James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas

James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas (c.1646 – 25 February 1700) was the son of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and 1st Earl of Ormonde, and Lady Anne Stuart.

His first marriage was in 1670 to the Lady Barbara Erskine, daughter of John Erskine, 20th Earl of Mar and Jean Mackenzie. He later married Mary Kerr, daughter of Robert Kerr, 1st Marquess of Lothian and Lady Jean Campbell.

The story of the end of the marriage between James Douglas and Barbara Erskine is immortalized in the popular ballad Waly Waly, which is known by many alternative titles (e.g. Jamie Douglas, When Cockleshells Turn Silver Bells, Water Is Wide) with many alternative lyrics and melodies. If the lyrics are to be believed, in 1681 a rumor apparently was put to Douglas by Lowrie of Blackwood that Erskine had been sleeping with another man, and Douglas promptly dropped her. Her father took her home and she never remarried.[3]. 

The prose reality of all this was, that the marchioness by and by obtained a decree of the Privy Council, allowing her a provision out of her husband’s estate. The marquis, by a subsequent marriage, was the father of the semi-mad Duke of Douglas and of the celebrated Lady Jane Douglas.[4]

Married

1. 7 SEP 1670 Barbara Erskine b: 1650, dau of 9th Lord Erskine
2. 13 DEC 1692 to Mary Kerr b: 1673, dau of 1st Marquess of Lothian

Children of Barbara Erskine

1. James (Earl of Angus) Douglas b: 1671

Children of Mary Kerr

1. James Douglas,  Killed 3 AUG 1692 at Sterinkirk
2. William (Earl of Angus) Douglas b: 15 OCT 1693
3. Archibald (1st Duke of Douglas) Douglas b: 1694
4. Jane (of Douglas) Douglas b: 17 MAR 1697/98  

Citations

• [3] Grant, James (1885). Cassell's Old and New Edinburgh. 4. London, Paris & New York: Cassell Petter, Calpin & Co. pp. 319,320.
• [4] http://www.electricscotland.com/history/domestic/vol2ch4d.htm

Links

• Wikipedia
• http://douglashistory.co.uk/history/james2ndmarquessdouglas.htm

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GEDCOM Source

@R253178359@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=152914631&pi...