Douglas, Archibald, 5th earl of Angus

Douglas, Archibald, 5th earl of Angus, 1449–1514, Scottish nobleman. He was a member of the faction that allied with Edward IV of England in opposition to the influence of Robert Cochrane, favorite of James III. He won the nickname Bell-the-Cat by personally capturing Cochrane in 1482. He supported Alexander Stuart, duke of Albany, in his abortive attempt (1484) to seize the throne, but he retained his position and estates. In 1488 he was a leader in the rebellion that replaced James III with James IV, and he served the latter as lord chancellor from 1493 to 1498. In 1513, Angus is recorded as having advised James of the near certainty of defeat at Flodden Field. His two sons were killed in that battle, and he was succeeded by his grandson.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish History: Biographies