Misplaced Pages

#356643

33-772: Spens or SPENS may refer to: People [ edit ] Clan Spens , a kindred from the Scottish Lowlands Baron Spens , a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Spens (musician) , Bulgarian hip-hop artist Janet Spens , Scottish academic Sir Patrick Spens , an early Scottish Ballad Patrick Spens, 1st Baron Spens , British lawyer, judge and Conservative politician Will Spens , Cambridge academic and educationist Sir James Spens / friherre Jacob Spens; Scottish adventurer, soldier and diplomat, and

66-690: A large following to France and took up arms with Jean le Bon against Edward of Woodstock , the Black Prince . Douglas was present at the Battle of Poitiers where he was knighted by the French King. Douglas fought in the King's own Battle , but when the fight seemed over Douglas was dragged by his men from the melee. Froissart states that "... the Earl Douglas of Scotland, who fought a season valiantly, but when he saw

99-458: A new charter from King David bestowing all the lands held by his uncle Sir James, his father Sir Archibald, and Liddesdale itself. In 1355 the truce with England expired and Douglas with the Earl of Dunbar and March , whose lands had been ravaged, decided to attack Norham Castle in retaliation. One of Douglas' captains, Sir William Ramsay of Dalhousie, was instructed to despoil, ransack and ravage

132-576: A raid there to eject him due to Baliol's forfeiture of those lands that had been made over to Sir James Douglas in 1324. Following this raid, returning through the Forest, Douglas came across Liddesdale hunting on what Douglas viewed as his desmesne . This was the match that lit the fuse of years of resentment over Liddesdale's assumption of the Douglas patrimony, notwithstanding Liddesdale's murder of Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie which John of Fordun gives as

165-523: A reason for the enmity between the men. Another more likely explanation for the killing was Liddesdale's treasonous agreement with the English to gain his own freedom from captivity. Liddesdale, once in high standing with the Crown, had fallen into disfavour following his murder of Ramsay and another Knight, Sir David de Barclay. Douglas set upon Liddesdale and killed him. In February 1354, William of Douglas received

198-570: A special clause was to be provided for the restoration of the English estates of the Douglas family. The plan never succeeded, and on the accession of Robert the Steward as King Robert II, Douglas was nevertheless reconciled and appointed Justiciar South of the Forth in 1372. The last years of Douglas' life were spent in making and repelling border raids. He died at Douglas, South Lanarkshire , on 1 May 1384. William Douglas married in 1357, Margaret of Mar ,

231-455: A storm. The Scots' scorched earth policy prevented raiding for supplies, and Edward had to turn homewards, but not before being ambushed and nearly taken by Lord Douglas's men outside Melrose . Following Edward's retreat into England, Douglas arranged a truce with William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton that would last until Michaelmas . He also arranged a Safe conduct to visit the captive King David. Following this, Douglas crossed with

264-509: Is listed as baillie of Irvine in 1260. In the year 1296 Henry de Spens, feudal baron, swore fealty to Edward I of England, and his name appears on the Ragman Rolls of 1296. He died around 1300, when his son, Thomas, succeeded. He is mentioned in two charters of King Robert the Bruce . His heir Thomas de Spens witnessed several charters of Trinity college of Edinburgh between 1296 and 1324 and of

297-461: The Earl of Angus along with French allies commanded by Sir Eugene de Garencieres took Berwick . After taking the town of Berwick, they failed to take the castle and had to retire from there before the advancing army of Edward III . King Edward laid waste to the Lothians in an event that would be known as the " Burnt Candlemas ". His supply lines were overstretched. English supply ships were lost in

330-629: The English out from his ancestral lands of Douglasdale. Douglas went in the style of his uncle, the Good Sir James, and for the following few years waged a guerrilla war against the English in the Ettrick Forest and Jedforests . Douglas next became one of the commissioners to negotiate with the English for the release of David II of Scotland . In 1353, Edward Baliol was ensconced at Buittle in his ancestral territories in Galloway . Douglas led

363-517: The English; one aspect of the treaty was the creation of March Wardens , of which Douglas was one. Under the auspice of this office, Douglas seized Hermitage Castle in Liddesdale from the English in response to their depredations on Eskdale . Douglas was part of the parliament that met at Berwick in 1357, which finalised the release of King David through the Treaty of Berwick , Douglas himself being one of

