Threave Castle
Encyclopedia
Threave Castle is situated on an island in the River Dee
, 2.5 km (1.5miles) west of Castle Douglas
, in Dumfries and Galloway
, Scotland
. It was the home of 'Black' Douglas Earls of Douglas from the late 14th century until their fall in 1455.
built a timber castle on the island after 1000, but it was burned in 1308 by Edward Bruce
.
, soon after he was created Lord of Galloway in 1369. A small collection of buildings were built around the main keep, including a hall and chapel. Threave Castle became Archibald's stronghold and he died there in 1400. His son Archibald married Princess Margaret, daughter of Robert III of Scotland
.
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
, was appointed Regent to the infant King James II
in 1437. Archibald died in 1439 and in the ensuing power struggle his 16-year-old son William
was murdered at Edinburgh Castle
, in 1440. Threave passed, with the Lordship of Galloway, to his sister Margaret, the "Fair Maid of Galloway".
William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas
married Margaret, his cousin, in order to retrieve Galloway for the Douglases. He began a series of improvements to the Castle's fortifications in 1447, demolishing the earlier outbuildings and constructing a defensive wall along the river bank closest to the keep. In 1452 Patrick Maclellan of Bombie
was imprisoned and murdered by the 8th Earl, against the order of James II. The deed was reciprocated the same year, when James II murdered William Douglas at Stirling Castle
.
William's brother James Douglas
, now 9th Earl, hastily continued the additions to Threave, building a curtain wall with three corner towers and a gatehouse, as well as an outer ditch and an earth rampart to the north of the keep. After his brother's murder, he intrigued with the English court, receiving money from Henry VI's
government for the works. The 9th Earl's uprising was defeated at the Battle of Arkinholm
near Langholm
and his strongholds were systematically besieged. Threave Castle was subject to a two month siege in 1455. The castle survived the attack and only succumbed when the garrison were bribed and promised safe conduct.
One story associated with the siege, which is repeated by Nigel Tranter
, is that the great cannon Mons Meg
was built in Kirkcudbright
, by a smith named Mollance, for the Maclellans. The cannon was presented to James II and employed against Threave. The first cannonball fired supposedly smashed through the castle, taking off Margaret Douglas' hand as she drank. However, the undamaged state of the keep, and the alternative provenance of Mons Meg via Burgundy render these details dubious.
, was appointed keeper following the death of the previous keeper, John Dunbar of Mochrum, at Flodden. In 1526 the position was made hereditary to the Maxwells (later Earls of Nithsdale
).
In 1542, Robert Maxwell was captured after the battle of Solway Moss
, and forced to hand Threave over to the English invaders. It was retrieved for Scotland by the Earl of Arran
in 1545.
During the Bishops' Wars
of 1638-1640, the Maxwells supported Charles I of England
. A garrison of up to 100 men was installed and a grassy embankment was added to the Castle's defences. The castle was besieged by the Covenanter
s, and capitulated after 13 weeks. The buildings were partially dismantled, although the keep remained standing.
During the Napoleonic Wars
in the early 19th century, Threave was used for a brief period to house French prisoners of war. In 1913 the owner, Edward Gordon, passed the castle into State care. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument
cared for by Historic Scotland
, and can be visited by boat. There is a car park, toilets and a building containing a display.
The keep is enclosed by the later curtain wall, which has round towers on its three corners, and a series of arrow loops and gun ports which were added when artillery began to play a significant role in warfare. Only one of these towers, the south east, remains, along with the gatehouse, which was formerly equipped with a drawbridge. The curtain walls are only 4.4m from the keep, and are surrounded by a once flooded ditch. To the west the river runs close to the keep. The remains of a wall survive along the river bank, curving back to the north west corner of the keep. A gated harbour was constructed here to provide secure alternative access to the castle. To the north, only an earth bank defends the keep, although the marshy approach to this side would have discouraged attackers.
The island itself covers 8 hectares (20 acres), although in the 15th century it is estimated to have been only a third of this size. However, the isle would have supported subsidiary buildings, such as stores and workshops, as well as the castle. Access was by boat or via a ford at the south of the island.
: "Every man's man had a man and that made Treve fall". The origin of this proverb is the following story: the governor of Threave Castle left a deputy and he a substitute by whose negligence the castle was taken and burned. The meaning of the proverb is that when people employ other people to do the business that they were entrusted with, often both neglect it.
