17/07/2026
On this day in History: 17th July 1537
On July 17th 1537, Janet Douglas was burned at the stake at Edinburgh Castle
In 16th century, Scotland was country deeply divided by familial factions and over reaching ambitious nobles. Distrust and dislike between the nobility was so deeply rooted that it would take little provocation for rivalries to be declared and slights to be passed down through the generations in hopes that a terrible vengeance would, one day, be enacted. One family were so despised for their ambition that universally everyone awaited their downfall: The Douglas family.
In the 14th century, The Douglas family had been favoured by Robert the Bruce for their courage and loyalty. Over the subsequent centuries they had become one of the most powerful families in Scotland.In the early 16th century, Archibald Douglas moved the Douglas family dangerously closer to the Scottish Crown. He dared to do what no other man in Scotland had the gall to do: he married the windowed Queen of Scotland Margaret Tudor. In marrying Douglas, Margaret forfeit the regency of Scotland and the custodianship of her young son and heir James V. The ill-advised marriage brought all the jealousies and simmering tensions to a head; the country erupted into civil war and the unpopular couple fled the country.
The marriage would prove to be just a disastrous privately as it was publicly. Upon their return to Scotland, Margaret realised her grave matrimonial mistake and sought a divorce whilst her own husband troops sieged and overpowered Margaret's own forces in Edinburgh. Archibald took control of the country by imprisoning the boy king and ruling on his behalf. Archibald completed his domination over Scottish politics by filling advantageous positions with Douglas' or their supporters. The Douglas family had seized power but had made many enemies none more so than James V. James, now fourteen, vehemently hated the Douglas family for their audacious and treasonous conduct and his forced imprisonment. He escaped his prison and upon reuniting with his mother vowed never to have a Douglas within seven feet of his person. The Douglas family fought against the king for a number of years but weary of continued fighting, Archibald and his brothers escape to England; securing safe passage for themselves but making no provision for the rest of the great family.
James was furious at being denied the opportunity to punish Archibald and so had to content himself with the persecution of the reminding members of the Douglas family. One of the family members that was brought to trial for conspiring with Archibald was Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis. Janet was Archibald's sister: a well born lady whom had been happily married to her first husband and upon his death had remarried. At first she was brought on charges of conspiring with Archibald and her estates and her castle of Glamis were forfeited when she did not attend the hearing. These charges were dropped but were soon followed by legal actions of which Janet was accused of making poison's to kill her first husband. These charges were dropped but the implication that Janet made potions forever tarnished her reputation. James was determined to be rid of Janet and would do everything in his power to bring about her death. James arrested Janet and her family and imprisoned them in the dungeons of Edinburgh castle under the pretense that Janet was a witch who had tried to bring about the king's death. While the king could imprison Janet without objection he would need substantive evidence to bring about a guilty verdict. However Janet was well respected and known to be a kindly woman and despite how hated her family was, everyone knew she was innocent and would not testify against her. The king therefore employed torture to force confessions out of as many of her associates as he could find. He even brought Janet's young son to watch the relentless torture of his friends and relatives before having the boy tortured too. No man could withstand the rack, and all, including her own son, testified that Janet was a witch hellbent on the murder of the king. At last James got what he wanted: Janet and her son were condemned to die a witch's death by being burned at the stake.
On 17 July, 1537, Janet was brought out onto the Esplanade before Edinburgh castle where a great pyre had been erected. The crowd were sympathetic and openly wept for the beautiful young woman. Even enemies of the Douglas family did not question Janet's innocence and admired her courage as she was bound to the post. Her son, still recovering from the tortures inflicted upon him, watched his mother burn alive from the battlements of the castle.
Janet was a tragic victim, caught up in the brutal world of Scottish politics. She died because the ambitions of her brother brought her family into conflict with equally ambitious and ruthless men none more so than a vengeful king. It is said that she walks around the dungeons of Edinburgh castle the place of her imprisonment or that the sounds of the workmen building her pyre can be heard at night. Today thousands of visitors gather on the spot where she died, obvious to the fatal price she paid.
