ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS Earl of Angus

Bell the Cat

The Scots Peerage I: pp. 178-86

Genealogy

1. ]https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun01pauluoft/page/192/mod... The Scots Peerage I: 178-86]
2. Stirnet: Douglas 92

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus, was a Scottish nobleman, peer, politician, and magnate. He became known as "Bell the Cat". He became the most powerful nobleman in the realm through a successful rebellion and established his family as the most important in the kingdom.

The fable concerns a group of mice who debate plans to nullify the threat of a marauding cat. One of them proposes placing a bell around its neck, so that they are warned of its approach. The plan is applauded by the others, until one mouse asks who will volunteer to place the bell on the cat. All of them make excuses. The story is used to teach the wisdom of evaluating a plan not only on how desirable the outcome would be, but also on how it can be executed. It provides a moral lesson about the fundamental difference between ideas and their feasibility, and how this affects the value of a given plan. read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belling_the_cat

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449 – 19 November 1513), became known as the "Great" Earl of Angus and, perhaps more famously, as "Bell the Cat".

Angus, born about 1449 at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, succeeded his father, George the 4th earl, in 1462 or 1463.

In 1481, Angus became Warden of the east marches, but the next year he joined the league against James III and his favourite Robert Cochrane at Lauder. Here he earned his nickname by offering to "bell the cat" – specifically, to deal with Cochrane – beginning the attack upon him by pulling his gold chain off his neck, and then ordering the hanging of Cochrane and others of the king's favourites. (The phrase "to bell the cat" comes from one of Aesop's fables, "The Mice in Council", and refers to a dangerous task undertaken for the benefit of all.)

Subsequently he joined Alexander Stewart, 3rd Duke of Albany, in league with Edward IV of England on 11 February 1483, signing the convention at Westminster which acknowledged the overlordship of the English king. However, in March Albany and Angus returned, outwardly at least, to their allegiance, and received pardons for their treason.

Later, Angus became one of the leaders in the rebellion against James III in 1487 and 1488 which ended in the latter's death.

Angus became one of the guardians of the young king James IV. but soon lost influence, to the Homes and Hepburns, and the wardenship of the marches went to Alexander Home. Though outwardly on good terms with James, Angus treacherously made a treaty with Henry VII around 1489 or 1491, by which he undertook to govern his relations with James according to instructions from England. He also agreed to hand over Hermitage Castle, commanding the pass through Liddesdale into Scotland, on the condition of receiving English estates in compensation.

In October 1491 he fortified his castle of Tantallon against James, but had to submit and to exchange his Liddesdale estate and Hermitage Castle for the lordship of Bothwell.

In 1493 Angus again returned to favour, receiving various grants of lands. He became Chancellor, which office he retained till 1498. In 1501, in disgrace once more, he was confined to Dumbarton Castle. At the disaster at Flodden Field in 1513, though absent himself, Angus lost his two eldest sons. He won appointment as one of the councilors of Margaret Tudor the queen regent. He died at the close of this year, or in 1514.

Marriages and children

Angus married twice:

• On 4 March 1468: Elizabeth (d. 1498), daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd[4]
• In the summer of 1500: Katherine Stirling, daughter of Sir William Stirling of Keir[4]
• Janet, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy, was one of his mistresses.[4]
• 4. Norman Macdougall, ‘Douglas, Archibald , fifth earl of Angus (c.1449–1513)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

Children by first marriage

Name Birth Death Notes

• George Douglas, Master of Angus 1469 9 September 1513 married in March 1488, Lady Elizabeth Drummond; had issue, killed at the Battle of Flodden
• Lady Mariot Douglas 1470 married Cuthbert Cunningham, 2nd Earl of Glencairn; had issue
• Sir William Douglas 1471 9 September 1513 married Lady Elizabeth Auchinleck; had issue, killed at the Battle of Flodden
• Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld 1472
• Lady Elizabeth Douglas 1474
• Sir Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie 1475 Given the nickname Greysteil by James V
• Lady Janet Douglas 1476

Children by ...

Name

• Lady Mary Douglas
• Archibald Douglas

References

• incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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Died 1467 or 1513? Check sources.

Old:

Angus married four times:

• 1. Catherine Seton, a natural daughter of Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly
• 2. on 4 March 1467: Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd
• 3. about 1498: Janet, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy
• 4. in 1500: Katherine Stirling.

