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William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus

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Mother
  
Egidia Graham


Name
  
William 10th

William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus

Predecessor
  
William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus

Successor
  
William Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus

Spouse(s)
  
Lady Elizabeth Oliphant

Father
  
William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus

Buried
  
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres

Died
  
March 3, 1611, Paris, France

Parents
  
William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus

Children
  
William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas

Grandchildren
  
William Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton

Grandparents
  
Archibald Douglas of Glenbervie

Great-grandparents
  
William Douglas of Glenbervie

William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus (1552 – 3 March 1611) was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus (1533–1591). He was a direct descendant of King James I through his paternal grandmother, Lady Agnes Keith, a daughter of William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal.

William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus William Douglas 10th earl of Angus 15521611

He studied at St. Andrews University and joined the household of the Earl of Morton. Subsequently, while visiting the French court, he became a Roman Catholic, and was in consequence, upon his return, disinherited and placed under restraint.

Nevertheless, he succeeded to his father's titles and estates in 1591, and though in 1592 he was disgraced for his complicity in Lord Bothwell's plot, he was soon liberated and performed useful services as the King's Lieutenant in the north of Scotland. In July 1592, however, he was asking for help from Queen Elizabeth in a plot with Erroll and other lords against Sir John Maitland, the Chancellor, and protesting his absolute rejection of Spanish offers, but in October he signed the Spanish Blanks, and upon the discovery of this treason was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle on his return in January 1593.

He succeeded on the 13th in escaping by the help of his Countess, joining the Earls of Huntly and Erroll in the north. They were offered an Act of "oblivion" or "abolition" provided they renounced their religion or quit Scotland. Declining these conditions they were declared traitors and "forfeited."

They remained in rebellion, and in July 1594 an attack made by them on Aberdeen roused James's anger. Huntly and Erroll were subdued by James himself in the north, and Angus failed in an attempt upon Edinburgh in concert with the Earl of Bothwell.

Subsequently in 1597 they all renounced their religion, declared themselves Presbyterians, and were restored to their estates and honours. Angus was again included in the Privy Council, and in June 1598 was appointed the King's Lieutenant in southern Scotland, in which capacity he showed great zeal and conducted the "Raid of Dumfries," as the campaign against the Johnstones was called.

Not long afterwards, Angus, offended at the advancement of Huntly to a Marquessate, recanted, resisted all the arguments of the ministers to bring him to a "better mind," and was again excommunicated in 1608.

In 1609 he withdrew into exile, and died in Paris, France on 3 March 1611. He is buried at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

He married Elizabeth Oliphant, a daughter of Lawrence, 4th Lord of Oliphant, in spring 1585, and they had three sons and two daughters. His second son, James, was created Lord Mordington in 1641. His daughter Mary was married to Alexander Livingston, 2nd Earl of Linlithgow.

From The Scottish Nation:

Issue

He was the author of the Chronicle of the House of Douglas.

He was succeeded by his son William, as 11th earl of Angus, afterwards 1st marquess of Douglas (1580–1660). The title Earl of Angus is now held by the Dukes of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the heir apparent to the current dukedom.

References

William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus Wikipedia