John Graham of Duchray

Last updated
John Graham

of Duchray
Born1600
Scotland
Died1700 (aged 99–100)
AllegianceWilliam Cunningham, Earl of Glencarin
Battles/warsGlencairn's Rising
Spouse(s)Marion Graham
ChildrenThomas Graham
Other workLandowner

John Graham of Duchray (Highland Hector, Tetrarch of Aberfoyle) [1] (Scottish Gaelic: Iain Greumach an Dubhchra), [2] Scottish landowner and soldier, was born in Scotland around 1600 and died around 1700. He married Marion Graham of Rednock, and had a son, Thomas Graham of Duchray (younger). [1] Marion Graham, of Rednock, was the daughter of John Graham of Rednock, and was likely the brother of James Graham of Rednock. John Graham of Duchray was likely descended from the Inchbrakie Grahams.

Contents

Biography

In 1622, with the consent of Katharine Stewart, John Graham 'Fiar of Duchray', son of William Graham of Duchray, gave the lands of Duchray to Thomas Graham in Inchrie, and to his heir, John Graham. [3] It is unknown whether this Thomas Graham of Inchrie was John Graham's father, but it is known that John Graham was his heir, and Crawfurd's lineage was only brought up in The Scots Peerage to disprove certain errors.

'In 1622, he, with consent of Katherine Stewart, his wife, sold Duchray to Thomas Graham in Inchrie, apparently his uncle, and John, his son'

On 9 September 1646 John Graham of Duchray gave those parts of Scotland, which would be described as part of the lands of Rednoch [Rednock] called Over and Nether Unschenoches [Unschennochs] to Patrick Monteith [Menteith] of Arnebeg [Arnbeg] and Janet Grahame, his spouse and their son James Monteith [Menteith]. [4] On 3 June 1651 John Graham of Duchray gave those parts of Scotland, which would be described as part of the lands of Rednoch [Rednock] called Gramestoune [Grahamston - Grahamstown] to James Graham of Glenny (Mony Vracky). [5]

On 28 July 1651 John Graham of Duchray was ordered (along with Walter Graham of Glenny) by King Charles the II to assist William Graham of Gartmore and Patrick Monteith of Arnbeg to apprehend fugitives and runaways. [6] This order contained clauses dealing with the protection of John Graham of Duchray, exempting him from "all peril and danger they can incur or sustain through their not coming forth as heritours, not withstanding any Acts of Statutes maid in the contrary." [7]

In 1654, John Graham of Duchray was a commander in the forces led by William Cunningham, Earl of Glencarin in Glencairn's Rising. [8] The first forces to join Glencairn, forty footmen bought by the Laird of Duchrie (Duchray) were thought by Louisa Graeme to be the original Forty-Twa or Black Watch. Her book of Graemes and Grahams however, Or & Sable, 1903 (fn.1 p.554) miscited forty-two footmen in place of forty as recorded in Glencairn's Expedition (p.158). His castle Duchray (or Dounans) was burnt by the party of Cromwell's army led by George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle before his men, with the aid of others, repelled the attack by the invaders, and the stone structure of the Castle Duchray remained intact. [9] A little westward of the Pass of Aberfoyle, one of Duchray's followers shot one of the English invaders from the opposite side of the river, who fell near a clump of trees which was called Bad an t' Shassonich, or, the Englishman's Clump. [10] In 1655, John Graham of Duchray was the last to sign an agreement with George Monck regarding the peace of the region. [11] John of Duchray is said also to be the author of the account of the Earl of Glencairn's Expedition, which has been reprinted in various sources by Sir Walter Scott.

In 1657, George Monck wrote to William Graham, Lord Kinpoint (who became the 2nd Earl of Airth in 1661) regarding a disagreement between Duchray (Duffra) and Lord Kinpoint, insisting that he let a Colonel Daniel take care of the matter instead. [12]

In 1668, William Graham of Gartmore, who John Graham assisted at the request of the king in 1651, posted his word and wealth as security that a debt, owed for some reason by John of Duchray to John Monteith, son of the deceased Patrick Monteith of Arnbeg. [13]

Bridge of Aberfoyle

In 1671, shortly after gaining the power to take such actions against criminals and debtors within his earldom, William Graham, 8th Earl of Menteith, obtained an arrest warrant for John Graham of Duchray for disobeying the orders of the king by failing to repay a debt. Learning that Thomas Graham of Duchray (the son of John Graham of Duchray) was to attend a baptism, the Earl of Airth took advantage of this family gathering to execute his warrant. And so on 13 February 1671 the Earl and Alexander Muschet, along with a well armed party made their way to the bridge to arrest John Graham of Duchray who was known to be sympathetic to the Covenanters and who likely politically opposed the 7th Earl. John Graham of Duchray held papers of protection from the king, and said 'What dar ye do? This is all your masters' but the papers held protection from removal from certain lands, and not from a civil debt. [14]

The son of Thomas Graham of Duchray, ripe for the christening at the kirk in Aberfoyle in 1671, was placed upon the ground and the Duchray party prepared their swords, guns, and muskets, avowing that half of the Earl's party would be killed and the other half would drown. It is said that the Earl was narrowly missed by several bullets, and one of the Earl's party, a Robert MacFarlane, lost two of his fingers. John Graham of Duchray was placed in the Edinburgh Tolbooth.