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Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (Wikipedia)

Sir Archibald led the noble's rebellion against James III which ended in the defeat and death of the King at the Battle of Sauchieburn n 1488. When the nobles asked who was willing to lead the rebellion against the kind, Sir Archibald volunteered by saying "I will bell the cat". This earned him his nickname.

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was born circa 1453.1 He was the son of George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus and Isabel Sibbald.1 He and Catherine Seton were engaged on 30 September 1461.1 He married, firstly, Elizabeth Boyd, daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd of Kilmarnock and Mariot Maxwell, on 4 March 1467/68.1 He married, secondly, Janet Kennedy, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy and Lady Elizabeth Gordon, circa 1498.1 He married, thirdly, Katherine Stirling, daughter of Sir William Stirling, 2nd of Keir and Margaret Crichton, on 1 June 1500.2 He and Katherine Stirling were separated before 1513.1 He died between 29 November 1513 and 31 January 1514 at Priory of St. Ninian, Galloway, Scotland.1

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus also went by the nick-name of 'The Great Earl'.1 Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus also went by the nick-name of 'Bell the Cat' for his courage in initiating opposition to King James III's favourites at court.1 He succeeded to the title of 5th Earl of Angus [S., 1389] on 14 November 1462.1 He was created 1st Lord Douglas [Scotland] in 1475/76.3 He held the office of Warden of the East Marches on 11 April 1481.1 He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.).1 He held the office of High Chancellor [Scotland] between 1493 and 1498.1 His marriage to Janet Kennedy was annulled circa 1499.1 Cokayne writes that "his advice to the King against the fatal engagement at Flodden being insultingly received, he quitted the field shortly before the fight, bidding his two sons remain, both of whom were there slain, with their King."1

Children of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus and Elizabeth Boyd:

George Douglas, Master of Angus+ b. c 1469, d. 9 Sep 1513

Sir William Douglas+ b. bt 1470 - 1475, d. 9 Sep 1513

Lady Marion Douglas+ b. bt 1470 - 1477

Elizabeth Douglas b. bt 1471 - 1478

Janet Douglas b. bt 1472 - 1480

Gavin Douglas b. c 1475, d. Sep 1522

Sir Archibald Douglas b. a 1475, d. c 1536

Citations

[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 156. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.

[S8] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 1283. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.

[S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 1742. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume I, page 157.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume I, page 159.

Angus, born about 1449 at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, succeeded his father, George the 4th earl, in 1462 or 1463.

In 1481, Angus became Warden of the east marches, but the next year he joined the league against James III and his favourite Robert Cochrane at Lauder. Here he earned his nickname by offering to "bell the cat" – specifically, to deal with Cochrane – beginning the attack upon him by pulling his gold chain off his neck, and then ordering the hanging of Cochrane and others of the king's favourites. (The phrase "to bell the cat" comes from one of Aesop's fables, "The Mice in Council", and refers to a dangerous task undertaken for the benefit of all.)

Subsequently he joined Alexander Stewart, 3rd Duke of Albany, in league with Edward IV of England on 11 February 1483, signing the convention at Westminster which acknowledged the overlordship of the English king. However, in March Albany and Angus returned, outwardly at least, to their allegiance, and received pardons for their treason.

Later, Angus became one of the leaders in the rebellion against James III in 1487 and 1488 which ended in the latter's death.

Angus became one of the guardians of the young king James IV. but soon lost influence, to the Homes and Hepburns, and the wardenship of the marches went to Alexander Home. Though outwardly on good terms with James, Angus treacherously made a treaty with Henry VII around 1489 or 1491, by which he undertook to govern his relations with James according to instructions from England. He also agreed to hand over Hermitage Castle, commanding the pass through Liddesdale into Scotland, on the condition of receiving English estates in compensation.

In October 1491 he fortified his castle of Tantallon against James, but had to submit and to exchange his Liddesdale estate and Hermitage Castle for the lordship of Bothwell.

