3rd High Steward of Scotland Walter Stewart

Male 1217 - 1249  (32 years)


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Generation: 1

  1. 1.  3rd High Steward of Scotland Walter Stewart was born in 1217 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 28 Apr 1249 in Damietta, Egypt.

    Notes:

    Died:
    7th Crusade, SIege of Damietta

    Family/Spouse: Beatrix. was born in 1208; died in 1264. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 2. 4th High Steward of Scotland Alexander Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1214 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died in 1283 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.


Generation: 2

  1. 2.  4th High Steward of Scotland Alexander Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (1.Walter1) was born in 1214 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died in 1283 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.

    Notes:

    Died:
    Dundonald Castle

    Alexander married Jean MacRory about 1243 in Scotland. Jean was born in 1218 in Bute, Scotland; died in 1280 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 3. 5th High Steward of Scotland James Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1243 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 16 Jul 1309 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.
    2. 4. Elizabeth Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1245 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died in 1288 in London, England.
    3. 5. John Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1245 in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 22 Jul 1298 in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.
    4. 6. Beatrix Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1268 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1337 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland.


Generation: 3

  1. 3.  5th High Steward of Scotland James Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1243 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 16 Jul 1309 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Residence: 1243, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; Dundonald Castle

    Notes:

    Died:
    Dundonald Castle

    Family/Spouse: Egidia Giles de Burgh. Egidia was born in 1263 in Northern Ireland; died on 26 Oct 1327 in Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 7. 6th High Steward of Scotland Walter Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1293 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 9 Apr 1326 in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland; was buried in 1326 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
    2. 8. Egidia Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1296 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.

  2. 4.  Elizabeth Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1245 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died in 1288 in London, England.

    Elizabeth married 4th Lord of Douglas William Douglas in 1276. William (son of 3rd Lord of Douglas William Longleg Douglas and Martha Carrick) was born in 1240 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1298 in London, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 9. Barbara Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1280 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1350 in Somerset, England.
    2. 10. Muriel Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1282 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in Feb 1318 in North Cadbury, Somerset, England.
    3. 11. 5th Lord of Douglas James Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1286 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 25 Aug 1330 in Andalucia, Spain; was buried in Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

  3. 5.  John Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1245 in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 22 Jul 1298 in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

    Notes:

    Birth:
    Bonkyl

    John married Margaret de Bonkyll in 1266 in Berwickshire, Scotland. Margaret was born in 1249 in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1304 in Berwickshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 12. Alexander Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1270 in Berwickshire, Scotland; died in 1319 in Berwickshire, Scotland.

  4. 6.  Beatrix Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1268 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1337 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

    Family/Spouse: Alexander Lindsay. Alexander (son of David Lindsay and Margaret Lamberton) was born in 1267 in Ayrshire, Scotland; died in 1308 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 13. Beatrix Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1291 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died before 1352 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
    2. 14. John H Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1293 in Craigie, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 13 Oct 1355 in West Lothian, Scotland.
    3. 15. William Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1293 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1339.
    4. 16. Reginald Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1295 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1339.
    5. 17. Alexander Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1297 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1339.
    6. 18. Sir David Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1314 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 13 Oct 1355 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

    Family/Spouse: William Erskine. William (son of John Erskine and Margaret Macgilronan) was born in 1274 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died in 1331 in Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 19. Robert Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1310 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died in 1385 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
    2. 20. Alan Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1314 in Scotland; died in 1400 in Scotland.


Generation: 4

  1. 7.  6th High Steward of Scotland Walter Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (3.James3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1293 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 9 Apr 1326 in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland; was buried in 1326 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

    Notes:

    Buried:
    Paisley Abbey

    Died:
    Bathgate Castle

    Family/Spouse: Alice Erskine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 21. Jean Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point

    Walter married Princess of Scotland Marjory Bruce in 1315 in Scotland. Marjory (daughter of King of Scotland Robert I Bruce and Isabella of Mar MacDonald) was born in Dec 1296 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 2 Mar 1316 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland; was buried in 1316 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 22. King of Scotland Robert II Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 2 Mar 1316 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died on 19 Apr 1390 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; was buried in 1390 in Scone, Perthshire, Scotland.

