436 DOUGLAS VIII. 1443. 8. William (Douglas), Earl of Douglas and Earl OF Avondale [S.], Lord of Balveny, i^c., s. and h., b. about 1425; knighted 16 Oct. 1430. From 1443 to 1449 he was in great favour with James II and was made Lieut. Gen. of the Kingdom, twice defeating the superior forces of the English. Warden of the Marches 1450 till his death. In 1450 he, with above 100 followers, celebrated the Jubilee at Rome. He m. (disp.(*) 24 July 1444) his cousin Margaret, "//4e fair maid of Galloway, sister and h. of William (Douglas), 6th Earl of Douglas [S.] abovenamed, obtaining (not, however, till), 2 Feb. 1449/50, the gift of such marriage under the Great Seal. Joining with the Earl of Crawford and others against the Court party and the all-powerful Chancellor Crichton, he was treacherously stabbed by the King himself in Stirling Castle, 22 Feb. 1451/2. He d. s.p.. His widow »;. (disp. 26 Feb. 1452/3) his br. James, the 9th Earl of Douglas [S.], but obtaining a divorce from him soon after 1455, ;?;., as his istwife, 1459/60, John (Stewart), ist Earl of Atholl [S.], who d. 15 Sep. 1 5 12. On this marriage the King granted them the Lordship of BalvenyC") and other forfeited estates of the Douglas family. She was living 22 Jan. 1472/3, but d. in or before 1475. IX. 1452 9. James (Douglas), Earl of Douglas and Earl of to Avondale [S.], Lord of Balveny, i^c, called Heriot-Muir, 1455. br. and h. He at first endeavoured to avenge his brother's murder, but was reconciled Aug. 1452. Having, however, joined the Duke of York (then in rebellion against Henry VI), he accused the King openly of the murder and defied him, with some 40,000 men, in 1454. Owing to the desertion of Lord Hamilton and others, his force all dispersed, the Earl fled into Annandale, and was attainted by Act 10 and 12 June 1455, when all his honours became forfeited.C') He escaped into England, and on 7 Aug. of that year received a grant from Henry VI of £^00 p.a. until he should recover his possessions taken by the self-styled King of Scots. On the accession of Edward IV, he was received with great favour, receiving a pension and being nom. K.G. before 22 Apr. 1463. The Pari. [S.] offered in 1482 a reward for his capture and death. He joined (*) The Pope ordered the Bishop of Glasgow to dispense William Earl of Duglas, and Margaret de Duglas, damsel, of his diocese, to intermarry, although related in the 2nd and 3rd degrees of kindred. {Cal. of Papa/ Letters). V.G. C") See some account of Balveny, vol. i, p. 313, note " b," sub Atholl. (') Thus ended the historic title of Earl of Doug/as, which had existed but 98 years, during which it had been held by no less than nine persons, an average of but eleven years' tenure to each. There were no less than seven sons of the 7th Earl, all of whom ^. s.p., viz.: (i) William, the 8th Earl; (2) James, the 9th and last Earl; (3) Archibald, Earl of Moray [S.], slain i May 1455; (4) Hugh, cr. Earl of Ormond [S.] 1445, executed 1455; (5) Sir John Douglas, Lord of Balveny, forfeited 1455, but escaped into England, and returning, was beheaded at Edinburgh about July 1463; (6) Henry, in Holy Orders; and (7) George, d. unm. before he was 15. With these ended the issue male of Archibald, the 3rd Earl of Douglas (the bastard son of the "good " Sir James), that of the elder and legitimate line having ended 67 years earlier.
