Heraldry of the Douglases

Introduction.
ARMORIAL BEARINGS.
DOUGLAS ARMS.— The Seal of Sir William Moray, 1296, shows three stars
as the charge (Laing). In the Armorial de Gelre (fourteenth century), these
Arms appear as azure, three stars argent. The Seal of Sir William Douglas
of 1296 shows on a chief three stars, and in the Armorial de Gelre these Arms appear
as argent, on a chief azure three stars of the field (with heart in addition). From the
similarity of the Arms it is supposed that the Murrays and Douglases had a common
origin. The Douglases then branched into two lines — the senior retained the azure
chief with three stars ; the junior, that of Morton, changed the chief to gules and
reduced the stars to two. The senior line with the blue chief added a red heart to
the field in commemoration of the fact that the Good Sir James carried Robert
Bruce's heart at least part of the way to the Holy Land. The first Marquis of
Douglas added a crown to the heart to show that it was that of a king. The junior
line with the red chief also branched out, and the younger branch, that of Lochleven,
made the chief dancetty, and the three teeth were later lengthened into piles.
Earls OF Douglas. — As shown in the text and plates the Earls added the
heart to the paternal Arms, they then quartered the Arms of Mar on succeeding to
that Earldom, and dropped these Arms when they could no longer claim them.
They then added at different times the Arms of Galloway, Bothwell, Annandale,
Touraine and Lauderdale on acquiring these lordships. In the fourth quarter of the
Arms of the ninth Earl appear six piles sable, which are referred to more fully below
under Angus. The Earl of Moray quartered the Arms of that Earldom with his
paternal coat, and the Earl of Ormond was content with the paternal Arms, merely
changing the field to ermine.
Douglases of Drumlanrig, Kelhead and Queensberry descended from
a natural son of the second Earl of Douglas and Mar, kept the quartered Arms of
Douglas and Mar and added a red bordure, afterwards changed to gold, on which
was the red royal tressure.
DOUGLASES OF Cavers, also descended from a natural son of the second Earl
of Douglas and Mar, kept the Arms of Douglas only, but added a blue bordure, and
their cadets of Friarshaw further differenced by making the bordure nebuly.
DOUGLASES OF Angus are descended from a natural son of the first Earl of
Douglas and Mar. By reference to the text and plates it will be seen that the