon castle.
Our Douglas goes on to write: "There was no other castle in the land quite like it in design. It consisted in effect of merely a simple and long hugely high wall, like part of a city's rampart, crowned by the usual parapet and wall walk." Here lies the clue as to the date of this letter and the time of its author. In his memory, our Douglas can still see the parapet that covered the wall walk at the top of the wall. Today, it is no longer there, but a good clue that it once was is in the picture posted at the entrance to the Castle below, where one can clearly still see the parapet.
The letters go on: "Three tall towers rose therefrom, one at each end and one in the centre, the latter a gatehouse tower, very large and strong, almost a heap. Those towers were very high, almost half as high again as the high walls. This castle was built on the cliff edge. From the towers, Douglas banners flew proudly, but from the central gatehouse tower flapped a Red Stewart Standard, larger than any flag most people had seen. No windows or apertures pierced those curtain walls which were crowned by parapets and walls. From embrasures the black mouths of cannons gaped. Landwards of this impervious bastion were two great systems of outer walls with towers and palisades and gun parts, fronted by deep wide ditches, one water-filled. There was no need for defensive works on the other three sides where 200 feet high precipices dropped to the waves."
"There were minor and subsidiary buildings within the vast curtain wall. Stables, kitchens, storerooms and a chapel. The wide centre of the cliff plateau was vacant right to the precipice-edge save for grassy lawns, flower beds, rose bushes, winding paths, arbours, a well. So lofty were the cliffs from here that the sea was only seen at a major distance. The castle was built of red stone. The inner bailey was a wide spread of grass, accross in extent where horses and cattle grazed."
I have searched for paintings of this magnificent castle so we can get a clue of what it really looked like and whether the description above was accurate. To my delight I found a number of them, but none so detailed as to reveal the level of detail that my letters go into, which makes me think they are even more precious than I could have imagined. It may be the only record of what the castle looked like when it was lived in. There is a beautiful example painted by Alexander Nasmyth in 1816, hanging in the Scottish National Gallery which makes the castle appear romantic. More information about this painting can be seen at the link below.
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/n/nasmyth/alexande/tantallon.html
I took many pictures, published in a separate blog http://tantalloncastle.blogspot.co.uk/
The best feature of the castle is certainly the wall walk and the views that it offers. There are no full rooms intact, but the wall walk is fully functional and well worth a visit. It is a bit of an adventure, as some steep and windy staircases have to be accessed with a rope, whilst many of the supporting walls are no longer there. But the views from every angle are incredible. From the curtain wall of Tantallon, you would be able to see the enemy coming long before they see you. All the rooms were built inside the wall, making it very hard to attack or fathom where to strike.
Images of the Douglas banner and the Red Stuart Standard described on page 1 of the letters are below:
Standard of the House of Stuart, 1645 - present
The ditches around the castle are still clearly visible, with a small bridge to cross over them before entering the castle. The cliff is as described and the plateau where the animals grazed is still neatly trimmed. The castle was built in 1350 by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and abandoned in 1651, when Oliver Cromwell's army invaded Scotland. The castle took 12 days of bombardment with cannons before it fell. In 1808, Sir Walter Scott wrote the famous poem "Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field" about the battle at Tantallon Castle.
William Douglas, Second Earl of Angus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_2nd_Earl_of_Angus
William had a longer, more eventful life, and died at the ripe old age of 39. He was well connected being the son of Princess Mary, and grandson of King Robert III. When the Duke of Albany, Robert Stewart was quietly trying to murder all King Robert's heirs in order to take the Scottish crown for himself, Robert's younger son Prince James (later King James 1) of Scotland, was captured and held prisoner at English court for 18 years whilst trying to run to France to protect himself from the Duke of Albany. He hid in the castle on the Bass Rock staring across the blue sea at Tantallon before leaving for France, was captured by pirates and handed to the Henry IV of England.
William was given as ransom for the return of the king, and when he finally made it back to Scotland, he was knighted. He competitively fought his cousins, the Black Douglases, for titles and land. He died in 1437, leaving behind a wife, Margaret Hay, and five children with impressive titles:
The Feuds between the Red and Black Douglases continued with the third Earl, who died at the early age of 20. He married Princess Joan, daughter of king James I, and lost most of the titles and land his father had won. His title passed to his brother, George.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Douglas,_3rd_Earl_of_Angus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Douglas,_4th_Earl_of_Angus
The 4th Earl had close ties to the House of Stewart. As high commander of the Royal Army, he took revenge on the Earl of Northumberland and the Earl of Salisbury for his king, James II, and crushed his cousins the Black Douglases, taking all their land and titles. He received vast land from the King and the Lordship of Douglas. He successfully took Roxburgh castle, lost his king in the battle and crowned the next king, James III, a the tender age of nine, claiming "There! Now that I have set it upon your Grace's head, let let me see who will be so bold as to move it." He acted as Regent for James III. He married Isabella Sibbald, daughter of the Master of the household to James II, and they had no less than nine children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_5th_Earl_of_Angus
"Bell the Cat" undertook the dangerous task of overthrowing King James III by eradicating all the close allies of King James III and leading the army who were responsible for murdering the king in the battle of Sauchieburn. He remained close to both the English and Scottish crowns until his death, acting as negotiator, chancellor, councilor, ally and traitor of both English and Scottish monarchs James III, James IV, Edward IV of England, Henry VII and Margaret Tudor (Queen regent). He also fortified his castle of Tantallon against James IV.