    Walter married Isabel Graham in Mar 1316 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland. Isabel (daughter of John Graham and Isabella Of Scotland) was born in 1298 in Abercorn, West Lothian, Scotland; died in 1325 in Renfrewshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 23. John Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born on 14 Oct 1318 in Ralston, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died in 1380 in Wigtownshire, Scotland.
    2. 24. Andrew Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1322 in Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, Scotland.
    3. 25. Egidia Jill Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1326 in Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, Scotland; died before 1406 in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

  2. 8.  Egidia Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (3.James3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1296 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.

    Family/Spouse: Alexander Menzies. Alexander was born in 1282 in Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 26. Robert Menzies  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1299 in Weem, Perthshire, Scotland.

  3. 9.  Barbara Douglas Descendancy chart to this point (4.Elizabeth3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1280 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1350 in Somerset, England.

    Notes:

    Died:
    Castle Cary

    Family/Spouse: Earl of Marischal Robert Keith. Robert (son of Marischal William Keith and Barbara Seton) was born about 1262 in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; died on 17 Oct 1346 in Durham, Durham, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 27. William Keith  Descendancy chart to this point was born about 1290 in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
    2. 28. John Keith  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1294 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland; died in 1324 in Innerpeffer, Angusshire, , Scotland.

  4. 10.  Muriel Douglas Descendancy chart to this point (4.Elizabeth3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1282 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in Feb 1318 in North Cadbury, Somerset, England.

  5. 11.  5th Lord of Douglas James Douglas Descendancy chart to this point (4.Elizabeth3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1286 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 25 Aug 1330 in Andalucia, Spain; was buried in Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Name: James the Good

    Notes:

    James Douglas, Lord of Douglas
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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    This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (September 2007)
    See also: James Douglas
    Sir James Douglas

    Tomb of Sir James, St Bride's Kirk, Douglas.
    Born c.1286
    Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland
    Died 1330 (1331)
    Battle of Teba, Andalucia
    Occupation Scottish Guerilla Leader and General, during the Wars of Scottish Independence
    Spouse(s) unknown
    Children William, Lord of Douglas, Archibald "the Grim", 3rd Earl of Douglas
    Parents Sir William Douglas the Hardy, Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of Alexander, High Steward of Scotland
    Arms of The Good Sir James

    Sir James Douglas (also known as Guid Sir James and the Black Douglas), (1286 - August 25, 1330), was a Scottish soldier and knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was a son of Sir William Douglas the Hardy, who had been a supporter of William Wallace (the elder Douglas died in 1298, a prisoner in the Tower of London). His mother was Elizabeth Stewart, the daughter of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland. The poet and chronicler John Barbour provides us with a pen portrait of the Black Douglas, among the first of its kind in Scottish history;

    But he was not so fair that we
    Should praise his looks in high degree.
    In visage he was rather grey;
    His hair was black, so I heard say,
    His limbs were finely made and long,
    His bones were large, his shoulders strong,
    His body was well-knit and slim
    And those say that set eyes on him,
    When happy, loveable was he,
    And meek and sweet in company,
    But those with him in battle saw
    Another countenance he wore!

    Contents
    [hide]

    * 1 Patriot with a Cause
    * 2 The Douglas Larder
    * 3 Roxburgh Falls
    * 4 Bannockburn
    * 5 Warlord
    * 6 Myton and Byland
    * 7 Douglas! Douglas!
    * 8 Hearts and Crosses
    * 9 Succession
    * 10 Modern Culture
    * 11 References
    o 11.1 Notes
    o 11.2 Sources
    + 11.2.1 Documentary and narrative
    + 11.2.2 Secondary
    o 11.3 External links

    [edit] Patriot with a Cause

    James was sent to France for safety in the early days of the Wars of Independence, and was educated in Paris. There he met William Lamberton, Bishop of St. Andrews, who took him as a squire. He returned to Scotland with Lamberton in 1306 to find that his estates had been confiscated by Edward I and awarded to Robert Clifford. Lamberton presented him at court to petition for the return of his land, but when Edward heard whose son he was he grew angry and James had to leave.

