There is a tradition that the first Graham was one Greme who broke the Roman Antonine Wall driving the Roman legions out of Scotland.[5] However the likely origin is that the chiefs of Clan Graham were of Anglo-Norman origin.[5] The Manor of Gregham is recorded in William the Conqueror's Domesday Book.[5] When David I claimed the throne of Scotland, Graham was one of the knights who accompanied him.[5] Sir William de Graham was present at the erection of Holyrood Abbey, witnessing its foundation charter.[5]
The first lands that the chiefs of Clan Graham appear to have held were around Dalkeith in Midlothian.[5] Sir Nicholas de Graham attended the Parliament of 1290 where the Treaty of Birgham was signed.[5]
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Clan Graham fought at the Battle of Dunbar in 1296 where Sir Patrick de Graham of Kincardine was the only man of all the Scots not to retreat and instead fought to the death.[6]
Sir John de Graham, was a friend and follower of William Wallace.[7] Sir John de Graham is regarded as hero for rescuing Wallace at Queensbury.[7] Sir John de Graham was regarded as Wallace's right-hand man and Wallace was at his side when Graham was killed in 1298 at the Battle of Falkirk.[6][7] John de Graham's name is still perpetuated in the district of Grahamston.[7] The grave of Sir John de Graham in Falkirk churchyard is still to be seen, with table stones of three successive periods above it.[7] One great two-handed sword of Sir John the Graham is preserved at Buchanan Castle by the Duke of Montrose.[7] Another was long in possession of the Grahams of Orchil and is now treasured by the Freemason Lodge at Auchterarder.[7]
The Clan Graham also fought against the English at the Battle of Durham in 1346, in support of King David II of Scots.[7] The Grahams acquired the lands of Mugdock north of Glasgow, where they built a stout castle around 1370.
In John Stewart's book, The Grahams, he states that "Most Scottish Clans would be proud to have one great hero. The Grahams have three." He refers to Sir John de Graham, the Marquis of Montrose and the Viscount of Dundee.[8] Stewart also wrote,
It is remarkable that the early Grahams were one and all exceedingly capable men. In an age when the reputation of many great public figures, alas, that of most of the Scottish nobility, were sullied by deeds of violence, and often deeds of blackest treachery, it is refreshing to find that the Grahams stand out as loyal and true to the causes they espoused. Their story is not one of rapid rise to power through royal favor, or even at the expense of their peers, but rather a gradual steady rise based on their undoubted ability and worthiness which seems to have endured from one generation to another.
The Clan Graham fought at the Battle of Sauchieburn led by the third Lord Graham.[7] The battle was fought on 11 June 1488, at the side of Sauchie Burn, a brook about two miles south of Stirling, Scotland. In 1504 Lord Graham, on account of his gallantry was made Earl of Montrose. He would go on to lead part of the Scottish Vanguard against the English at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars where he was slain.[9][6] The Clan Graham was among the clans which fought against the English at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh 1547, where Robert, the eldest son of the second Earl, was killed.[7]
In 1646 Montrose laid siege to the Castle Chanonry of Ross which was held by the Clan Mackenzie and took it from them after a siege of four days.[20] In March 1650 he captured Dunbeath Castle of the Clan Sinclair, who would later support him at Carbisdale.[21] Montrose was defeated at the Battle of Carbisdale by the Munros, Rosses, Sutherlands and Colonel Alexander Strachan.[22][23] He was subsequently captured and executed in Edinburgh in 1650.
Another notable Graham was John, Viscount of Dundee also known as "Bonnie Dundee". By means of purchase and inheritance the Graham lands had become, by the late seventeenth century, among the richest in Scotland.
The Viscount of Dundee led a small Government Troop of Cavalry which was surprised and defeated at the Battle of Drumclog in 1679 by an overwhelming force of rebel Covenanters (estimates suggest Graham was outnumbered by about 4–1). However he was victorious at the Battle of Bothwell Brig where he put down a rebellion by the Covenanters. The battle was fought on 22 June 1679 in Lanarkshire.
Dundee was appointed Commander in Chief of all Scottish Forces by King James VII but died at the Battle of Killiecrankie whilst commanding the Jacobite Forces during their victory over a much larger Williamite Army in 1689.
18th century and Jacobite uprisings
The Clan Graham took no side in the Jacobite Uprisings and remained neutral throughout. Highlanders can thank James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose for the repeal in 1782 of the Dress Act 1746 prohibiting the wearing of highland dress.[5] He persuaded Parliament to remove the law forbidding Scots to wear their tartan.[24]
Castles
Mugdock Castle was the seat of the chiefs of the Clan Graham Dukes of Montrose.[3] It was held by the Grahams from the middle of the 13th century.[3]
Mains Castle (also known as Fintry Castle) was originally held by the Clan Stewart but it passed to the Grahams in 1350 and it was the Grahams who built the current castle.[3] The castle was sold to the Clan Erskine in the 19th century and then to the Cairds.[3] It was later given to the people of Dundee and today the grounds are a public park.[3]
Inchtalla Castle was the seat of the Grahams who were Earls of Menteith.
Kincardine Castle, Auchterarder was a substantial castle that was held by the Grahams from about 1250.[3] However the castle was demolished by Campbell Earl of Argyll in 1646.[3]
Graemetartan, as published in 1842 in Vestiarium Scoticum. There are two main families of Graham clan tartans, the Graham of Montrose tartans and the Graham of Menteith tartans.
↑ Bain, Robert (1959). Margaret O. MacDougall (ed.). Clans & Tartans of Scotland (revised). P.E. Stewart-Blacker (heraldic advisor), foreword by The R. Hon. Countess of Erroll. William Collins Sons & Co., Ltd. p.108.
Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan became Earl of Argyll and later Duke of Argyll.
Clan Robertson, is correctly known as Clan Donnachaidh is a Scottish clan. The principal surnames of the clan are Robertson, Reid and Duncan but there are also many other septs.
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman, poet, soldier and later viceroy and captain general of Scotland. Montrose initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed. From 1644 to 1646, and again in 1650, he fought in the civil war in Scotland on behalf of the King. He is referred to as the Great Montrose.
The Battle of Inverlochy occurred on 2 February 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms when a Royalist force of Highlanders and Confederate Irish troops under the overall command of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, routed and largely destroyed the pursuing forces of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, who had been encamped under the walls of Inverlochy Castle.
The Battle of Tippermuir was the first battle James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose, fought for King Charles I in the Scottish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. During the battle, Montrose's Royalist forces routed an army of the Covenanter-dominated Scottish government under John Wemyss, Lord Elcho. The government side took heavy losses.
Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel was a Scottish soldier and the 17th Chief of Clan Cameron. He fought as a Cavalier during the Civil War and was one the principal Jacobite leaders during the 1689 Rising. He is regarded as one of the most formidable Scottish clan chiefs of all time. Lord Macaulay praised him as the "Ulysses of the Highlands" and further wrote, "Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel was in personal qualities unrivalled among the Celtic Princes. He was a gracious master, a trusty ally, a terrible enemy." An incident demonstrating Lochiel's strength and ferocity in single combat, when he bit out the throat of an enemy, is used by Sir Walter Scott in Lady of the Lake.
Clan Maclean is a Highlands Scottish clan. They are one of the oldest clans in the Highlands and owned large tracts of land in Argyll as well as the Inner Hebrides. Many early MacLeans became famous for their honour, strength and courage in battle. They were involved in clan skirmishes with the Mackinnons, Camerons, MacDonalds and Campbells, as well as all of the Jacobite risings.
The Battle of Auldearn was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It took place on 9 May 1645, in and around the village of Auldearn in Nairnshire. It resulted in a victory for the royalists, led by the Marquess of Montrose and Alasdair MacColla, over Sir John Urry and an army raised by the Covenanter-dominated Scottish government.
The Battle of Kilsyth, fought on 15 August 1645 near Kilsyth, was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The largest battle of the conflict in Scotland, it resulted in victory for the Royalist general Montrose over the forces of the Covenanter-dominated Scottish Parliament, and marked the end of General William Baillie's pursuit of the Royalists.
The Battle of Alford was an engagement of the Scottish Civil War. It took place near the village of Alford, Aberdeenshire, on 2 July 1645. During the battle, the Royalist general James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose defeated the forces of the Covenanter-dominated Scottish government, commanded by William Baillie.
Clan Gordon is a Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire. The Chief of the clan is the Earl of Huntly, later the Marquess of Huntly.
Clan Murray is a Highland Scottish clan. The chief of the Clan Murray holds the title of Duke of Atholl. Their ancestors were the Morays of Bothwell who established the family in Scotland in the 12th century. In the 16th century, descendants of the Morays of Bothwell, the Murrays of Tullibardine, secured the chiefship of the clan and were created Earls of Tullibardine in 1606. The first Earl of Tullibardine married the heiress to the Stewart earldom of Atholl and Atholl therefore became a Murray earldom in 1626. The Murray Earl of Atholl was created Marquess of Atholl in 1676 and in 1703 it became a dukedom. The marquess of Tullibardine title has continued as a subsidiary title, being bestowed on elder sons of the chief until they succeed him as Duke of Atholl.
Clan Menzies ; Scottish Gaelic: Clann Mèinnear; a member is a Mèinnearach) is a Highland Scottish clan.
Clan Drummond is a Highland Scottish clan. The surname is rendered "Druimeanach" in modern Scottish Gaelic.
Clan Macnab is a Highland Scottish clan.
Clan Ogilvy, also known as Clan Ogilvie, is a Highland Scottish clan. Originating from Angus, Scotland, the progenitor of the Clan received a barony from King William the Lion in 1163. In 1491, King James IV elevated Sir James Ogilvy as Lord Ogilvy of Airlie.
Clan MacLaren is a Highland Scottish clan. Traditional clan lands include the old parish of Balquhidder which includes the villages of Lochearnhead and Strathyre, and is about 18 miles (29 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) broad, spanning 54,675 acres (22,126 ha), long known as "Maclaren Country".
Manus O'Cahan's Regiment of Foot was an Irish regiment which served during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the mid-1640s.
Sir Lachlan Maclean, 1st Baronetof Morvern, was a Scottish nobleman and the 17th Chief of Clan Maclean. He was granted his Baronet title by Charles I and he became the Clan Chief on the death of his brother in 1626. He fought as a Royalist under James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms at the Battle of Inverlochy, Battle of Auldearn and Battle of Kilsyth. From 1628 to 1633 he sat in the Parliament of Scotland as shire commissioner for Tarbert. From his rule onward, all Maclean clan chiefs are successive Baronets of Movern.
Colonel John Cockburn was an officer in the Scottish Covenanter army in the late 1640s and early 1650s during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. In this capacity he led Lowland soldiers against Montrose's Scottish Royalist forces during the First English Civil War (1642-1646), when the Covenanter parliament of Scotland was allied with the English Parliamentarians against King Charles I. Colonel Cockburn led the colourfully defiant but futile Scottish resistance at Hume Castle during the Third English Civil War (1649-1651), when a Parliamentary army led by Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland after its Covenanter government had made an uneasy alliance with King Charles II.
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