The 5th Earl had four wives and fathered eight children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_6th_Earl_of_Angus
The 6th Earl lived during the reign of James V and Mary Queen of Scots. He married the Queen regent Margaret Tudor, widow of king James IV, mother of two year old king James V and elder sister of king Henry VII of England. Now pay close attention because here comes Lord Darnley.
Archibald and Margaret had a daughter, Margaret. Margaret married Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. They had a son Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Lord Darnely, The 6th Earl of Angus's grandson, was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. The title of Earl of Angust went to his nephew, but the title of his great grandson was to be King James I of England and VI of Scotland. Through the 6th Earl of Douglas, by marriage, the Stuart Dynasty was born.
It was not without a struggle. The nobles were extremely jealous of his position. They attacked and civil war broke out. Margaret lost her regency and had to flee to England where they became separated. The 6th Earl remained in Scotland and started an affair. They had an illegitimate daughter called Lady Jane. He had to flee to France, then to England and finally retreated to the tried and trusted Tantallon Castle, where after many battles, he died.
He arranged a three year peace deal between England and Scotland called the Treaty of Berwick. He was appointed the king's keeper of James V. He was invested with the insignia of Knight of the Order of St Michael by King Francis II of France.
Archibald negotiated various marriages for Mary, Queen of Scots, including Edward VI and Francis II, king of France. He died at 68, living longer and fighting harder than most.
Now I would just like to pause to shed a light on Queen Mary's story. Mary was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise from France. She was also the great-niece of King Henry VII of England. Her father died when she was only six days old. The young Queen was educated in France, probably due to her mother's influence, and married King Francis II of France at the tender age of 16. At the age of 18, she was his widow and returned to Scotland. At the age of 23, she married her first cousin, Lord Darnley. Her first cousin was Queen Elizabeth 1. After arranging the murder of her husband with her lover, she was forced to abdicate and lived in exile in England, where she was executed. Her son, James VI, took the throne at the age of one.
The rest of that story is - as they say - history.
The seventh Earl was David Douglas, the son of George Douglas of Pittendreich. He was only Earl of Angus for one year and died at the age of 43. His son, Archibald, became the 8th Earl of Angus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_8th_Earl_of_Angus
The eigth Earl of Angus was also the 5th Earl of Morton. His death was caused by witchcraft, and the sorceror, Doctor Fian, was burned at Edinburgh castle after confessing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_9th_Earl_of_Angus
The 9th Earl was a supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots and was a well respected noble.
His son, William Douglas, became the 10th Earl.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_10th_Earl_of_Angus
He studied at St Andrews University, and was a descendant of King James I. He became a Roman Catholic after visiting the French court. This was not well received in Scotland, which had falled to Presbyterian rule and in 1611 he died in exile in France.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_11th_Earl_of_Angus
King Charles I stopped charges of Papistry levelled against the eleventh earl, who was also Roman Catholic. William was the crown bearer at the coronation of King Charles I. He was created Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest at Dalkeith. He spent most of his time at Douglas Castle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Douglas,_2nd_Marquess_of_Douglas
"James, second marquis of Douglas, born in 1646, succeeded his grandfather in 1660, and was a privy councillor to Kings Charles II and James VII. He died 25th February 1700, in the 54th year of his age. His eldest son, James, earl of Angus, born in 1671, in 1689 raised for the service of the nation, in one day, a regiment of eighteen hundred men, now called the 26th foot or Cameronians, of which he was appointed colonel, 19th April of that year. After much active service he fell at the battle of Steinkirk 3d August 1692, in the 21st year of his age, unmarried. His half brother, William, also bore the title of earl of Angus, but died an infant in 1694. Archibald, the third son of the second marquis, succeeded as third marquis.[2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_1st_Duke_of_Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas was the second son of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas. Archibald held the titles Earl of Angus, Duke of Douglas, Marquess of Angus and Abernethy, Viscount of Jedburgh Forest, and Lord Douglas of Bonkill, Prestoun, and Robertoun. He was the bearer of the Crown of Scotland on state occasions and he conveyed it to Edinburgh Castle after the closing of the last Parliament of Scotland.