In 1493 Angus again returned to favour, receiving various grants of lands. He became Chancellor, which office he retained till 1498. In 1501, in disgrace once more, he was confined to Dumbarton Castle. At the disaster at Flodden Field in 1513, though absent himself, Angus lost his two eldest sons. He won appointment as one of the councilors of Margaret Tudor the queen regent. He died at the close of this year, or in 1514

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus

• Updated from WikiTree Genealogy via mother Isabel 'Isobel' Douglas (born Sibbald aka Carmichael) by SmartCopy: Jul 21 2015, 20:40:30 UTC
• Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Whithorn Priory From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449 – 19 November 1513), became known as the "Great" Earl of Angus and, perhaps more famously, as "Bell the Cat".

Angus, born about 1449 at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, succeeded his father, George the 4th earl, in 1462 or 1463.

In 1481, Angus became Warden of the east marches, but the next year he joined the league against James III and his favourite Robert Cochrane at Lauder. Here he earned his nickname by offering to "bell the cat" – specifically, to deal with Cochrane – beginning the attack upon him by pulling his gold chain off his neck, and then ordering the hanging of Cochrane and others of the king's favourites. (The phrase "to bell the cat" comes from one of Aesop's fables, "The Mice in Council", and refers to a dangerous task undertaken for the benefit of all.)

Subsequently he joined Alexander Stewart, 3rd Duke of Albany, in league with Edward IV of England on 11 February 1483, signing the convention at Westminster which acknowledged the overlordship of the English king. However, in March Albany and Angus returned, outwardly at least, to their allegiance, and received pardons for their treason.

Later, Angus became one of the leaders in the rebellion against James III in 1487 and 1488 which ended in the latter's death.

Angus became one of the guardians of the young king James IV. but soon lost influence, to the Homes and Hepburns, and the wardenship of the marches went to Alexander Home. Though outwardly on good terms with James, Angus treacherously made a treaty with Henry VII around 1489 or 1491, by which he undertook to govern his relations with James according to instructions from England. He also agreed to hand over Hermitage Castle, commanding the pass through Liddesdale into Scotland, on the condition of receiving English estates in compensation.

In October 1491 he fortified his castle of Tantallon against James, but had to submit and to exchange his Liddesdale estate and Hermitage Castle for the lordship of Bothwell.

In 1493 Angus again returned to favour, receiving various grants of lands. He became Chancellor, which office he retained till 1498. In 1501, in disgrace once more, he was confined to Dumbarton Castle. At the disaster at Flodden Field in 1513, though absent himself, Angus lost his two eldest sons. He won appointment as one of the councilors of Margaret Tudor the queen regent. He died at the close of this year, or in 1514.

Marriages and children

Angus married twice: •On 4 March 1468: Elizabeth (d. 1498), daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd[4] •In the summer of 1500: Katherine Stirling, daughter of Sir William Stirling of Keir[4] •Janet, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy, was one of his mistresses.[4] •4. Norman Macdougall, ‘Douglas, Archibald , fifth earl of Angus (c.1449–1513)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

Children by first marriage

Name Birth Death Notes •George Douglas, Master of Angus 1469 9 September 1513 married in March 1488, Lady Elizabeth Drummond; had issue, killed at the Battle of Flodden •Lady Mariot Douglas 1470 married Cuthbert Cunningham, 2nd Earl of Glencairn; had issue •Sir William Douglas 1471 9 September 1513 married Lady Elizabeth Auchinleck; had issue, killed at the Battle of Flodden •Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld 1472 •Lady Elizabeth Douglas 1474 •Sir Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie 1475 Given the nickname Greysteil by James V •Lady Janet Douglas 1476

Children by ...

Name •Lady Mary Douglas •Archibald Douglas

References •incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Died 1467 or 1513? Check sources.

Old:

Angus married four times: •1. Catherine Seton, a natural daughter of Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly •2. on 4 March 1467: Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd •3. about 1498: Janet, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy •4. in 1500: Katherine Stirling.

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (Wikipedia)

Sir Archibald led the noble's rebellion against James III which ended in the defeat and death of the King at the Battle of Sauchieburn n 1488. When the nobles asked who was willing to lead the rebellion against the kind, Sir Archibald volunteered by saying "I will bell the cat". This earned him his nickname.

