Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas

Who was Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas?

Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas, was also Parson of Glasgow, a Senator of the College of Justice, Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I of England, and a notorious intriguer.

Archibald Douglas was Parson of Douglas, Lanarkshire, prior to 15 January 1561/2 on which day he was awarded the Third of the Benefices for that parsonage. He was appointed to the College of Justice on 13 November 1565 as an Extraordinary Lord in place of Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney.

Accused with his brother, William Douglas of Whittinghame, of involvement in the conspiracy to murder David Riccio, he was obliged to retire to France for some time. But the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, secured his return to Scotland, where Douglas then successfully negotiated the pardons of the other conspirators, gazetted on 25 December 1566.

He then entered into the intrigues of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell and his confederates for the assassination of Darnley, and acted as the agent between them and the Earl of Morton, and, according to the on-the-scaffold confession of his servant Binney or Binning, was actually present at Kirk o' Field on the night of the murder. In the confusion of the hour Douglas lost his shoes, which he had removed, which were found in the morning and known to be his. No pursuit was however, at that time, instituted against him.