During the Jacobite rising of 1715, one year after the coronation of King George 1, the eldest son of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Lunenburgh and Sophia of Palatinate, the granddaughter of King James I of England, Douglas took the Hanoverian side and was thought to be mentally ill in old age, murdering Captain John Kerr, his cousin and guest at Douglas Castle. Douglas Castle was plundered by Highlanders during the Rising of 1745.
Now King James I married Anne of Denmark. Elizabeth Stuart was their second child. They had three children, Henry, Elizabeth and Charles. Charles became King Charles I after his brother, Henry died of typhoid fever. In those days, the crown passed first to the surviving son, then to any eligible daughters, so Elizabeth missed out. Charles I was corinated in 1626, Charles II in 1651, James II in 1685, and then William III, the Dutch Prince of Orange. He invaded and deposed King James II. His father was William II, Prince of Orange. This is where the House of Hanover's takeover of the British crown started. Now can you see why the 'Orange Free State' in South Africa is so significant?! Queen Anne, the last monarch from the House of Stewart, inherited the crown from the Princes of Orange, but by her marriage to Prince George of Denmark, strenthened the presence of the house of Hanover in England.
Queen Anne, Britain's last Stuart Monarch, was the younger daughter of James VII & II and his first wife, Anne Hyde. She and her older sister Mary were raised on the instructions of their uncle, Charles II, as Protestants. At the age of fourteen, she went with her father to Edinburgh when he took up residence as Lord High Commissioner in Holyroodhouse. Four years after that, in 1683, she married Prince George of Denmark. Charles II despised Anne's husband, but she was devoted to him. Tragically, although she had seventeen pregnancies, none of her children survived to adult life.
In 1702, Anne inherited the throne from her brother-in-law, William II and III, and during her reign there took place one of the most momentous develpments in Scottish history. In 1707, after months of bitter debate, the Scottish parliment finally agreed that the United Kingdom of Great Britain would have one parliment only, sitting in London. Upon her death Prince George Louis ascended the throne as King George I, Britain's first Hanoverian monarch, while James VII & II's son, the Old Pretender, continued to live in exile.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie, the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart was born in the Muti Palace in Rome. From his earliest days he was spoiled by his adoring household and Jacobites throughout Britain waited for reports of his progress. He was brought up to believe that it was his duty to reclaim the British crowns for his father. his chance came, and in 1745, Charles set sail for Scotland with a handful of supporters and when he landed, he won over the Highland chiefs by sheer force of personality. However, only nine months after arriving in Scotland, he was finally beaten by the English at the battle of Culloden in 1746 and was forced to flee. He sought shelter in the Western Isles. Here, Flora Macdonald, the stepdaughter of a Jacobite supporter agreed to smuggle him to Skye. Charles eventually escaped to France and remained in exile for the rest of his life.
In 1755, Douglas Castle burned, and he hired Robert Adam to rebuild it, but died before the work could be completed. Ultimately, the Duke was persuaded to bequeth his estates to his nephew, Archibald. The Duke of Hamilton (who inherited the Marquessate of Douglas) and his kin unsuccessfully contested Archibald's legitimacy.
The Douglas cause was an interesting case, where the heir lost his claim to the 1st Duke's estates in a court case in the house of Lords. The evidence circled around the ability of Lady Jane Douglas to have children, and witnesses were produced to claim that she had fabricated a pregnancy and adopted French children that she was trying to pass off as the Douglas Castle heirs. Archibald lost the case and the Douglas Estates in 1767. There is no record that any genetic tests were ever carried out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_1st_Baron_Douglas
There were four Barons of Douglas, and in 1857, upon the death of Rev James Douglas, the Barons of Douglas became extinct.
But what happened to the castles mentioned in the letter, and who owns them now?
Let's divert back to Africa, and perhaps we can get a clearer picture of who landed there on what dates, and how they became independent from the United Kingdom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Free_State
My aunt is from the Orange Free State, a province in South Africa. My father's family were settled there for generations, mostly farmers.
The Wiki answer states: "The republic's name derives partly from the Orange River, which in turn was named in honour of the Dutch ruling royal family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch settlers under Robert Jacob Gordon. The official language in the Orange Free State was Dutch."
Ah well no surprise there then - the House of Orange. On a side note, I always found it strange that my family were native English speakers, but were all educated in Afrikaans, an offshoot of Dutch developed in South Africa. I myself was educated in Afrikaans, but switched to English at University.
On the right hand side of the Wiki page is a date range, 1854 to 1902. The House of Orange claimed it as a British colony in 1848 and called it the Orange River Sovereignty. This was during the reign of Queen Victoria, 1837 - 1901. It gained independence in 1854. In our story above, the Barons of Douglas became extinct in 1857, three short years later. They called it the Orange Free State.