River Dee, Galloway
The River Dee, in south-west Scotland, flows from its source in Loch Dee amongst the Galloway Hills, firstly to Clatteringshaws Loch, then in to Loch Ken, where it joins the Water of Ken. From there, the Dee flows southwards to Kirkcudbright, and into Kirkcudbright Bay to reach the Solway. The...
, 2.5 km (1.5miles) west of Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas , a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part of Galloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.-History:...
, in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was the home of 'Black' Douglas Earls of Douglas from the late 14th century until their fall in 1455.
History
The island was probably inhabited from the 6th century, and the name is most likely derived from the Old Welsh Tref, meaning homestead. It is possible that Fergus of GallowayFergus of Galloway
Fergus of Galloway was King, or Lord, of Galloway from an unknown date , until his death in 1161. He was the founder of that "sub-kingdom," the resurrector of the Bishopric of Whithorn, the patron of new abbeys , and much else besides...
built a timber castle on the island after 1000, but it was burned in 1308 by Edward Bruce
Edward Bruce
Edward the Bruce , sometimes modernised Edward of Bruce, was a younger brother of King Robert I of Scotland, who supported his brother in the struggle for the crown of Scotland, then pursued his own claim in Ireland. He was proclaimed High King of Ireland, but was eventually defeated and killed in...
.
Douglas stronghold
Threave Castle was built in the 1370s by Archibald Douglas, "the Grim", later the third Earl of DouglasEarl of Douglas
This page is concerned with the holders of the extinct title Earl of Douglas and the preceding feudal barons of Douglas, South Lanarkshire. The title was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1358 for William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, son of Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland...
, soon after he was created Lord of Galloway in 1369. A small collection of buildings were built around the main keep, including a hall and chapel. Threave Castle became Archibald's stronghold and he died there in 1400. His son Archibald married Princess Margaret, daughter of Robert III of Scotland
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
.
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
Archibald Douglas was a Scottish nobleman and General, son of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart, eldest daughter of Robert III...
, was appointed Regent to the infant King James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
in 1437. Archibald died in 1439 and in the ensuing power struggle his 16-year-old son William
William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas was a short-lived Scottish Nobleman. He was Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Bothwell, Selkirk and Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Lauderdale, and Annandale in Scotland, and de jure Duke of Touraine, Count of Longueville, and Sire of Dun-le-roi in France...
was murdered at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
, in 1440. Threave passed, with the Lordship of Galloway, to his sister Margaret, the "Fair Maid of Galloway".
William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, 2nd Earl of Avondale was a Scottish nobleman. He was the eldest son of James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas and Beatrice Sinclair....
married Margaret, his cousin, in order to retrieve Galloway for the Douglases. He began a series of improvements to the Castle's fortifications in 1447, demolishing the earlier outbuildings and constructing a defensive wall along the river bank closest to the keep. In 1452 Patrick Maclellan of Bombie
Patrick Maclellan of Bombie
Patrick Maclellan of Bombie Patrick Maclellan of Bombie Patrick Maclellan of Bombie (d. c. 1450 Sheriff of Galloway, then the head of his family, and a staunch royalist declined an invitation to join William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, along with the Earls of Ross and Crawford and Ormond in a...
was imprisoned and murdered by the 8th Earl, against the order of James II. The deed was reciprocated the same year, when James II murdered William Douglas at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
.
William's brother James Douglas
James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas
James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, 3rd Earl of Avondale KG was a Scottish nobleman, last of the 'Black' earls of Douglas. He was a twin, the older by a few minutes, the younger was Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray....
, now 9th Earl, hastily continued the additions to Threave, building a curtain wall with three corner towers and a gatehouse, as well as an outer ditch and an earth rampart to the north of the keep. After his brother's murder, he intrigued with the English court, receiving money from Henry VI's
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
government for the works. The 9th Earl's uprising was defeated at the Battle of Arkinholm
Battle of Arkinholm
The Battle of Arkinholm was fought on May 1, 1455, at Arkinholm near Langholm in Scotland, during the reign of King James II of Scotland.Although a small action, involving only a few hundred troops, it was the decisive battle in a civil war between the king and the Black Douglases, the most...
near Langholm
Langholm
Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the River Esk and the A7 road.- History:...
and his strongholds were systematically besieged. Threave Castle was subject to a two month siege in 1455. The castle survived the attack and only succumbed when the garrison were bribed and promised safe conduct.
