Sir William Douglas, 3rd of Drumlanrig
(c. 1429 - 1464)
William Douglas, 3rd of Drumlanrig, was born in the year 1429 to Sir William Douglas, 2nd of Drumlanrig, and Jane Maxwell. He attained his knighthood sometime during the late 1450s or early 1460s. Circa 1428 he married Margaret Carlyle, daughter of Sir John Carlyle of Torthorwald. Together, Sir William and Margaret had the following known issue:
a) Sir William, 4th of Drumlanrig (c. 1447 - 7/22/1484)
b) Margaret (b. circa 1460)
Roxburgh Castle, located at the junction of Rivers Tweed and Teviot in the Scottish borders, had long been a point of contention between the Scots and English. The castle had changed hands numerous times throughout its history -- most famously taken by Sir James Douglas (the "Black Douglas") and his men in 1314 while disguised as cows grazing in a nearby meadow.
In 1460, Roxburgh Castle was in the hands of the English, from which raids on Scottish targets were being launched. King James II of Scotland, supported by Sir William and other Scottish nobles, launched a raid on the castle and reclaimed it for Scotland. Sadly, King James lost his life during the seige, and his widow, Queen Mary of Guelders, issued orders to have the castle destroyed.
Alnwick Castle in Northumberland had a history not unlike that of Roxburgh Castle. It had changed hands many times during the conflicts between Scotland and England, and in 1462, it was in the hands of the English. Sir William, in an alliance with other Scottish nobles and a French force commanded by Pierre de Breze, stormed the castle thereby forcing its surrender (Rickard, 2013). Sir William would only live two more years, passing away in 1464.
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Rickard, J. (3 December 2013), Siege of Alnwick Castle, July 1462 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_alnwick_1462.html