Ok - so let us unpick the Act of Settlement 1700 to see if this sheds any light as to the origins of the House Of Orange. Below is an extract of the Act, which can be found at this link: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Will3/12-13/2/contents
The very first sentence states:
I. Recital of Stat. 1 W. & M. Sess. 2. c. 2. §2. and that the late Queen and Duke of Gloucester are dead; and that His Majesty had recommended from the Throne a further Provision for the Succession of the Crown in the Protestant Line. The Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, Daughter of the late Queen of Bohemia, Daughter of King James the First, to inherit after the King and the Princess Anne, in Default of Issue of the said Princess and His Majesty, respectively and the Heirs of her Body, being Protestants.
So who was the Duke of Gloucester and why was he dead?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_William,_Duke_of_Gloucester
The first odd thing to notice here is that during the reign of Queen Anne, the recommendation about changes to the line of succession does not come from Queen Anne, the rightful heir to the throne, but rather from someone called 'His Majesty.' Presumably, this must be referring to her husband.
The Wiki page on the Duke of Gloucester 1700 reveals that he was from the house of Oldenburg and his father was prince George of Denmark, and that he was the son of 'Princess Ann - later Queen of Great Britain'. He died aged 11 at Windsor Castle. He died under rather suspicious circumstances at his birthday party, from a range of symptoms such as a sore throat, chills, a high fever and had apparently 'overheated himself while dancing' and his autopsy revealed a large amount of fluid in the ventricles of his brain. The description supplied says his symptoms appeared by nigh fall, so this was nothing gradual and happened quite suddenly. Under these circumstances, acute hydocephalus is often caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and methylmercury poisining. (Medical reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas_of_Drumlanrig
"Sir William Douglas, First of Drumlanrig, (died 1427) was the illegitimate son of James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas. He fought against the English in the Hunderd Years' war in France, where he was killed in action in 1427. He married Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of Sir Robert Stewart of Durisdeer. He had one son, William Douglas, 2nd of Drumlanrig."
The family divided and the descendants of Archibald the Grim formed the black line, whilst those of George formed the Red line. The Red line forms part of the story of the formation of the United Kingdom and the passing of the English crown to Scottish Royals, commonly known as the Stuart Dynasty. George built the first bricks of Drumlanrig castle, where Bonnie Prince Charlie spent his last night in England before fleeing for France and losing the crown to George I of Hanover. WOW!! When you look at the scribbles on this page, they look so unassuming and innocent, but therein lies the entire history of the English and Scottish Royals. More about Drumlanrig later. For now, we need to plough further down the family tree.
I always felt that I was carrying not only a letter, but a message that I needed to deliver. I have been put through many tests by God, before I was lead to unveil its secrets. I was appointed to complete a mission for God, one that I am determined to carry out, much like my ancestor the Good Sir James.
There are two distinct paragraphs in the letter that allude to further to these events:
On page 3 it states: "In 1707, James Douglas, Duke of Queensberry, presented the treaty (Act of Union) to Queen Anne. 16 Scottish and 16 English signed, ending 600 years of independence. He died in 1717." Again, Wiki pages confirm this below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707
On page 6, it states: "The great, great grandson of Earl of Angus, Earl Darnley, married Mary Queen of Scots. Their son, James V, became James I of England and Scotland." And thus, out of Douglas and Stuart blood, the United Kingdom's royal bloodline was born, and I found myself right in the middle of a war.
So how do we bridge the gap from William's death in 1384 to the Act of Union in 1707 and where does Lord Darnley fit in?
On each Wiki page, you will notice a short information summary to the top right of Predecessors, Sucessors, Spouses and Issue. The date of birth and death of each person is also listed and so begins the arduous task of drawing a timeline from George born in 1380 to James and the Act of Union in 1707.
First I will draw up the list, then I will provide a short summary of significant achievements and disasters of each one, intertwined with the story of the Douglas castles.
George Douglas, first Earl of Angus (1380 - 1403)
William Douglas, second Earl of Angus (1398 - 1437)
James Douglas, third Earl of Angus (1426 - 1446)
George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus (1417 - 1463)
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449 - 1513)
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (1489 - 1557)
David Douglas, 7th Earl of Angus (1515 - 1558)
Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus (1555 - 1588)
William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus (? - 1591)
William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus (1552 - 1611)
William Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus (1589 - 1660)
James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas (1646 - 1700)
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas (1694 - 1761)
The Duke of Douglas, Archibald, had to flee Scotland after closing the last Parliment of Scotland. His title passed to the 7th Duke of Hamilton, apparently a 'distant' cousin of the Duke. This was around the time that the Hanovarian line engineered their German takeover of the English crown, seven years after Queen Anne, the last monarch in the line of Stuart royals, passed the Act of Union. My family mysteriously appeared in Africa around 1793. The tale is complicated and full of twists, quite hard to pin down. But I am sure with a little bit of effort, we can work it out together.
To follow, a short summary of the Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of Douglas, and what they each got up to.
