Douglas book > Angus memoirs

260
ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS, SIXTH EARL OF ANGUS.
king, and added to the Crown patrimony. 1 Though J ames certainly had no
intention of subserving the interests of the Earl by this action, the restora-
tion of the lands to the Earl was thereby simplified. The only difficulty that
occurred was in reference to the barony of Abernethy, which had been
granted to Colin, Earl of Argyll, and was still held by his son Archibald.
This was settled in a friendly way by arbitration, in the following month
of April, though Argyll was one of the few nobles who were not altogether
friendly to the return of the Douglases. 2 The castles and houses belonging
to Angus had suffered considerable dilapidation during the absence of their
owner, and all moveable goods had long since disappeared. 3
The Earl of Angus was received into the councils of the nation, and
appointed one of the regent's privy councillors. 4 He was one of the
strongest advocates among the Scottish nobles for a thorough alliance
with England, and, along with his statesmanlike brother, supported the
proposals of Henry the Eighth, which ultimately were accepted by the Scots
and formulated in a treaty of peace and another treaty for the marriage of
the infant queen of Scotland to Prince Edward of England. Angus was
1 Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland,
vol. ii. pp. 360, 361. King James had not
permitted the nobles to enjoy the Angus lands
long. On 16th June 1534 he bestowed the
lordship of Douglas on his eldest natural
son, by Elizabeth Shaw, James Stewart, and
in October following he added the baronies
of Dunsyre, Crawford Muir, Bothwell, Jed-
burgh Forest, Boncle, Tantallon, and the
superiority of Kirriemuir. Failing heirs-
male of James Stewart the destination was
successively to James Stewart, the king's
natural son by Margaret Erskine, to James
Stewart, his natural son by Christian Bar-
clay, and to Robert Stewart, his natural son
by Euphemia Elphinstone. Bxit because the
son of Elizabeth Shaw had been otherwise
provided for by benefices, the king on 31st
August 1536, revoked his grant of Tantallon
and Boncle, and gave these, in one barony, to
James Stewart, his son by Margaret Erskine,
who afterwards became the Regent Murray,
and to the other sons mentioned in succes-
sion. [Registrum Magni Sigilli, vol. iii. Nos.
1391, 1425, 1620.]
2 Vol. iii. of this work, pp. 230-232.
3 Sadler's State Papers, vol. i. pp. 321, 322.
1 Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland
vol. ii. p. 414.