    For James, who now faced life as a landless outcast on the fringes of feudal society, the return of his ancestral estates was to become an overriding consideration, inevitably impacting on his political allegiances. There is no reason to assume that he would not have made his peace with Edward if he had been more receptive, the death of his father in an English jail notwithstanding. But the English king's dogmatic refusal to entertain such a prospect led Douglas to a different path. In John Barbour's rhyming chronicle, The Bruce, as much a paean to the young knight as the hero king, Douglas makes his feelings plain to Lamberton;

    Sir, you see
    How the English tyrant forcibly
    Has dispossessed me of my land;
    And you are made to understand
    That the earl of Carrick claims to be
    The rightful king of this country.
    The English, since he slew that man,
    Are keen to catch him if they can;
    And they would seize his lands as well
    And yet with him I faith would dwell!
    Now, therefore, if it be your will,
    With him will I take good or ill.
    Through him I hope my land to win
    Despite the Clifford and his kin.

    This was a particularly dramatic moment in Scottish history: Robert Bruce, earl of Carrick had recently slain John Comyn, a leading Scottish rival, and immediately claimed the crown of Scotland, in defiance of the English king. It was while he was on his way to Scone, the traditional site of Scottish coronations, that he was met by Douglas, riding on a horse borrowed from the bishop. Douglas explained his circumstances and immediately offered his services;

    And thus began their friendship true
    That no mischance could e'er undo
    Nor lessen while they were alive.
    Their friendship more and more would thrive.

    Douglas was set to share in Bruce's early misfortunes, being present at the defeats at Methven and Dalry. But for both men these setbacks were to provide a valuable lesson in tactics: limitations in both resources and equipment meant that the Scots would always be at a disadvantage in conventional Medieval warfare. By the time the war was renewed in the spring of 1307 they had learnt the value of guerilla warfare - known at the time as 'secret war' - using fast moving, lightly equipped and agile forces to maximum effect against an enemy often locked in to static defensive positions.

    [edit] The Douglas Larder
    All that remains of Douglas Castle
    Interior of the remains of Douglas Castle

    It is important not to make too much of Barbour's magnification of Douglas; for to begin with he was a figure of little real importance. His actions for most of 1307 and early 1308 were local rather than national in nature, confined for the most part to his native Douglasdale. Nevertheless, he was soon to create a formidable reputation for himself as a soldier and a tactician. While Bruce was campaigning in the north against his domestic enemies, Douglas used the cover of Selkirk Forest to mount highly effective mobile attacks against the enemy. He also showed himself to be utterly ruthless, particularly in his relentless attacks on the English garrison in his own Douglas Castle, the most famous of which quickly passed into popular history. Barbour dates this incident to Palm Sunday 1307, which fell on 19 March.[citation needed] This would seem to be far too early, as Bruce and his small army were not yet properly established in south-west Scotland, suggesting Palm Sunday 1308 - 17 April - as a more accurate date.

    With the help of local farmer Thomas Dickson, a former vassal of his father, Douglas and his small troop were hidden until the morning of Palm Sunday, when the garrison left the battlements to attend the local church. Gathering local support he entered the church and the war-cry 'Douglas!' 'Douglas!' went up for the first time. Some of the English soldiers were killed and others taken prisoner. The prisoners were taken to the castle, now largely empty. All the stores were piled together in the cellar; the wine casks burst open and the wood used for fuel. The prisoners were then beheaded and placed on top of the pile, which was set alight. Before departing the wells were poisoned with salt and the carcases of dead horses. The local people soon gave the whole gruesome episode the name of the 'Douglas Larder.' As an example of frightfulness in war it was meant to leave a lasting impression, not least upon the men who came to replace their dead colleagues. Further attacks followed by a man now known to the English as 'The blak Dowglas', a sinister and murderous force "mair fell than wes ony devill in hell." It would seem in this that Douglas was an early practitioner of psychological warfare - as well as guerilla warfare - in his knowledge that fear alone could do much of the work of a successful commander.

    In August 1308 Douglas met up with the king for a joint attack on the Macdougalls of Lorn, kinsmen of the Comyns, the climax to Bruce's campaign in the north. Two years before the Macdougalls had intercepted and mauled the royal army at the Battle of Dalry. Now they awaited the arrival of their opponents in the narrow Pass of Brander, between Ben Cruachan and Loch Awe in Argyllshire. While Bruce pinned down the enemy in a frontal advance through the pass, Douglas, completely unobserved, led a party of loyal Highlanders further up the mountain, launching a surprise attack from the rear. Soon the Battle of Pass of Brander turned into a rout. Returning south soon after, Douglas joined with Edward Bruce, the king's brother, in a successful assault on the castle of Rutherglen near Glasgow, going on to a further campaign in Galloway.