George Douglas, First Earl of Angus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Angus
George was born at Tantallon castle, the same castle described on page 1 of the letters. He only lived a short 23 years but in that time married Princess Mary, daugther of Robert the third and had two children with her, William and Elizabeth. The product of an affair between his parents, who were brother and sister in law, he was unable to inherit his father's title, which passed to his half brother. Instead his mother, Countess of Mar and Angus, relinquished her title to him when he married Princess Mary in 1397. It did not last long, for only six years later, James died in prison in England after being captured at Homildon Hill. The Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, ordered him to assist the Earl of Douglas to invade Northumberland, but the mission failed.
I want to digress at this point to Tantallon Castle. The Castle is beautifully preserved to this day despite many attempts to plunder it to the ground. The story of how it was plundered will unfold naturally with the story of the Earls of Angus, but to link the letters to the story, it is useful to visit the castle and compare some of the detail in the letter to some photographs I have been lucky enough to take.
The first sentence in the letter perfectly describes the feel of the castle and gives me the distinct impression that the author had experienced the castle in all its glory first hand. In fact, it is so confusing to read, that I cannot believe someone who did not at least visit it could have written about it.
"Tantellon made a sight to hold the eye, more like a feature of nature than the work of man." Indeed, when you first enter the grounds, you don't realise you are looking at a castle. It looks like a stone wall, or like a section of a cliff has been lifted from the sea and placed on a hill.
A little further along: "A couple of inches to one side of the great grassy cone of Northern Berwick, rose high out of the rolling pasture land and a mile or so on the other side, the mighty mass of the bass rock soared out of the blue sea almost as high. Bird droppings painted its frowning cliffs" As you can see, no bass rock from this view, but we headed along anyway through the grassy slopes and ditches all the way to the entrance. From there, a tiny curling swirling stone staircase takes one to the top of the wall, and then the bass rock suddenly appears, the same as described in the letter, down to the last bird dropping. A mass of black rock in the middle of the ocean, with no business being there, covered in bird shit as it always has been. The wall is so high - probably four stories of your ordinary office block - that it completely hides the Bass Rock. Today there is a castle built on the Bass Rock itself, dangling off the cliff staring back at Tantallon castle.
Our Douglas goes on to write: "There was no other castle in the land quite like it in design. It consisted in effect of merely a simple and long hugely high wall, like part of a city's rampart, crowned by the usual parapet and wall walk." Here lies the clue as to the date of this letter and the time of its author. In his memory, our Douglas can still see the parapet that covered the wall walk at the top of the wall. Today, it is no longer there, but a good clue that it once was is in the picture posted at the entrance to the Castle below, where one can clearly still see the parapet.
The letters go on: "Three tall towers rose therefrom, one at each end and one in the centre, the latter a gatehouse tower, very large and strong, almost a heap. Those towers were very high, almost half as high again as the high walls. This castle was built on the cliff edge. From the towers, Douglas banners flew proudly, but from the central gatehouse tower flapped a Red Stewart Standard, larger than any flag most people had seen. No windows or apertures pierced those curtain walls which were crowned by parapets and walls. From embrasures the black mouths of cannons gaped. Landwards of this impervious bastion were two great systems of outer walls with towers and palisades and gun parts, fronted by deep wide ditches, one water-filled. There was no need for defensive works on the other three sides where 200 feet high precipices dropped to the waves."
"There were minor and subsidiary buildings within the vast curtain wall. Stables, kitchens, storerooms and a chapel. The wide centre of the cliff plateau was vacant right to the precipice-edge save for grassy lawns, flower beds, rose bushes, winding paths, arbours, a well. So lofty were the cliffs from here that the sea was only seen at a major distance. The castle was built of red stone. The inner bailey was a wide spread of grass, accross in extent where horses and cattle grazed."
I have searched for paintings of this magnificent castle so we can get a clue of what it really looked like and whether the description above was accurate. To my delight I found a number of them, but none so detailed as to reveal the level of detail that my letters go into, which makes me think they are even more precious than I could have imagined. It may be the only record of what the castle looked like when it was lived in. There is a beautiful example painted by Alexander Nasmyth in 1816, hanging in the Scottish National Gallery which makes the castle appear romantic. More information about this painting can be seen at the link below.
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/n/nasmyth/alexande/tantallon.html
I took many pictures, published in a separate blog http://tantalloncastle.blogspot.co.uk/
The best feature of the castle is certainly the wall walk and the views that it offers. There are no full rooms intact, but the wall walk is fully functional and well worth a visit. It is a bit of an adventure, as some steep and windy staircases have to be accessed with a rope, whilst many of the supporting walls are no longer there. But the views from every angle are incredible. From the curtain wall of Tantallon, you would be able to see the enemy coming long before they see you. All the rooms were built inside the wall, making it very hard to attack or fathom where to strike.
Images of the Douglas banner and the Red Stuart Standard described on page 1 of the letters are below:
"This is the Douglas standard carried in the battle of Otterburn in 1388 (otherwise known as the battle of Chevy Chase), one of the many border wars between the Douglases and the Percy family of Northumberland. The Douglases won, although the Earl lost his life. The pennant has the cross of St Andrew, the lion of Scotland, and the motto in old French "Jamais areyre" (never behind), for the Douglases claimed the honor of leading the Scottish army into battle."
