Archibald I, Lord of Douglas
(c. 1167 - c. 1239)
The Douglas family emerged as a powerful force among the early Scottish Clans. As all of Archibald Douglas' male siblings served as clergy within the Roman Catholic Church (which established the practice of celibacy in 1139 at the Second Lateran Council), modern Douglas lines trace their ancestry from him.
Son of William de Douglas and known by historians as Archibald I, Lord of Douglas, he first appears in a land charter dated prior to 1198 wherein he is listed as holding lands lying between Alan, High Steward of Scotland, and Robert de Montgomery. From this document, researchers have concluded that Archibald would have been around 30 years old.
It is highly possible that Archibald was married twice, and may have fathered children of which contemporary researchers are unaware. This is conjectured based upon the birth dates of Archibald's known children, who would have been born when Archibald was middle-aged. Researchers believe that at some point, Archibald married Margaret Crawford, daughter of Sir John Crawford of Crawfordjohn Parish, Scotland. Archibald and Margaret had issue:
a) Sir William "Longleg," Lord of Douglas (ca. 1207 - ca. 1274); m. Constance Battail of Fawdon
b) Sir Andrew Douglas of Hermiston (ca. 1223 - bef. 1277); ancestor of the Douglases of Mains and Earls of Morton
Archibald appears in a pre-1198 document wherein he cedes landholdings in Hailes to Robert of Restalrig. Circa 1220, Archibald acquired vast properties in Livingston and Hermiston, thereby placing him under the feudal authority of Mormaer Máel Coluim, Earl of Fife. This acquisition likely led to Archibald's knighthood, which occurred sometime circa 1225.
In 1226, Archibald witnessed a land transaction on behalf of William Purves of Mospennoc and the monks of Melrose Abbey wherein the monks were permitted free passage through William's lands. Archibald's title on the document was Sir Archibald of Douglas, Domino Archebaldo de Douglas (i.e., Lord Archibald Douglas), indicating his status not only as a knight, but as a senior knight. One of Archibald's sons, Andrew, also witnessed the charter, and served as a man-at-arms for Archibald.
Archibald appears on a number of royal charters during the late 1220s and early 1230s. Church records maintained by Archibald's brother, Bricius, demonstrate that Archibald was engaged for a time in the Scottish region of Moray.
In 1238, Archibald attended the regranting of the title of Earl of Lennox to Maol Domhnaich by
Official Family Seal
William Purves of Mospennoc
King Alexander II at Selkirk. Notably, Archibald does not appear on any documents after 1239, thereby leading researchers to conclude that he likely died sometime during this period.