The "arrest warrant" at issue on this bridge, likely had to do with Alexander Muschet's Letters of Horning and Poinding against John of Duchray for failure to repay a debt of 2500 Scottish marks. [15]

Later life

A John Graham, Prisoner in Canongate Tolbooth, with no apparent charges against him neither as covenanter or thief, was transported from Leith Tolbooth to the Plantations in 1678, aboard the St. Michael of Scarborough by shipmaster Edward Johnston, on 12 December 1678. [16] The history of the St. Michael of Scarborough speaks of the journey ending with all prisoners being released deep within England, most making their way back to Scotland within 9 months. [17]

John Graham of Duchray was scarcely mentioned again, but in 1686, a pension was granted of five-hundred Scottish marks per year to John Graham of Duchray, with notice of that pension being given to James, Earl of Perth, and the Lords of the Treasury of Scotland, by King James the VII. [18] The document discharged him of the feu duties [19] which were due and unpaid, beginning in November 1671, the same year as the christening in Aberfoyle. The document fully exonerated him for failing to pay those funds.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cunninghame Graham</span> British politician (1852–1936)

Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham was a Scottish politician, writer, journalist and adventurer. He was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP); the first ever socialist member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom; a founder, and the first president, of the Scottish Labour Party; a founder of the National Party of Scotland in 1928; and the first president of the Scottish National Party in 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menteith</span>

Menteith or Monteith, a district of south Perthshire, Scotland, roughly comprises the territory between the Teith and the Forth. Earlier forms of its name include Meneted, Maneteth and Meneteth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Airth</span>

Earl of Airth was a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created on 21 January 1633 by Charles I, for William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith. It became extinct on the death of his grandson in 1694.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Menteith</span> Ruler of the province of Menteith

The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst, simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuous line from Gille Críst until Muireadhach IV, although the male line was broken on two occasions. A truncated version of the earldom was given two years later to Malise Graham, 1st Earl of Menteith, in compensation for loss of the Earldom of Strathearn, which was a likely result of the execution of the Duke of Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Cunninghame Graham of Gartmore</span>

Robert Graham, who took the name Bontine in 1770 and Cunninghame Graham in 1796, was a Scottish politician and poet. He is now remembered for a poem If doughty deeds my lady please, which was later set to music by his great-great-grandson, Rev. Malise Cunninghame Graham and also by Sir Arthur Sullivan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lords of the Congregation</span> 16th-century Scottish nobles in support of the Protestant Reformation

The Lords of the Congregation, originally styling themselves "the Faithful", were a group of Protestant Scottish nobles who in the mid-16th century favoured a reformation of the Catholic church according to Protestant principles and a Scottish-English alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith</span> Scottish nobleman

William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith, 1st Earl of Airth, was a 17th-century Scottish nobleman. A supporter of King Charles I, he held offices including Lord President of the Court of Session and was a Privy Counsellor. Although he fell from favour, he continued to support the Royal cause during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, when his estates were damaged by the troops of Oliver Cromwell. He married Agnes, daughter of Patrick, Lord Gray, and had a son John Graham, Lord of Kinpont, who had a son William Graham, 8th Earl of Menteith who prior to his death was styled William Graham, Lord of Kinpont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn</span> Scottish nobleman

William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn (1610–1664), was a Scottish nobleman, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and a cavalier. He was also the chief of Clan Cunningham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inchmahome Priory</span>

Inchmahome Priory is situated on Inchmahome, the largest of three islands in the centre of the Lake of Menteith, close to Aberfoyle, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilmaurs</span> Village in Scotland

Kilmaurs is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland which lies just outside of the largest settlement in East Ayrshire, Kilmarnock. It lies on the Carmel Water, 21 miles southwest of Glasgow. Population recorded for the village in the 2001 Census recorded 2,601 people resided in the village It was in the Civil Parish of Kilmaurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Cunningham</span> Scottish clan

Clan Cunningham is a Scottish clan. The traditional origins of the clan are placed in the 12th century. However, the first contemporary record of the clan chiefs is in the thirteenth century. The chiefs of the Clan Cunningham supported Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Clan Cunningham feuded with the Clan Montgomery. Historically, the chief of Clan Cunningham held the title of Earl of Glencairn. However, in modern times the chief of the clan is Cunningham of Corsehill. On 18 December 2013, Sir John Christopher Foggo Montgomery Cunninghame, Baronet of Corsehill, was recognized by Lord Lyon as Clan Chief after the chiefship had been vacant for over 200 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Montgomery</span> Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Montgomery is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.

