Wilson, Sir Angus, 1913-91, English novelist, b. South Africa. As a novelist, he attempted to delineate a society in which traditional values have lost their force and human relationships are corrupted by pretension and sham. After the publication of two volumes of short stories his first novel, Hemlock and After (1952), appeared. It was followed by Anglo-Saxon Attitudes (1956), considered to be his major achievement, The Middle Age of Mrs. Eliot (1958), Late Call (1965), No Laughing Matter (1967), and Setting the World on Fire (1980). Wilson taught for many years at the Univ. of East Anglia, and was knighted in 1980. Wilson's other writings include Death Dance: 25 Stories (1969) and studies of Zola (1952), Dickens (1970), and Kipling (1977).

Red Angus cattle: see Angus cattle.

Douglas, Archibald, 8th earl of Angus, 1555-88, Scottish nobleman; grandnephew of Archibald Douglas, 6th earl of Angus. During the regency (1572-78) of his uncle, James Douglas, 4th earl of Morton, he held a number of important positions, but when Morton fell in 1581, Angus was declared guilty of treason and escaped to England. He returned to Scotland (1582) and was reconciled with King James VI. As an ardent Presbyterian, he opposed James Stuart, earl of Arran, and in 1584 after an unsuccessful attempt to remove Arran from power, Angus again fled to England. In the next year he took part in another rebellion, which brought about the downfall of Arran.

Douglas, Archibald, 6th earl of Angus, 1489-1557, Scottish nobleman; grandson of Archibald Douglas, 5th earl of Douglas. His marriage (1514) to Margaret Tudor alienated the Scottish noblemen and caused Margaret to lose the regency to John Stuart, duke of Albany. A struggle for control of the young James V ensued between Angus and Albany, with James's mother, Margaret, favoring first her husband, then Albany. In 1526, Angus seized the young king and held him until James escaped in 1528. Margaret had meanwhile (1527) divorced Angus, and, deprived of his lands because of his alliance with Henry VIII, he left for England. After King James's death in 1542, Angus returned to Scotland, was restored to power, and was soon fighting against England. But he continued to correspond with Henry and to contest the power both of the regent James Hamilton, earl of Arran, and his successor, the dowager queen, Mary of Guise.

Douglas, Archibald, 5th earl of Angus, 1449-1514, Scottish nobleman. He was a member of the faction that allied with Edward IV of England in opposition to the influence of Robert Cochrane, favorite of James III. He won the nickname Bell-the-Cat by personally capturing Cochrane in 1482. He supported Alexander Stuart, duke of Albany, in his abortive attempt (1484) to seize the throne, but he retained his position and estates. In 1488 he was a leader in the rebellion that replaced James III with James IV, and he served the latter as lord chancellor from 1493 to 1498. In 1513, Angus is recorded as having advised James of the near certainty of defeat at Flodden Field. His two sons were killed in that battle, and he was succeeded by his grandson.

Black Angus cattle: see Angus cattle.

Angus, earls of. For Scottish nobles thus titled, use Douglas, Archibald.

Angus cattle, breed of black polled (hornless) beef cattle, originated in Scotland and introduced in 1873 to the United States, where they have become well established. Often called Black Angus or Aberdeen Angus cattle, they have low, compact bodies and are noted for the fine quality of their flesh. As a breed, they lack the size of Shorthorn and Hereford cattle. In recent years, the Red Angus breed of cattle has been derived from red cattle born in registered black herds.

Angus, council area (1993 est. pop. 111,020), 842 sq mi (2,181 sq km), and former county, NE Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, the county of Angus became part of the Tayside region in 1975. In the local government reorganization of 1996, Tayside was dissolved and the council area of Angus, roughly approximating the old county, was created. The county of Angus was formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire.

Aberdeen Angus cattle: see Angus cattle.

Breed of black, hornless beef cattle. Formerly known as Aberdeen Angus, it originated in northeastern Scotland, but its ancestry is obscure. Angus have a compact and low-set body. The fine quality of the flesh and the high dressing percentage make it a beef breed of the highest rank. Introduced into the U.S. in 1873, its influence there and in other countries spread widely thereafter.

Learn more about Angus with a free trial on Britannica.com.