William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas

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For other persons named William Douglas, see William Douglas (disambiguation).

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (c.1327-1384), was a Scottish nobleman.

He was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Bruce's trusted deputy. He was educated in France, and returned to Scotland in 1348. In 1353 he killed his kinsman Sir William Douglas of Liddesdale, a knight, in Ettrick Forest. Liddesdale was known as the "Flower of Chivalry", and had been warden of the western Marches, along the English border, during the minority of King David II. He had helped drive English invaders from the area, but had lost the king's favour when he murdered Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie, sheriff of Teviotdale. Some of his lands passed to his kinsman and murderer.

Douglas was created Earl of Douglas in 1358, a year after marrying Margaret, sister and heiress of Thomas, Earl of Mar, which brought him the estates of Mar. He styled himself Earl of Mar, until his own elevation to the peerage.

During a short truce with the warden of the English marches he had served in France, being wounded at Poitiers in 1356, where Scottish troops supported the French as part of the Auld Alliance. He was one of the securities for the payment of David II's ransom following the battle of Neville's Cross, and in consequence of the royal misappropriation of some moneys raised for this purpose, Douglas was for a short time in rebellion in 1363. In 1364 he joined David II in seeking a treaty with England which would have written off Scotland's debt to England in return for depriving his nephew Robert the Steward, formerly an ally of Douglas, of the succession. Edward III's son Lionel of Antwerp would have taken the Scottish throne, although the independence of Scotland was to be guaranteed, and a special clause provided for the restoration of the English estates of the Douglas family.

The plan never succeeded, and on the accession of Robert II, Douglas was nevertheless reconciled, becoming justiciar of southern Scotland. The last years of his life were spent in making and repelling border raids. He died at Douglas in May 1384, leaving a son James, who succeeded him as earl, and a daughter, Isabel, who became Countess of Mar in her own right.

William Douglas also fathered an illegitimate son by his wife's sister-in-law, Margaret Stewart, widow of Thomas of Mar and Countess of Angus in her own right. The son, George, inherited the estates of Angus, and was later created Earl of Angus.