Malise Graham, 1st Earl of Menteith was a 15th-century Scottish magnate, who was the heir to the Scottish throne between 1437 and 1451, if Elizabeth Mure's children were not counted as lawful heirs.

Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith was a Scottish noblewoman. She held the title Countess of Menteith in her own right, having inherited the title c. 1360 from her mother, Mary, Countess of Menteith, who was married to Sir John Graham. Graham was styled Earl of Menteith during his marriage with Mary, whom he predeceased. The Menteith region was situated partially in southwest Perthshire and partly in Stirlingshire.

Mary II, Countess of Menteith was a Scottish noblewoman. Her father was Alan II, Earl of Menteith, who died c. 1330. She is believed to have agreed with her kinsman Muireadhach III, in 1330, that he should hold the Earldom, but when he was killed in August 1332, Mary assumed the title. She married Sir John Graham, who in her right became Earl of Monteith and assumed the title in May 1346. She died sometime prior to 29 April 1360. She was the mother of Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith.

Glencairn's rising was a Royalist revolt in Scotland against the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell from 1653 to 1654. It was led by William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn (1610–1664), who was given command of the Royalist forces in Scotland by Charles II. Initially successful it began to suffer divisions when John Middleton arrived to replace Glencairn as commander, resulting in a series of duels between officers. It was defeated when Thomas Morgan caught Middleton's army at Dalnaspidal on 19 July 1654. Although the rising was unsuccessful it forced a change of policy by the Cromwellian regime, which now looked for a reconciliation with former Royalists and Engagers.

Alexander Graham, 2nd Earl of Menteith was a Scottish magnate.

William Graham, 8th Earl of Menteith, 2nd Earl of Airth, was a Scottish nobleman. He was active in the suppression of the Covenanters, but struggled with the burden of debts on his estates. On his death in 1694 his titles became extinct.

Sir Robert Graham of Kinpont was a Scottish landowner, and one of the key conspirators in the assassination of King James I of Scotland in 1437.

Alan II, Earl of Menteith was a Scottish Nobleman.

References

  1. 1 2 Frasier, William (1869). The chiefs of Colquhoun and their Country. p. 205.
  2. ↑ "Duchray Water". www.ainmean-aite.scot. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Disproving Crawfurd The Scots Peerage
  4. ↑ Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch, Dunbartonshire. GB-234 GD22/3/422 National Archives of Scotland: Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch including Legal and Financial documents, Letters and Personal papers, Title deeds and Estate papers, Documents relating to the Earls of Airth and Menteith and other miscellaneous items. 1646.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ↑ Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch, Dunbartonshire. GB-234 GD/22/1/34 National Archives of Scotland: Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch including Legal and Financial documents, Letters and Personal papers, Title deeds and Estate papers, Papers relative to the Earls of Airth and Menteith and other miscellaneous items.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. ↑ Redbook of Menteith.
  7. ↑ Redbook of Menteith.
  8. ↑ Scott, Walter (1909). The Military Memories of John Gwynne and an account of the Earl of Glencairn's Expedition in 1653 and 1654. Hurst, Robinson, and Co. London. pp. 157–158.
  9. ↑ Graham, Rev. Patrick. Sketches of Perthshire. James Ballantyne and Co. pp. 183–184.
  10. ↑ Graham, Rev. Patrick (1812). Sketches of Perthshire. James Ballantyne and Co. pp. 183–184.
  11. ↑ FIRTH, CH (1899). Scotland and the Protectorate. pp. 291–293.
  12. ↑ Redbook of Menteith. p. 159.
  13. ↑ Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch, Dunbartonshire. National Archives of Scotland: Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch including Legal and Financial documents, Letters and Personal papers, Title deeds and Estate papers, Papers relative to the Earls of Airth and Menteith and other miscellaneous items. 1668.
  14. ↑ Chambers, Robert (1874). Domestic Annals of Scotland, from the Reformation to the Revolution. W. &. R. Chambers, Edinburgh.
  15. ↑ "Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch, Dunbartonshire". Papers of the Cunninghame Graham Family of Ardoch including Legal and Financial documents, Letters and Personal papers, Title deeds and Estate papers, Papers relative to the Earls of Airth and Menteith and other miscellaneous items. GB-234 - GD/22/1/30 National Archives of Scotland.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  16. ↑ Dobson, David (2003). Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations, 1650-1775. Clearfield. p. 61.
  17. ↑ Transactions of the Hawick Archeological Society. James Haining and Co. 1863.
  18. ↑ Redbook of Menteith. 439.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  19. ↑ Stewart, William J. (2012). Collins dictionary of law (3rd ed.). Glasgow [Scotland]: Collins. ISBN   9780007221653., the money that the vassal had to pay to his superior
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.