SECTION 10

#1732883416357

396-449: The ancient Earls of Fife . John 'Dispensator' or 'Le Dispenser' appeared in a list of the tenants and vassals of Walter fitz Alan Steward of Scotland on the period 1161–1171. Roger 'Dispensator' witnessed a charter by Bricius de Douglas , the bishop of Moray granting the church of Deveth to Spynie between 1202 and 1222 . His son Thomas 'Dispensator' witnessed a charter in 1232 of Andreas de Moravia , later bishop of Moray. John Spens

429-509: The daughter of Domhnall II, Earl of Mar and Isabella Stewart, who succeeded her brother Thomas as Countess of Mar . They had two children: The Earl of Douglas also fathered two illegitimate children by Margaret Stewart , the widow of Thomas, Earl of Mar , who had been Douglas's brother-in-law. She was also Countess of Angus in her own right: He is also said to have been the father of another illegitimate daughter, Joan Douglas, who married William Dacre, 5th Baron Dacre . William Douglas

462-502: The discomfiture he departed and saved himself; for in no wise would he be taken by the Englishmen, he would rather there be slain". After the defeat there Douglas escaped, but left a number of his men either slain or captive, including his first cousin latterly the 3rd Earl of Douglas, Archibald the Grim . Douglas returned to Scotland by mid-autumn, and was involved in peace negotiations with

495-779: The family from 1385 to 1524) in 1792. His descendant, Sir Patrick Spens (1885–1973), was created 1st Lord Spens of Blairsanquhar, Fife, in 1959. Dr. Nathaniel Spens of Craigsanquhar in Fife was also the president of the Royal College of Physicians in 1794. He was a prominent member of the Royal Company of Archers (the monarch's bodyguard in Scotland) and a famous portrait of him hangs in Archers' Hall in Edinburgh . One of his descendants, Sir William Spens,

528-468: The first Swedish Baron Spens Other [ edit ] Spens clause , a mechanism for adjusting the redemption price of a bond on early repayment SPC Vojvodina , commonly known as SPENS, a multi-purpose venue in Novi Sad, Serbia See also [ edit ] Spence (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

561-536: The lands around Norham and burn the town in an effort to entice the garrison out to battle. Ramsay did so and the English under the castle's constable, Sir Thomas Grey of Heaton and Lord Dacre , gave chase. Douglas and March, meanwhile were encamped seven miles away in woodland to the south of Duns , when Ramsay had reached them. The English pursuers were ambushed by the Scots force and completely overwhelmed. Following this Battle of Nesbit Moor , Douglas and March joined with

594-486: The lands of Athaland, Ketydy and Craigswmqwar from Robert Earl of Fife and Menteith . These lands were later made into a barony in 1430. By the early 15th century, the family had risen to considerable prominence, which entitled John Spens of Lathallan to sit in the Parliament called by King James I of Scotland at Perth in 1434. John married Isabel, daughter of Sir John Wemyss of Clan Wemyss , and had three sons. Patrick,

627-478: The loyalties of the family were divided. Sir John Spence of Condie was Lord Advocate , but adhered to the reformed Church. When commanded by the queen to prosecute the reformer John Knox , for alleged treason, he did so with no great zeal, and Knox was acquitted. David Spens of Wormieston, however, was a loyal subject of Mary, and was denounced as a rebel by the Parliament summoned by Regent Lennox in August 1571. David

660-453: The monastery of Soltray . One of his sons William de Spens was laird of Gylgyrstoun, Glespany and gets the lands of Dumbarnie and Bondiingtoune from William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas in 1358. His son William de Spens get married with Isabel Campbell of Glendouglas heiress and daughter of Sir Duncan Campbell of Glen Douglas and Strachur . They get by charter given in Dunblane the 5 May 1385

693-480: The revolution of 1789. Charles VIII of France takes in the honour of "his beloved" Patrick baron de Spens the motto of the Spens'family :"Si Deus [pro nobis] quis contra [nos] ?". The French barons de Spens d'Estignols are the actual chief of name and arms of the Spens. All the Spens of Scotland and England comes from the marriage of John Spens laird of a quarter of lathallan and his wife Isabel Barde. This John Spens

SECTION 20

#1732883416357

726-456: The right of his mother. In 1364, Douglas joined King David II in seeking a treaty with England that would have written off Scotland's debt to England in return for depriving his nephew, Robert the Steward , formerly an ally of Douglas, of the succession. King Edward III's son, Lionel of Antwerp , would have taken the Scottish throne, although the independence of Scotland was to be guaranteed, and

