Fig. 920.—St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church.
Effigies of James, Seventh Earl of Douglas,
and Beatrice de Sinclair.
In the south wall of the choir there is a third monument ([Fig. 919]), which contains recumbent figures of James, seventh Earl of Douglas, and Beatrice de Sinclair, his wife ([Fig. 920]). The former is in armour, but the statue is much broken. The latter wears a long robe. The heads rest on cushions, and the hands are clasped in the attitude of prayer. In the face of the tomb are ten niches containing upright figures of the sons and daughters of the Earl and Countess, and one niche containing an angel, who supports a shield blazoned with the Douglas and Sinclair arms. Above the figures was the following inscription:—“Hic jacet magnus et potens princeps Dominus Jacobus de Douglas Dux Toureniae et Comes de Douglas Dominus Annandiae Gallovidiae Liddaliae Jedburg Forestiae et Dominus de Balveniae Magnus Wardanus Regni Scotiae versus Angliam, &c., qui obiit 24 die mensis Martii anno domini 1443.”[184]
Fig. 921.—St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Crocket and Finial of Monument.
This Earl was the brother of the forementioned Archibald, sixth Earl, to whom he succeeded after the murder, in Edinburgh Castle, of Archibald’s two sons. He was called “Le Gros” on account of his corpulence, and seems to have been a “prudent and peaceable man.”
The inscription for his lady was as follows:—“Hic jacit Domina Beatrix de Sinclair filia domini Henrici Comitis Arcadum Domini de Sinclair, &c. Comitessa de Douglas et Aveniae Domina Gallovidiae.”