Threave Castle
William, Earl of Douglas, died in 1384 and was succeeded by his son, James Douglas as 2nd Earl of Douglas. But James, who was energetic, was killed at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388.
This opened the door for Archibald the Grim to go after the Earldom with both possession of key estates, success in raids and legal means ( the entail of Sir William Douglas of Lothian of 1342 ) the Lord of Galloway was recognized as the 3rd Earl of Douglas formally in 1389.
He had become one of the most influential and powerful of border lords and head of the then foremost magnatic family after the royal family in 14th century Scotland. He even managed to die in his bed at his Bothwell Castle on Christmas Eve 1400 and was buried at Threave Castle.
Please see the other entries of Archibald Douglas’s in this folder on this website.
2023 0514
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