The ditches around the castle are still clearly visible, with a small bridge to cross over them before entering the castle. The cliff is as described and the plateau where the animals grazed is still neatly trimmed. The castle was built in 1350 by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and abandoned in 1651, when Oliver Cromwell's army invaded Scotland. The castle took 12 days of bombardment with cannons before it fell. In 1808, Sir Walter Scott wrote the famous poem "Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field" about the battle at Tantallon Castle.
William Douglas, Second Earl of Angus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_2nd_Earl_of_Angus
William had a longer, more eventful life, and died at the ripe old age of 39. He was well connected being the son of Princess Mary, and grandson of King Robert III. When the Duke of Albany, Robert Stewart was quietly trying to murder all King Robert's heirs in order to take the Scottish crown for himself, Robert's younger son Prince James (later King James 1) of Scotland, was captured and held prisoner at English court for 18 years whilst trying to run to France to protect himself from the Duke of Albany. He hid in the castle on the Bass Rock staring across the blue sea at Tantallon before leaving for France, was captured by pirates and handed to the Henry IV of England.
William was given as ransom for the return of the king, and when he finally made it back to Scotland, he was knighted. He competitively fought his cousins, the Black Douglases, for titles and land. He died in 1437, leaving behind a wife, Margaret Hay, and five children with impressive titles:
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Hay |
|---|---|
Issue
James Douglas, 3rd Earl of AngusGeorge Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus William Douglas of Cluny Hugh Douglas, Rector of St. Andrews Helen Douglas | |
The Feuds between the Red and Black Douglases continued with the third Earl, who died at the early age of 20. He married Princess Joan, daughter of king James I, and lost most of the titles and land his father had won. His title passed to his brother, George.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Douglas,_3rd_Earl_of_Angus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Douglas,_4th_Earl_of_Angus
The 4th Earl had close ties to the House of Stewart. As high commander of the Royal Army, he took revenge on the Earl of Northumberland and the Earl of Salisbury for his king, James II, and crushed his cousins the Black Douglases, taking all their land and titles. He received vast land from the King and the Lordship of Douglas. He successfully took Roxburgh castle, lost his king in the battle and crowned the next king, James III, a the tender age of nine, claiming "There! Now that I have set it upon your Grace's head, let let me see who will be so bold as to move it." He acted as Regent for James III. He married Isabella Sibbald, daughter of the Master of the household to James II, and they had no less than nine children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_5th_Earl_of_Angus
"Bell the Cat" undertook the dangerous task of overthrowing King James III by eradicating all the close allies of King James III and leading the army who were responsible for murdering the king in the battle of Sauchieburn. He remained close to both the English and Scottish crowns until his death, acting as negotiator, chancellor, councilor, ally and traitor of both English and Scottish monarchs James III, James IV, Edward IV of England, Henry VII and Margaret Tudor (Queen regent). He also fortified his castle of Tantallon against James IV.
The 5th Earl had four wives and fathered eight children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_6th_Earl_of_Angus
The 6th Earl lived during the reign of James V and Mary Queen of Scots. He married the Queen regent Margaret Tudor, widow of king James IV, mother of two year old king James V and elder sister of king Henry VII of England. Now pay close attention because here comes Lord Darnley.
Archibald and Margaret had a daughter, Margaret. Margaret married Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. They had a son Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Lord Darnely, The 6th Earl of Angus's grandson, was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. The title of Earl of Angust went to his nephew, but the title of his great grandson was to be King James I of England and VI of Scotland. Through the 6th Earl of Douglas, by marriage, the Stuart Dynasty was born.
It was not without a struggle. The nobles were extremely jealous of his position. They attacked and civil war broke out. Margaret lost her regency and had to flee to England where they became separated. The 6th Earl remained in Scotland and started an affair. They had an illegitimate daughter called Lady Jane. He had to flee to France, then to England and finally retreated to the tried and trusted Tantallon Castle, where after many battles, he died.
He arranged a three year peace deal between England and Scotland called the Treaty of Berwick. He was appointed the king's keeper of James V. He was invested with the insignia of Knight of the Order of St Michael by King Francis II of France.
Archibald negotiated various marriages for Mary, Queen of Scots, including Edward VI and Francis II, king of France. He died at 68, living longer and fighting harder than most.
Now I would just like to pause to shed a light on Queen Mary's story. Mary was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise from France. She was also the great-niece of King Henry VII of England. Her father died when she was only six days old. The young Queen was educated in France, probably due to her mother's influence, and married King Francis II of France at the tender age of 16. At the age of 18, she was his widow and returned to Scotland. At the age of 23, she married her first cousin, Lord Darnley. Her first cousin was Queen Elizabeth 1. After arranging the murder of her husband with her lover, she was forced to abdicate and lived in exile in England, where she was executed. Her son, James VI, took the throne at the age of one.
