Colonel Lord James Douglas

James Douglas was born in 1617 at Douglas Castle, South Lanarkshire. He was the son of William, Marquess of Douglas and Margaret, daughter of Claud Hamilton,1st Lord Paisley. At an early age he was sent to the court of King Louis XIII to serve as a page. He became a proficient soldier in the Maison du Roi and was given command of the Régiment d’Hebron which was one of five Scottish regiments in the French service. As Colonel of the regiment, the unit was renamed the Régiment de Douglas. He was injured in August 1645 and killed in a skirmish on the road between Arras and Douai on 21 Oct 1645. If he had lived a little longer he would have received promotion to Maréchal de Camp from Louis XIV. He was buried at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris. Other members of his family were buried there including his grandfather the 10th Earl of Douglas. His memory is kept alive by this impressive statue in the Chapelle de Sainte-Thérèse within the Abbey Church.