One story associated with the siege, which is repeated by Nigel Tranter
Nigel Tranter
Nigel Tranter OBE was a Scottish historian and author.-Early life:Nigel Tranter was born in Glasgow and educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh. He trained as an accountant and worked in Scottish National Insurance Company, founded by his uncle. In 1933 he married May Jean Campbell Grieve...
, is that the great cannon Mons Meg
Mons Meg
Mons Meg is a medieval bombard which can be classed as a supergun, now located at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. There are conflicting theories about its origins, but it appears from the accounts of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy that it was made to his order around 1449 and sent as a gift 8 years...
was built in Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...
, by a smith named Mollance, for the Maclellans. The cannon was presented to James II and employed against Threave. The first cannonball fired supposedly smashed through the castle, taking off Margaret Douglas' hand as she drank. However, the undamaged state of the keep, and the alternative provenance of Mons Meg via Burgundy render these details dubious.
Royal fortress
The castle was annexed by the Crown, and a succession of keepers appointed, although it is unlikely that the castle was again used as a residence. In 1513, Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord MaxwellRobert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell
Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell , A member of the council of Regency of the Kingdom of Scotland. Regent of the Isle of Arran and like his father before head of the clan Maxwell. A distinguished Scottish nobleman, politician, soldier and in 1513 Lord High Admiral...
, was appointed keeper following the death of the previous keeper, John Dunbar of Mochrum, at Flodden. In 1526 the position was made hereditary to the Maxwells (later Earls of Nithsdale
Earl of Nithsdale
Earl of Nithsdale was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1620 for Robert Maxwell, 9th Lord Maxwell, with remainder to heirs male. He was made Lord Maxwell, Eskdale and Carlyle at the same time...
).
In 1542, Robert Maxwell was captured after the battle of Solway Moss
Battle of Solway Moss
The Battle of Solway Moss took place on Solway Moss near the River Esk on the English side of the Anglo-Scottish Border in November 1542 between forces from England and Scotland.-Background:...
, and forced to hand Threave over to the English invaders. It was retrieved for Scotland by the Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault and 2nd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the eldest legitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran....
in 1545.
During the Bishops' Wars
Bishops' Wars
The Bishops' Wars , were conflicts, both political and military, which occurred in 1639 and 1640 centred around the nature of the governance of the Church of Scotland, and the rights and powers of the Crown...
of 1638-1640, the Maxwells supported Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. A garrison of up to 100 men was installed and a grassy embankment was added to the Castle's defences. The castle was besieged by the Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
s, and capitulated after 13 weeks. The buildings were partially dismantled, although the keep remained standing.
During the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
in the early 19th century, Threave was used for a brief period to house French prisoners of war. In 1913 the owner, Edward Gordon, passed the castle into State care. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
cared for by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
, and can be visited by boat. There is a car park, toilets and a building containing a display.
The castle
Threave Castle's rectangular keep is 21m, or 5 storeys high, and 18.4m by 12.1m in plan. The keep was once accessed by a movable bridge from the gatehouse to the first floor. This level is vaulted, and was occupied by kitchens. Below is a basement with a well and prison pit. A spiral stair within the 2m thick wall leads up to the great hall, which had a second bridge access to the upper gatehouse. Above this were two timber floors, now missing, with two rooms on the next storey, and servants quarters at the top. Holes in the external walls would have supported a timber defensive structure known as a bretache, which allowed the defenders to drop objects on attackers at the walls.The keep is enclosed by the later curtain wall, which has round towers on its three corners, and a series of arrow loops and gun ports which were added when artillery began to play a significant role in warfare. Only one of these towers, the south east, remains, along with the gatehouse, which was formerly equipped with a drawbridge. The curtain walls are only 4.4m from the keep, and are surrounded by a once flooded ditch. To the west the river runs close to the keep. The remains of a wall survive along the river bank, curving back to the north west corner of the keep. A gated harbour was constructed here to provide secure alternative access to the castle. To the north, only an earth bank defends the keep, although the marshy approach to this side would have discouraged attackers.
The island itself covers 8 hectares (20 acres), although in the 15th century it is estimated to have been only a third of this size. However, the isle would have supported subsidiary buildings, such as stores and workshops, as well as the castle. Access was by boat or via a ford at the south of the island.
Proverb
There is a Scottish proverbProverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
: "Every man's man had a man and that made Treve fall". The origin of this proverb is the following story: the governor of Threave Castle left a deputy and he a substitute by whose negligence the castle was taken and burned. The meaning of the proverb is that when people employ other people to do the business that they were entrusted with, often both neglect it.