The rest of that story is - as they say - history.
The seventh Earl was David Douglas, the son of George Douglas of Pittendreich. He was only Earl of Angus for one year and died at the age of 43. His son, Archibald, became the 8th Earl of Angus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_8th_Earl_of_Angus
The eigth Earl of Angus was also the 5th Earl of Morton. His death was caused by witchcraft, and the sorceror, Doctor Fian, was burned at Edinburgh castle after confessing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_9th_Earl_of_Angus
The 9th Earl was a supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots and was a well respected noble.
His son, William Douglas, became the 10th Earl.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_10th_Earl_of_Angus
He studied at St Andrews University, and was a descendant of King James I. He became a Roman Catholic after visiting the French court. This was not well received in Scotland, which had falled to Presbyterian rule and in 1611 he died in exile in France.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Douglas,_11th_Earl_of_Angus
King Charles I stopped charges of Papistry levelled against the eleventh earl, who was also Roman Catholic. William was the crown bearer at the coronation of King Charles I. He was created Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord of Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest at Dalkeith. He spent most of his time at Douglas Castle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Douglas,_2nd_Marquess_of_Douglas
"James, second marquis of Douglas, born in 1646, succeeded his grandfather in 1660, and was a privy councillor to Kings Charles II and James VII. He died 25th February 1700, in the 54th year of his age. His eldest son, James, earl of Angus, born in 1671, in 1689 raised for the service of the nation, in one day, a regiment of eighteen hundred men, now called the 26th foot or Cameronians, of which he was appointed colonel, 19th April of that year. After much active service he fell at the battle of Steinkirk 3d August 1692, in the 21st year of his age, unmarried. His half brother, William, also bore the title of earl of Angus, but died an infant in 1694. Archibald, the third son of the second marquis, succeeded as third marquis.[2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_1st_Duke_of_Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas was the second son of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas. Archibald held the titles Earl of Angus, Duke of Douglas, Marquess of Angus and Abernethy, Viscount of Jedburgh Forest, and Lord Douglas of Bonkill, Prestoun, and Robertoun. He was the bearer of the Crown of Scotland on state occasions and he conveyed it to Edinburgh Castle after the closing of the last Parliament of Scotland.
During the Jacobite rising of 1715, one year after the coronation of King George 1, the eldest son of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Lunenburgh and Sophia of Palatinate, the granddaughter of King James I of England, Douglas took the Hanoverian side and was thought to be mentally ill in old age, murdering Captain John Kerr, his cousin and guest at Douglas Castle. Douglas Castle was plundered by Highlanders during the Rising of 1745.
Now King James I married Anne of Denmark. Elizabeth Stuart was their second child. They had three children, Henry, Elizabeth and Charles. Charles became King Charles I after his brother, Henry died of typhoid fever. In those days, the crown passed first to the surviving son, then to any eligible daughters, so Elizabeth missed out. Charles I was corinated in 1626, Charles II in 1651, James II in 1685, and then William III, the Dutch Prince of Orange. He invaded and deposed King James II. His father was William II, Prince of Orange. This is where the House of Hanover's takeover of the British crown started. Now can you see why the 'Orange Free State' in South Africa is so significant?! Queen Anne, the last monarch from the House of Stewart, inherited the crown from the Princes of Orange, but by her marriage to Prince George of Denmark, strenthened the presence of the house of Hanover in England.
Queen Anne, Britain's last Stuart Monarch, was the younger daughter of James VII & II and his first wife, Anne Hyde. She and her older sister Mary were raised on the instructions of their uncle, Charles II, as Protestants. At the age of fourteen, she went with her father to Edinburgh when he took up residence as Lord High Commissioner in Holyroodhouse. Four years after that, in 1683, she married Prince George of Denmark. Charles II despised Anne's husband, but she was devoted to him. Tragically, although she had seventeen pregnancies, none of her children survived to adult life.
In 1702, Anne inherited the throne from her brother-in-law, William II and III, and during her reign there took place one of the most momentous develpments in Scottish history. In 1707, after months of bitter debate, the Scottish parliment finally agreed that the United Kingdom of Great Britain would have one parliment only, sitting in London. Upon her death Prince George Louis ascended the throne as King George I, Britain's first Hanoverian monarch, while James VII & II's son, the Old Pretender, continued to live in exile.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie, the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart was born in the Muti Palace in Rome. From his earliest days he was spoiled by his adoring household and Jacobites throughout Britain waited for reports of his progress. He was brought up to believe that it was his duty to reclaim the British crowns for his father. his chance came, and in 1745, Charles set sail for Scotland with a handful of supporters and when he landed, he won over the Highland chiefs by sheer force of personality. However, only nine months after arriving in Scotland, he was finally beaten by the English at the battle of Culloden in 1746 and was forced to flee. He sought shelter in the Western Isles. Here, Flora Macdonald, the stepdaughter of a Jacobite supporter agreed to smuggle him to Skye. Charles eventually escaped to France and remained in exile for the rest of his life.