    [edit] Roxburgh Falls

    In the years that followed Douglas was given time to perfect his skills as a soldier. Edward II came north with an army in 1310 in fruitless pursuit of an enemy that simply refused to be pinned down. The frustrations this obviously caused are detailed in the Vita Edwardi Secundi, a contemporary English chronicle;

    The king entered Scotland with his army but not a rebel was to be found...At that time Robert Bruce, who lurked continually in hiding, did them all the injury he could. One day, when some English and Welsh, always ready for plunder, had gone out on a raid, accompanied by many horsemen from the army, Robert Bruce's men, who had been concealed in caves and woodland, made a serious attack on our men...From such ambushes our men suffered heavy losses. For Robert Bruce, knowing himself unequal to the king of England in strength or fortune, decided it would be better to resist our king by secret warfare rather than dispute his right in open battle.

    Edward was even moved to write to the Pope in impotent fury, complaining that "Robert Bruce and his accomplices, when lately we went into parts of Scotland to repress their rebellion, concealed themselves in secret places after the manner of foxes."

    In the years before 1314 the English presence in Scotland was reduced to a few significant strongholds. There were both strengths and weaknesses in this. The Scots had no heavy equipment or the means of attacking castles by conventional means. However, this inevitably produced a degree of complacency in garrisons provisioned enough to withstand a blockade. In dealing with this problem the Scots responded in the manner of foxes; and among the more cunning of their exploits was Douglas' capture of the powerful fortress at Roxburgh. His tactic, though simple, was brilliantly effective. On the night of 19/20 February 1314 - Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday - several dark shapes were seen beneath the battlements and mistakenly assumed to be cattle. Douglas had ordered his men to cover themselves with their cloaks and crawl towards the castle on their hands and knees. With most of the garrison celebrating just prior to the fast of Lent, scaling hooks with rope ladders attached were thrown up the walls. Taken by complete surprise the defenders were overwhelmed in a short space of time. Roxburgh Castle, among the best in the land, was slighted in accordance with Bruce's policy of denying strongpoints to the enemy.

    [edit] Bannockburn

    The greatest challenge for Bruce came that same year as Edward invaded Scotland with a large army, nominally aimed at the relief of Stirling Castle, but with the real intention of pinning down the foxes. The Scots army - roughly a quarter the size of the enemy force - was poised to the south of Stirling, ready to make a quick withdrawal into the wild country to the west. However, their position, just north of the Bannock Burn, had strong natural advantages, and the king made ready to suspend for a time the guerilla tactics pursued hitherto. On the morning of the 24 June, the day of the main battle, Douglas was made a knight, which seems curiously late in his career. The suggestion that Douglas was 'made a baaneret' (a senior knight with command responsibilities) is a modern invention.

    Once the English army was defeated Bruce ordered Douglas off in pursuit of the fleeing Edward and his party of knights, a task carried out with such relentless vigour that the fugitives, according to Barbour, "had not even leisure to make water." In the end Edward managed to evade Douglas by taking refuge in Dunbar Castle.

    Bannockburn effectively ended the English presence in Scotland, with all strongpoints - outwith Berwick - now in Bruce's hands. It did not, however, end the war. Edward had been soundly defeated but he still refused to abandon his claim to Scotland. For Douglas one struggle had ended and another was about to begin.

    [edit] Warlord

    Bannockburn left northern England open to attack; and in the years that followed many communities in the area became closely acquainted with the 'Blak Dowglas.' Along with Thomas Randolph, Douglas was to make a new name for himself in a war of mobility, which carried Scots raiders as far south as Pontefract and the Humber. But in a real sense this 'war of the borders' belonged uniquely to Douglas, and became the basis for his family's steady ascent to greatness in years to come. War ruined many ancient noble houses; it was the true making of the house of Douglas. The tactics used by Douglas were simple but effective: his men rode into battle - or retreated as the occasion demanded - on small ponies known as hobbins, giving the name of 'hobelar' to both horse and rider. All fighting, however, was on foot. Scottish hobelars were to cause the same degree of panic throughout northern England as the Viking longships of the ninth century.

