Richard Angus of Dilston: History, Tradition, and the Question of Douglas Descent

[William Douglas]

Many families along the Anglo‑Scottish Border carry stories of hidden ancestry — noble fathers, concealed births, and name changes made in times of danger. Among descendants of Richard Angus of Dilston, one particular tradition has endured: that he was born Richard Douglas, the secret son of Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, and a mistress named Jane or Janet Stewart, and that he later adopted the surname Angus to escape persecution when the Douglas name became deadly.

This article brings that tradition into conversation with the earliest confirmed records, the political realities of the time, and what we can say with confidence about Richard’s life and origins.

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1. The Family Tradition: A Hidden Douglas Child

According to the story passed down through your family:

• You are a descendant of Richard Douglas Angus.
• His father was said to be Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.
• His mother was said to be Jane or Janet Stewart, a mistress who lived with the Earl while his wife, Margaret Tudor, was away.
• Richard was supposedly born during this period of separation.
• When the king turned against the Douglas clan, “anyone with that name was killed,” and Richard fled, adopting the safer surname Angus.

This kind of narrative — a noble father, a Stewart mother, a concealed birth, and a name change for survival — is strikingly common in Border oral history. It often reflects real political pressures, even when the specific details cannot be verified.

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2. The Historical Backdrop: Why a Douglas Might Hide His Name

The tradition sits within a very real and dangerous historical moment.

In 1528, the young James V escaped the control of his stepfather, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. The king immediately declared Angus a traitor, seized his estates, and launched a fierce campaign against the Douglas name. During this period:

• Douglas castles were attacked or confiscated.
• Douglas supporters were hunted, imprisoned, or executed.
• The Earl fled into exile in England, taking retainers, kinsmen, and dependants with him.
• Many Border families adopted new surnames — often territorial ones — to avoid association with the outlawed house.

In this climate, the idea of a young man abandoning the surname Douglas for Angus is not implausible. It fits the political logic of the time.

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3. The Earliest Documentary Evidence: The 1538 Muster Roll

The first solid historical appearance of the surname Angus in this context comes from the 1538 Northumberland muster rolls, which list several men:

• Archibald Angus
• David Angus
• William Angus
• Anthony Angus

These men were cavalrymen associated with the exiled household of the Earl of Angus. Their presence shows that:

• The surname Angus was already functioning independently of the noble title.
• It was used by men connected to the Earl during his exile.
• The Tyne Valley and Slaley/Unthank area were early centres of the name.

Richard is not named here, but this is the earliest documented environment in which a man of his surname could plausibly emerge.

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4. The First Direct Record of Richard: His 1604 Will

The earliest confirmed record of Richard himself is his Last Will and Testament, dated 25 December 1604, describing him as:

“Richard Angus of Dilston, Corbridge.”

This document anchors him firmly in Dilston, near Corbridge in Northumberland, and confirms:

• He was a settled householder.
• He had property and family.
• He belonged to the established Angus community in the Tyne Valley.

Everything earlier — his birth, parentage, and movements — is reconstructed from later genealogies and oral tradition.

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5. The Stewart Connection: Possible but Unproven

Your family tradition names Richard’s mother as Jane or Janet Stewart. This is not impossible:

• The Stewart family was enormous, with many illegitimate branches.
• Several women named Janet or Jane Stewart appear in royal and noble circles.
• The Douglas and Stewart families were deeply intertwined.

However:

• No contemporary record identifies a Janet Stewart as a mistress of the 6th Earl of Angus.
• His known mistress was Isobel Hoppar, not a Stewart.
• No record names a son Richard born to any mistress.

This does not disprove the tradition — it simply means the evidence has not survived.

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6. The Dilston Line: What Later Genealogy Suggests

Modern genealogical reconstructions (FamilySearch, Ancestry, parish compilations) describe Richard as:

• Born c. 1520s (locations vary: North Berwick, Tantallon, or the Borders)
• Married to Alice Best Collins around 1560
• Father of Alexander Angus and Agnes Douglas
• Resident of Dilston until his death in 1603/1604

These details are plausible but not independently verified by primary sources earlier than the will.

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7. Weighing Tradition Against Evidence

What is Documented

• The surname Angus appears in Northumberland by 1538 among men linked to the Earl of Angus.
• A man named Richard Angus of Dilston is unquestionably alive in 1604.
• He belonged to a community with known Douglas connections.

What Is Plausible

• That Richard was born in Scotland.
• That he had some connection to the Douglas household.
• That he adopted the surname Angus for safety.

What Remains Unproven

• That he was the illegitimate son of the 6th Earl of Angus.
• That his mother was a Janet or Jane Stewart.
• That he was born at Tantallon Castle.
• That he fled Scotland under threat of death for bearing the Douglas name.

The tradition may preserve a kernel of truth — but the archival trail is thin.

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8. How the Tradition Could Be Tested

A. Archival Research

Look for:

• Parish registers (Corbridge, Slaley, Bywell, Hexham)
• Manorial records for Dilston
• Bonds of manrent or service to the Earl of Angus
• Scottish kirk session records for illegitimate births

B. Y‑DNA Testing

If your line descends male‑to‑male from Richard, a Y‑DNA test could reveal whether:

• You match the Red Douglas (Angus) line
• The Black Douglas line
• Or an unrelated paternal lineage

This is one of the few tools capable of cutting through the gaps in 16th‑century documentation.

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Conclusion

Your family’s tradition — that Richard was born a Douglas, son of the 6th Earl and a Stewart mother, and that he changed his name to Angus to survive the king’s wrath — is rich, dramatic, and rooted in a period when such things genuinely happened. The political context makes the story plausible, even if the surviving records cannot confirm it.

What we can say with certainty is that Richard Angus of Dilston was a real man, living in a community shaped by Douglas exile, Border conflict, and shifting identities. Whether he was a hidden Douglas son or a loyal follower who adopted the Angus name, his story sits squarely within the turbulent history of the Borders — a place where lineage, loyalty, and survival were often intertwined.

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The image is for illustrative purposes only

[William Douglas]

Further reading:

• https://sites.google.com/site/richardangusoftantalloncastle/01-intr...
• https://talltalesfromthetrees.blogspot.com/2014/01/
• https://douglashistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/are-the-angus-family...