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was born circa 1453.1 He was the son of George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus and Isabel Sibbald.1 He and Catherine Seton were engaged on 30 September 1461.1 He married, firstly, Elizabeth Boyd, daughter of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd of Kilmarnock and Mariot Maxwell, on 4 March 1467/68.1 He married, secondly, Janet Kennedy, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy and Lady Elizabeth Gordon, circa 1498.1 He married, thirdly, Katherine Stirling, daughter of Sir William Stirling, 2nd of Keir and Margaret Crichton, on 1 June 1500.2 He and Katherine Stirling were separated before 1513.1 He died between 29 November 1513 and 31 January 1514 at Priory of St. Ninian, Galloway, Scotland.1

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus also went by the nick-name of 'The Great Earl'.1 Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus also went by the nick-name of 'Bell the Cat' for his courage in initiating opposition to King James III's favourites at court.1 He succeeded to the title of 5th Earl of Angus [S., 1389] on 14 November 1462.1 He was created 1st Lord Douglas [Scotland] in 1475/76.3 He held the office of Warden of the East Marches on 11 April 1481.1 He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.).1 He held the office of High Chancellor [Scotland] between 1493 and 1498.1 His marriage to Janet Kennedy was annulled circa 1499.1 Cokayne writes that "his advice to the King against the fatal engagement at Flodden being insultingly received, he quitted the field shortly before the fight, bidding his two sons remain, both of whom were there slain, with their King."1

Children of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus and Elizabeth Boyd:

George Douglas, Master of Angus+ b. c 1469, d. 9 Sep 1513

Sir William Douglas+ b. bt 1470 - 1475, d. 9 Sep 1513

Lady Marion Douglas+ b. bt 1470 - 1477

Elizabeth Douglas b. bt 1471 - 1478

Janet Douglas b. bt 1472 - 1480

Gavin Douglas b. c 1475, d. Sep 1522

Sir Archibald Douglas b. a 1475, d. c 1536

Citations

[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 156. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.

[S8] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 1283. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.

[S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 1742. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume I, page 157.

[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume I, page 159.

Angus, born about 1449 at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, succeeded his father, George the 4th earl, in 1462 or 1463.

In 1481, Angus became Warden of the east marches, but the next year he joined the league against James III and his favourite Robert Cochrane at Lauder. Here he earned his nickname by offering to "bell the cat" – specifically, to deal with Cochrane – beginning the attack upon him by pulling his gold chain off his neck, and then ordering the hanging of Cochrane and others of the king's favourites. (The phrase "to bell the cat" comes from one of Aesop's fables, "The Mice in Council", and refers to a dangerous task undertaken for the benefit of all.)

Subsequently he joined Alexander Stewart, 3rd Duke of Albany, in league with Edward IV of England on 11 February 1483, signing the convention at Westminster which acknowledged the overlordship of the English king. However, in March Albany and Angus returned, outwardly at least, to their allegiance, and received pardons for their treason.

Later, Angus became one of the leaders in the rebellion against James III in 1487 and 1488 which ended in the latter's death.

Angus became one of the guardians of the young king James IV. but soon lost influence, to the Homes and Hepburns, and the wardenship of the marches went to Alexander Home. Though outwardly on good terms with James, Angus treacherously made a treaty with Henry VII around 1489 or 1491, by which he undertook to govern his relations with James according to instructions from England. He also agreed to hand over Hermitage Castle, commanding the pass through Liddesdale into Scotland, on the condition of receiving English estates in compensation.

In October 1491 he fortified his castle of Tantallon against James, but had to submit and to exchange his Liddesdale estate and Hermitage Castle for the lordship of Bothwell.

In 1493 Angus again returned to favour, receiving various grants of lands. He became Chancellor, which office he retained till 1498. In 1501, in disgrace once more, he was confined to Dumbarton Castle. At the disaster at Flodden Field in 1513, though absent himself, Angus lost his two eldest sons. He won appointment as one of the councilors of Margaret Tudor the queen regent. He died at the close of this year, or in 1514

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus

Archibald, Earl of Angus, (then Chamberlain) had the greatest power in the state. 5th Earl of Angus

•Updated from WikiTree Genealogy via mother Isabel 'Isobel' Douglas (born Sibbald aka Carmichael) by SmartCopy: Jul 21 2015, 20:40:30 UTC •Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia •Whithorn Priory From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Mar 5 2021, 6:03:52 UTC

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Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (c. 1449 – October 1513) was a Scottish nobleman, peer, politician, and magnate. Tradition has accorded him the nickname Archibald 'Bell-the-Cat' due to his association with the 1482 rebellion against James III of Scotland. He became one of the most powerful nobleman in Scotland through his influential position on the Scottish Marches, and a willingness to be involved in multiple rebellions in the reigns of James III and James IV of Scotland.

