James Douglas of Spott

He was appointed Prior of Pluscarden in 1577 by his father, and given a lease of lead mines in Cunningham, Carrick, and Galloway, shared with Lord Glamis.

[1] When Morton was arrested and taken to Dumbarton Castle in January 1581, James Douglas was one of his relatives forbidden from travelling or coming to Edinburgh where the former Regent's trial would be held.

The horsemen were said to be Humes of Ayton, apparently enraged by the king's favour to the Sir George Home son of the laird of Manderston.

He was not satisfied with the Laird of Manderston's answer and resolved not to have his daughter marry Sir George Home, and went to Regent Morton and arranged the marriage with his son James Douglas.

[8] The English ambassador Robert Bowes wrote that two of Spott's servants were captured and imprisoned in the gatehouse at Holyrood Palace and one was tortured on Christmas Day with the "boot".

Another contemporary account mentions that Spott could not rescue the Laird of "Cumbadge", whose legs had been crushed, and suggests he had joined Bothwell because of the ill-treatment of his servants.

[15] Spott fled to the English border in March 1592 hoping to be assisted by his old friends, but had to write to Archibald Douglas for help and claimed members of the house of Manderston had worked against him.

[16] Spott was attainted of treason in the Parliament of Scotland on 7 June with a number of Bothwell's followers including Hercules Stewart and Archibald Wauchope of Niddrie.

[17] On 27 June 1592 Spott joined Bothwell's attack on Falkland Palace, but they were unable to reach James VI and Anne of Denmark who remained safely in the gatehouse tower.

[20] The English ambassador Robert Bowes heard discussions in October that Bothwell might be better off without the Laird of Spott and be more readily accepted into the king's favour if he "shook him off", since this would please other courtiers.

[27] In September 1595 Archibald Douglas wrote that Spott could travel to France to meet the exiled Earl of Bothwell and dissuade him from conspiring with Spain.

[31] King James made him chamberlain of Dunbar on 13 April 1603, and in March the Privy Council issued letters forgiving him and "relaxing him from the horn" for his participation with Bothwell at the raids of Holyrood, Falkland, and Leith.

[32] Douglas complained to the Privy Council in June 1603 about a piece of unused land near Dunbar Castle which the king had recently granted to him after his "long banishment".