759-417: The securities for his release. Douglas was created Earl of Douglas on 26 January 1358. To reflect his new-found status, he built Tantallon Castle , a medieval castle surrounded by a curtain wall. The castle became the home of Douglas' sister-in-law and mistress, Margaret Stewart, 3rd Countess of Angus , the mother of his illegitimate son, George Douglas , who would later be created Earl of Angus by

792-479: The spot, despite the regent's attempts to save his unlikely saviour. However, the family were later reconciled to King James VI of Scotland , who sent Sir James Spens of Wormieston as ambassador to Sweden, where a branch of the family settled, rising high in the Swedish nobility as Counts Spens. Dr. Nathaniel Spens (1728–1815), second son of the 15th Laird of Lathallan, bought back Craigsanquhar, Fife (which belonged to

825-599: The title Spens . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spens&oldid=900923384 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Clan Spens The name Spens or Spence means "custodian" or "dispenser", possibly derived from Old French . The principal Scottish family of Clan Spens descend from one of

858-559: The youngest, was officer of the 24 bodyguards sent by King James II of Scotland to King Charles VII of France in 1450. He settled in France and his descendants were the prominent family of Baron de Spens d'Estignols in the French nobility. The " Garde Écossaise ", as they were later known, were to become the first company of the Garde du Corps du Roi - the personal bodyguard of the French kings until

891-620: Was a Scottish nobleman, peer, magnate, and head of the Black Douglas family. Under his leadership, the Black Douglases continued their climb to pre-eminence in Scottish politics begun under his uncle, Sir James the Good, as well as their military dominance of the south of Scotland. William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas (died 1333) and Beatrice de Lindsay, the daughter of Sir Alexander de Lindsay of Crawford, South Lanarkshire . He

924-460: Was in his ward-ship, and assumed direct ownership of some of the Douglas territories. Douglas returned to Scotland in 1348 and immediately started to put his house in order. In 1346-47 following the Battle of Neville's Cross , King David II , and other nobility, including Liddesdale, were held captive by the English. Edward Baliol used the opportunity to ravage the whole of the south of Scotland. After his return, Douglas gathered his men and drove

957-521: Was one of the ringleaders of the attempt to seize Lennox at Stirling in September of that year, and he was given the task of taking the regent personally to hold as hostage. According to one narrative, Spens followed his orders to keep Lennox secure so literally that when some of the conspirators decided to kill the regent, Spens stopped a pistol shot by throwing himself in front of his prisoner. When supporters of Lennox came to his rescue, they killed Spens on

990-471: Was one of the sons of William Spens, cadet son of William Spens and Isabel Campbell. Thomas Spens , the second son, entered the Church and rose to high office. He was appointed Bishop of Galloway and later Lord Privy Seal , a post he held until 1470. He was translated to the bishopric of Aberdeen in 1459, and being considered a clever and shrewd negotiator, he was regularly employed on state business. In 1449 he

1023-521: Was sent to conclude a marriage contract between the heir to the Duke of Savoy and Arabella , sister of James II. Two years later he was sent as ambassador to negotiate a truce with England. He died in Edinburgh in 1480 and was buried at the Trinity College churchyard at the foot of Leith Wynd. There is an effigy of Bishop Spens in the splendid chapel of Roslin . During the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots ,

Spens - Misplaced Pages Continue

1056-620: Was the nephew of "Sir James the Good" , the trusted deputy of King Robert I of Scotland . From the time of his father's death at the Battle of Halidon Hill , Douglas is described as being a ward of his kinsman and godfather, William Douglas, Knight of Liddesdale , and was educated in France . In 1342, under pressure from Liddesdale, his uncle Hugh the Dull resigned the Lordship of Douglas to him, though Liddesdale rapaciously administered his estates while it

1089-713: Was vice-chancellor of Cambridge University from 1931 to 1933. Another kinsman, John Spens, WS, was Albany Herald to the Court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms. The Rt Hon The Lord Spens, Patrick Nathaniel George Spens, The 4th Baron Spens , Chief of the Name and Arms of Spens in the United Kingdom. The heir apparent is the present holder's son The Hon. Peter Lathallan Spens (b. 2000). William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (c. 1323 – 1 May 1384)

#356643