Parents and succession
Archibald Douglas, eldest son of George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, head of the Red Douglas line, was born at Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, around 1449.[citation needed] His mother was Isabella Sibbald, daughter of the Master of the Household of James II of Scotland.[citation needed]

During the turbulent 1450s, when Archibald was growing up, his father came out in support of James II, thereby pitching himself against many of his own clan, and the Black Douglas line in particular, who were in rebellion against the king. He was also at the siege of Roxburgh in 1460. After the accidental death of the king during the siege, it was the earl, Archibald's father, who is said to have placed the crown on the new child king's head, reputedly declaring as he did so: "There! Now that I have set it upon your Grace's head, let me see who will be so bold as to move it."[2]

Archibald succeeded his father as fifth Earl of Angus about two years later, in 1462 or 1463, aged fourteen.

Actions against James III
In 1481, during a time of gathering war with England, Angus was appointed Warden of the East March by James III, but the following year took part in the surprise action against the king carried out by a league of Scottish nobles at Lauder on 22 July, 1482. This was at a moment when English forces had just invaded Scotland[3] and the secretly disaffected nobles were ostensibly part of the army that James had mustered to repel the invasion. According to David Hume of Godscroft, writing in a later age, it was here that Archibald earned his nickname by offering to "bell the cat", initiating the action against the king's favourite, Thomas (or Robert) Cochrane, as a prelude to the arrest of the king.

Angus is said to have begun the attack by seizing the gold chain from Cochrane's neck, then ordering him and others of the king's favourites to be hung from Lauder Bridge (Lauder Brig in Scots), located today in the grounds of Thirlestane Castle.[4][5] The phrase "to bell the cat" comes from the fable "The Mice in Council", misattributed to Aesop, and refers to a dangerous task undertaken for the benefit of all.

Angus subsequently joined the party of the king's disaffected younger brother, Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, who was part of the English invasion. Albany had entered into a treaty with Edward IV which gifted suzerainty over Scotland to the English king in return for the right to rule Scotland in place of his brother. While James was in captivity in Edinburgh, Albany did indeed make a short-lived attempt to rule under the name of "Alexander IV". Eventually, however, by March 1483, both Albany and Angus returned to their allegiance to James who, despite the treasonous alliance with Edward,[6] granted them pardons.[4]

Later in that same decade a more open state of rebellion broke out against the king, this time with greater support of the Scottish nobility, with the king's eldest son, James, Duke of Rothesay, counted among their ranks (although not as leader). Angus once again came out against the king. In 1488, he marched against James III at the Battle of Sauchieburn, in the immediate aftermath of which the defeated king was secretly murdered.

Reign of James IV
After Sauchieburn, Angus became for a time one of the guardians of the young king James IV, but soon lost influence to the Homes and Hepburns, and the wardenship of the marches went to Alexander Home. Although outwardly on good terms with James, Angus treacherously made a treaty with Henry VII around 1489 or 1491, by which he undertook to govern his relations with James according to instructions from England. He also agreed to hand over Hermitage Castle, commanding the pass through Liddesdale into Scotland, on the condition of receiving English estates in compensation.[4]

In October 1491 he fortified his castle of Tantallon against James, but had to submit and to exchange his Liddesdale estate and Hermitage Castle for the lordship of Bothwell.[4]

In 1493 Angus again returned to favour, receiving various grants of lands. He became Chancellor, which office he retained till 1498.[4] In June 1497 he opened talks for the surrender of Perkin Warbeck at 'Jenyn Haugh'.[7] In 1501, in disgrace once more, he was confined to Dumbarton Castle.

Final weeks
Angus's two eldest sons were killed at the Battle of Flodden in early September 1513. He himself had not been present at the battle. As the Scottish nation was coming to terms with the disastrous defeat, Angus won appointment as one of the councilors of the Queen Regent, Margaret Tudor. Shortly afterwards, by the end of October, he too was dead.[8] His successor to the Earldom of Angus was his grandson, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.