Jacobus Douglas
(ca. 1500 - 1540)
Official Flag of Scotland
Adopted, 15th Century
Jacobus Douglas was most likely born circa 1500 in the Drumlandrig region of Scotland. While the Douglas family did maintain a stronghold in Northumberland, England, it is not known whether Jacobus' father, Sir William Douglas, regularly frequented this area during the time of Jacobus' birth. The name, "Jacobus" (sometimes Jacobi, or James), carried down through this Douglas line for several generations, and was present in early Douglas documents going back hundreds of years. Jacobus' grandson, for example, was named Jacobi, his grandfather was named James, and his great, great grandson was also named James.
As previously noted in the biography of Sir William Douglas, 6th of Drumlanrig, Jacobus may have been an undocumented child of Sir William and his wife, Elizabeth Gordon, or the product of a relationship with a mistress. Such relationships were more common than modern researchers often suppose, and occurred quite frequently among the Douglas nobility.
While historical records have not proven helpful in establishing a formal "paper trail" linking Sir William to Jacobus, contemporary Y-DNA testing has been invaluable in evincing a genetic connection. The results of Y-DNA tests on several of Jacobus' descendants have demonstrated a clear genetic link to Sir William's line. Additionally, the frequency of the names James and Agnes in both Sir William's and Jacobus' families (see Sir William's biography for a more thorough treatment of this phenomenon) suggests a close connection between these men.
The possibility of Jacobus being the product of a relationship with a mistress is supported by the fact that he did not remain in any of the Douglas family strongholds, but rather, ventured south into England at some point following Sir William's death during the Battle of Flodden. Nonetheless, Jacobus' descendants, while not nobles, were members of the gentry (i.e., landowners). By contemporary standards, this would be roughly equivalent to the upper middle class. Thus, while Jacobus did not inherit a noble title, some of the status associated with his father's heritage followed this line for several more generations.
At some point, Jacobus migrated into the Yorkshire region of England. Researchers have estimated that Jacobus was likely married sometime circa 1519, although the location and documentation of this marriage are presently unknown. According to the best available records, Jacobus and his wife (NU) had, at the very least, the following issue:
a) William (ca. 1520 - 5/26/1579)
Jacobus likely died in early January of 1540 as his burial record is dated January 8, 1540. Jacobus was laid to rest in the Church of St. John the Baptist, Halifax, Yorkshire, England. This record provides a valuable and proximal link to Jacobus' son, William Douglas, who was affiliated with the same church in the same city during this period.