    With the king, Moray and Edward Bruce diverted in 1315 to a new theatre of operations in Ireland, Douglas became even more significant as a border fighter. In February 1316 he won a significant engagement at Skaithmuir near Coldstream with a party of horsemen sent out from the garrison of Berwick. The dead included one Raymond de Calhau, seemingly a nephew of Piers Gaveston, the former favourite of Edward II. Douglas reckoned this to be the toughest fight in which he had ever taken part. Further successes followed: another raiding party was intercepted and defeated at Lintalee, to the south of Jedburgh; a third group was defeated near Berwick, where their leader, Robert Neville, known as the 'Peacock of the North', was killed. Such was Douglas' status and reputation that he was made deputy for the kingdom when Bruce and Moray went to Ireland in the autumn of 1316.

    Douglas' military achievements inevitably increased his political standing still further. When Edward Bruce, the king's brother and designated successor, was killed in Ireland at the Battle of Faughart in the autumn of 1318, Douglas was named as Guardian of the Realm after Randolph if Robert should die without a male heir. This was decided at a parliament held at Scone in December 1318, where it was noted that "Randolph and Sir James took the guardianship upon themselves with the approbation of the whole community."

    [edit] Myton and Byland

    In April 1318 Douglas was instrumental in capturing Berwick from the English, the first time the castle and town had been in Scottish hands since 1296. For Edward, seemingly blind to the sufferings of his northern subjects, this was one humiliation too many. A new army was assembled, the largest since 1314, with the intention of recapturing what had become a symbol of English prestige and their last tangible asset in Scotland. Edward arrived at the gates of the town in the summer of 1319, Queen Isabella accompanying him as far as York, where she took up residence. Not willing to risk a direct attack on the enemy Bruce ordered Douglas and Moray on a large diversionary raid into Yorkshire.

    It would appear that the Scottish commanders had news of the Queen's whereabouts, for the rumour spread that one of the aims of the raid was to take her prisoner. As the Scots approached York she was hurriedly removed from the city, eventually taking refuge in Nottingham. With no troops in the area, William Melton, Archbishop of York, set about organising a home guard, which of necessity included a great number of priests and other minor clerics. The two sides met up at Myton-on-Swale, with inevitable consequences. So many priests, friars and clerics were killed in the Battle of Myton that it became widely known as the 'Chapter of Myton.' It was hardly a passage of any great glory for Douglas but as a strategy the whole Yorkshire raid produced the result intended: there was such dissension among Edward's army that the attempt on Berwick was abandoned. It was to remain in Scottish hands for the next fifteen years.

    Four years later Edward mounted what was to be his last invasion of Scotland, advancing to the gates of Edinburgh. Bruce had pursued a scorched-earth campaign, denying the enemy essential supplies, so effective that they were forced to retreat by the spur of starvation alone. Once again this provided the signal for a Scottish advance: Bruce, Douglas and Moray crossed the Solway Firth, advancing by rapid stages deep into Yorkshire. Edward and Isabella had taken up residence at Rievaulx Abbey. All that stood between them and the enemy raiders was a force commanded by John de Bretagne, 1st Earl of Richmond, positioned on Scawton Moor, between Rievaulx and Byland Abbey. To dislodge him King Robert used essentially the same tactics as that of Brander in 1308: while Douglas and Moray attacked from the front a party of Highlanders scaled the cliffs on Richmond's flank and attacked from the rear. The Battle of Old Byland turned into a rout, and Edward and his queen were forced into a rapid and undignified exit from Rievaulx, the second time in three years that a Queen of England had taken to her heels.

    [edit] Douglas! Douglas!

    In 1327 the hapless Edward II was deposed in a coup led by his wife and her lover, Roger Mortimer, Lord Wigmore. He was replaced by Edward III, his teenage son, though all power remained in the hands of Mortimer and Isabella. The new political arrangements in England effectively broke the truce with the former king, arranged some years before. Once again the raids began, with the intention of forcing concessions from the government. By mid-summer Douglas and Moray were ravaging Weardale and the adjacent valleys. On 10 July a large English army, under the nominal command of the young king, left York in a campaign that resembles nothing less than an elephant in pursuit of a hare. The English commanders finally caught sight of their elusive opponents on the southern banks of the River Wear. The Scots were in a good position and declined all attempts to draw them into battle. After a while they left, only to take up an even stronger position at Stanhope Park, a hunting preserve belonging to the bishops of Durham. From here on the night of 4 August Douglas led an assault party across the river in a surprise attack on the sleeping English, later described in a French eye-witness account;

    The Lord James Douglas took with him about two hundred men-at-arms, and passed the river far off from the host so that he was not perceived: and suddenly he broke into the English host about midnight crying 'Douglas!' 'Douglas!' 'Ye shall all die thieves of England'; and he slew three hundred men, some in their beds and some scarcely ready: and he stroke his horse with spurs, and came to the King's tent, always crying 'Douglas!', and stroke asunder two or three cords of the King's tent.