In 1755, Douglas Castle burned, and he hired Robert Adam to rebuild it, but died before the work could be completed. Ultimately, the Duke was persuaded to bequeth his estates to his nephew, Archibald. The Duke of Hamilton (who inherited the Marquessate of Douglas) and his kin unsuccessfully contested Archibald's legitimacy.
The Douglas cause was an interesting case, where the heir lost his claim to the 1st Duke's estates in a court case in the house of Lords. The evidence circled around the ability of Lady Jane Douglas to have children, and witnesses were produced to claim that she had fabricated a pregnancy and adopted French children that she was trying to pass off as the Douglas Castle heirs. Archibald lost the case and the Douglas Estates in 1767. There is no record that any genetic tests were ever carried out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_1st_Baron_Douglas
There were four Barons of Douglas, and in 1857, upon the death of Rev James Douglas, the Barons of Douglas became extinct.
But what happened to the castles mentioned in the letter, and who owns them now?
Let's divert back to Africa, and perhaps we can get a clearer picture of who landed there on what dates, and how they became independent from the United Kingdom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Free_State
My aunt is from the Orange Free State, a province in South Africa. My father's family were settled there for generations, mostly farmers.
The Wiki answer states: "The republic's name derives partly from the Orange River, which in turn was named in honour of the Dutch ruling royal family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch settlers under Robert Jacob Gordon. The official language in the Orange Free State was Dutch."
Ah well no surprise there then - the House of Orange. On a side note, I always found it strange that my family were native English speakers, but were all educated in Afrikaans, an offshoot of Dutch developed in South Africa. I myself was educated in Afrikaans, but switched to English at University.
On the right hand side of the Wiki page is a date range, 1854 to 1902. The House of Orange claimed it as a British colony in 1848 and called it the Orange River Sovereignty. This was during the reign of Queen Victoria, 1837 - 1901. It gained independence in 1854. In our story above, the Barons of Douglas became extinct in 1857, three short years later. They called it the Orange Free State.
Ok - so let us unpick the Act of Settlement 1700 to see if this sheds any light as to the origins of the House Of Orange. Below is an extract of the Act, which can be found at this link: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Will3/12-13/2/contents
The very first sentence states:
I. Recital of Stat. 1 W. & M. Sess. 2. c. 2. §2. and that the late Queen and Duke of Gloucester are dead; and that His Majesty had recommended from the Throne a further Provision for the Succession of the Crown in the Protestant Line. The Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, Daughter of the late Queen of Bohemia, Daughter of King James the First, to inherit after the King and the Princess Anne, in Default of Issue of the said Princess and His Majesty, respectively and the Heirs of her Body, being Protestants.
So who was the Duke of Gloucester and why was he dead?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_William,_Duke_of_Gloucester
The first odd thing to notice here is that during the reign of Queen Anne, the recommendation about changes to the line of succession does not come from Queen Anne, the rightful heir to the throne, but rather from someone called 'His Majesty.' Presumably, this must be referring to her husband.
The Wiki page on the Duke of Gloucester 1700 reveals that he was from the house of Oldenburg and his father was prince George of Denmark, and that he was the son of 'Princess Ann - later Queen of Great Britain'. He died aged 11 at Windsor Castle. He died under rather suspicious circumstances at his birthday party, from a range of symptoms such as a sore throat, chills, a high fever and had apparently 'overheated himself while dancing' and his autopsy revealed a large amount of fluid in the ventricles of his brain. The description supplied says his symptoms appeared by nigh fall, so this was nothing gradual and happened quite suddenly. Under these circumstances, acute hydocephalus is often caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and methylmercury poisining. (Medical reference
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9390708 )
He was then bled, to which 'Radcliffe' objected, cautioning that the procedure would kill him. A week later, the boy was dead.
Queen Ann only died in 1713, but in 1700, soon after the death of the Duke of Gloucester, it was enacted that The Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess of Dowager of Hanover, would become Queen. She was the daughter of the late Queen of Bohemia. The late Queen of Bohemia was the daughter of King James I. Her brother, King Charles I, second son of King James had been beheaded by 59 commissioners of the house of parliment for treason. They had specifically passed a law that allowed parliment to try a monarch for treason. His son James II, was deposed by William III, Prince of Orange. Anne was allowed to succeed him because she was married to Prince George of Denmark, and she is widely known as the last monarch from the House of Stuart. She was followed by George I, From the House of Hanover in August 1714 who was married to a different Sofia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Dorothea_of_Celle electoral Princess of Hanover. From there, the ancestral crown of England and Scotland had been completely wiped from the Royal line of succession of the United Kingdom.