    Panic and confusion spread throughout the camp: Edward himself only narrowly escaped capture, his own pastor being killed in his defence. The Battle of Stanhope Park, minor as it was, was a serious humiliation, and after the Scots outflanked their enemy the following night, heading back to the border, Edward is said to have wept in impotent rage. His army retired to York and disbanded. With no other recourse Mortimer and Isabella opened peace negotiations, finally concluded the following year with the Treaty of Northampton, which recognised the Bruce monarchy and the independence of Scotland.

    [edit] Hearts and Crosses
    Arms borne by of all successive Douglases after Sir James. (Excepting the Douglases of Dalkeith)
    St. Bride's Kirk, Douglas, final resting place of Sir James
    See also: Battle of Teba

    Before he died in 1329, King Robert made it his last request that Sir James, as his oldest and most esteemed companion in arms, should carry his heart to the holy land, and deposit it in the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. His heart was placed in a silver and enameled casket which Douglas placed around his neck. Early in 1330, James Douglas set sail from Montrose with six other knights and twenty six squires and gentlemen.

    They stopped over first in Sluys in Flanders, where more men joined them. There they received news of a crusade by Alfonso XI of Castile against the Muslims of the kingdom of Granada. Accordingly, they sailed to Seville, where they were received by Alfonso with great distinction.

    Douglas and his company, having joined themselves to Alfonso's army, came in view of the Saracens near the Castillo de la Estrella at Teba, on the frontiers of Andalucia. The Moorish king, Muhammed IV, Sultan of Granada, had ordered a body of three thousand cavalry to make a feigned attack on the Christians, while, with the great body of his army, he made a circuitous route, unexpectedly, to fall upon the rear of Alfonso's camp. Alfonso, however, having received intelligence, kept the main force of his army in the rear, while he resisted the assault made on the front division of his army.

    While the battle was brought to a successful conclusion in one quarter of the field, Douglas and his companions, who fought in the van, proved themselves no less fortunate. The Moors, not long able to withstand the furious encounter of their assailants, fled. Douglas, unacquainted with their mode of warfare, followed them until, finding himself almost deserted by his followers, he turned his horse, with the intention of rejoining the main body. Just then, however, he observed a knight of his own company surrounded by a body of Moors who had suddenly rallied. With the few knights who attended him, Douglas turned hastily to attempt rescue. He soon found himself hard pressed by the numbers who thronged upon him. According to the legend, Douglas then took from his neck the silver casket which contained the heart of Bruce and threw it before him among the enemy, saying, "Now pass thou onward before us, as thou wert wont, and I will follow thee or die." Douglas, and almost all of the men who fought by his side, were here slain including Sir William St. Clair of Rosslyn and Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig. His body and the casket containing the embalmed heart of Bruce were found together upon the field, and when he realized whom it was, Muhammad had the bodies of Douglas and his escort sent to Alfonso's army with a guard of honor. They were conveyed back to Scotland by his surviving companions, Sir William Keith of Galston in Ayrshire, and Sir Simon Lockhart. The remains of Douglas were deposited in the family vault at St Bride’s chapel, and the heart of Bruce solemnly interred by Moray, the regent, under the high altar of Melrose Abbey.

    [edit] Succession

    Sir James had two children by unknown mothers:

    * William, Lord of Douglas killed 1333 at the Battle of Halidon Hill

    * In 1333 succeeded by his uncle, Hugh the Dull, Lord of Douglas (c.1294-1342)
    * In 1342 succeeded by his cousin, William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, (1327-1384)

    * Archibald the Grim (1325-1400), Lord of Galloway succeeded his once removed cousin as Earl of Douglas in 1388.

    By 1333 the 'bloody heart' was incorporated in the arms of Sir James' son, William, Lord of Douglas. It subsequently appeared, sometimes with a royal crown, in every branch of the Douglas famil

    Died:
    Battle of Teba, Andalucia

    Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 29. 6th Lord of Douglas William Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1302 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 19 Jul 1333 in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.
    2. 30. 3rd Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1325 in Hermiston, Midlothian, Scotland; died on 24 Dec 1400 in Dumfries-shire, Scotland; was buried in 1400 in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

  6. 12.  Alexander Stewart Descendancy chart to this point (5.John3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1270 in Berwickshire, Scotland; died in 1319 in Berwickshire, Scotland.

    Notes:

    Birth:
    Bonkyll

    Died:
    Bonkyll

    Alexander married Jean FitzJames in 1288. Jean was born in 1270 in Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 31. 1st Earl of Angus John Stewart  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1294 in Berwickshire, Scotland; died on 9 Dec 1331 in Angus, Scotland.

  7. 13.  Beatrix Lindsay Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1291 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died before 1352 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Reference Number: 22-0517586-02

    Beatrix married Archibald Douglas in 1320 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Archibald (son of 4th Lord of Douglas William Douglas and Ailanore Eleanor de Louvain) was born in 1297 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 19 Jul 1333 in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 32. 8th Lord of Douglas William Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1315 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in May 1384 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; was buried in 1384 in Melrose, Roxburghshire, Scotland.
    2. 33. John Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1321 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1341.
    3. 34. Eleanor Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1325 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1360 in Scotland.
    4. 35. Helen Douglas  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1329 in Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

    Beatrix married Robert Erskine in 1336 in Kinnoull, Perthshire, Scotland. Robert (son of William Erskine and Beatrix Stewart) was born in 1310 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died in 1385 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 36. Jean Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1350 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died in 1411 in Luss, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

  8. 14.  John H Lindsay Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1293 in Craigie, Ayrshire, Scotland; died on 13 Oct 1355 in West Lothian, Scotland.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Reference Number: 23-012295-01

    Family/Spouse: Mary Marshall. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 37. Margaret Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born about 1320 in Craigie, Ayrshire, Scotland; died in Scotland.

  9. 15.  William Lindsay Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1293 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1339.

  10. 16.  Reginald Lindsay Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1295 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1339.

  11. 17.  Alexander Lindsay Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1297 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in 1339.

  12. 18.  Sir David Lindsay Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1314 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 13 Oct 1355 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Occupation: Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland; Custodian of Edinburgh Castle
    • Occupation: 1349, Scotland; Ambassador to England

    David married Maria Abernethy on 28 Nov 1324 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Maria (daughter of Lord Abernethy Alexander Abernethy and Margaret Menteith) was born in 1305 in Abernethy, Perthshire, Scotland; died in 1355 in Lindores, Fife, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 38. James Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1327 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 11 Nov 1358 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
    2. 39. Alexander Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1329 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died in Oct 1381 in Crete, Greece.
    3. 40. William Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1331 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 1 Jul 1393 in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland.
    4. 41. David Lindsay  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1331 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died on 1 Jul 1393 in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

  13. 19.  Robert Erskine Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1310 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died in 1385 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

    Robert married Beatrix Lindsay in 1336 in Kinnoull, Perthshire, Scotland. Beatrix (daughter of Alexander Lindsay and Beatrix Stewart) was born in 1291 in Crawford, Lanarkshire, Scotland; died before 1352 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 36. Jean Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1350 in Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland; died in 1411 in Luss, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

    Robert married Christian Menteith on 14 Mar 1354. Christian (daughter of Lord of Arran John Menteith and Helen Mar, daughter of John Menteith and Mary Hellen Ehislach) was born in 1321 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland; died in 1387 in Synton, Selkirkshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 42. Christian Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born about 1350; died about 1420 in Stirlingshire, Scotland.
    2. 43. Christian Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1358 in Perthshire, Scotland; died in 1387 in Sanquhar, Dumfries-shire, Scotland.

  14. 20.  Alan Erskine Descendancy chart to this point (6.Beatrix3, 2.Alexander2, 1.Walter1) was born in 1314 in Scotland; died in 1400 in Scotland.

    Family/Spouse: Isabel Inchmartin. Isabel was born in 1315 in Scotland; died in 1399 in Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. 44. Margaret Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1331 in Scotland; died in 1419 in Scotland.
    2. 45. Isabel Erskine  Descendancy chart to this point was born in 1360 in Scotland; died in 1427 in Newton, Midlothian, Scotland.