GRAHAM, William 7th Earl of Menteith, Earl of Strathearn, 1st Earl of Airth ^{1 2}

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  General Notes:

"William Graham, seventh Earl of Menteith, was created Earl of Airth by King Charles I., the patent being dated at Whitehall 21 January 1633. This new creation of a dignity no higher in degree than that already enjoyed by the Earl of Menteith, arose out of circumstanceswhich may be briefly explained.

The Earl of Menteith having, by his talents and eminent services to the State attained a position of commanding influence and power, resolved to reclaim the Earldom of Strathern, of which his progenitor, Malise Graham, first Earl of Meuteith, had been unjustly deprived by King James I. on the pretext that it was a male fief, notwithstanding there was no such limitation in the original charter of the Earldom granted by King Robert II. to his son David, grandfather of Earl Malise. No opposition was offered to the preliminary steps taken by the Earl of Menteith to make good his claim; on the contrary, the King's Advocate, Sir Thomas Hope, gave every facility for the recovery of the charters relating to the older dignity, and it was with the full concurrence and encouragement of the King himself that the Earl, having renounced all claim to lands belonging to the Earldom of Strathern which were the property of the Crown, was served heir-general of Earl David and Euphemia, Countess of Strathern, on 25 May 1630. This step, indeed, was insisted on by the King's Advocate in order to give validity to the Earl's renunciation of the Crown lands, for which the King offered to give reasonable satisfaction. The sum actually paid on this account was £3000. A patent followed bearing date 31 July 1631, ratifying and approving to Earl William and his heirs-male and of taillie, the title of Earl of Strathern, with precedency and priority proper thereto due to them by virtue of the charters granted to Earl David. A grant of the lands and barony of Drummond (Drymen), dated 26 November 1631, was given to William, Earl of Strathern and Menteith, and as Earl of Strathern he sat in the Parliament of Scotland on 22 September 1631, and 13 April and 2 September 1632.

But there were other than royal interests affected by the Earl of Menteith's assumption of the older title, as it was open to him to prosecute his right against all others for lands which he could justly claim by virtue of the restoration of the dignity of Earl of Strathern, and it appears from Sir John Scot of Scotstarvit's True Relation of William, Earl of Menteith's Affairs concerning the Earldom and Title of Strathern, that the alarm of the proprietors of these other lands was used by the Earl's political enemies as an argument for denuding him of his new dignity. This, however, would not have sufficed to move King Charles to disappoint the ambition of his trusted servant, if there had not been added an argument which closely touched the King himself.

The claim of the Earl of Menteith, it was pointed out, involved, if allowed, a possible right to the throne, David, Earl of Strathern, being the elder son of King Robert II. by his consort, Euphemia Ross. Unfortunately for himself, the Earl of Menteith unduly emphasised this fact by boasting in the presence of witnesses that he had the reddest blood in Scotland, and that the King was obliged to him for his crown ; at least these were the 'treasonable speeches' alleged against him by Sir Robert Dalzell, Sir James Skene of Curriehill, and others, but the Earl solemnly denied that he had ever used such words. As the legitimacy of King Robert's issue by Elizabeth Mure was at this period a matter of controversy, King Charles was made to feel that he had acted rashly and imprudently in countenancing Menteith's claim, and severe if not oppressive measures were taken to undo what had been done, and to destroy for ever any appearance of pretension on Menteith's part to royal descent from the Earl of Strathern. His retours of service as heir of line of Prince David and Countess Euphemia were illegally annulled, his patent was cancelled, and he was compelled to accept a new title which should extinguish that of Strathern and make even Menteith a secondary dignity. This was the origin of the Earldom of Airth, the creation of which marked the fall of the former royal favourite."

from Scots Peerage (vol 1, see the original text for a lengthier discussion of the Earldom of Airth)




"William (Graham), seventh Earl of Menteith, was still under age in 1610 when a royal dispensation was granted on account of his minority, and on 7 August in that year he was served heir to his father in the earldom of Menteith, the lands of Kilbride, and others. From this time for some years he devoted himself to consolidating and adding to his estates. In 1621 he had a Commission of Justiciary over malefactors in his own district, and in that year also he first sat in Parliament. In 1626 he was made a Privy Councillor and a Commissioner of Exchequer. In 1628 he was made President of Council and also Justice-General of Scotland, holding the last office, at the pleasure of the King, until 1633. In 1630 he was sworn a Privy Councillor of England also. His commanding talents and his public services were thus rewarded, until, in an evil moment, he laid claim to the earldom of Strathearn, held by his ancestor Earl Malise. He was, after a formal resignation, ratified in the title of Earl of Strathearn, but the remainder of his history, his death, and his family will be found in detail under the title of Airth."

from Scots Peerage (vol 6) ^{1 2}

William married Agnes GRAY, daughter of Patrick GRAY 6th Lord Gray and Marie STEWART, 26 February 1612(contract).¹ (Agnes GRAY was born about 1591 and died after 1 March 1667 ¹.)

  Marriage Notes:

"By his Countess, Agnes, daughter of Patrick, Lord Gray, (marriage-contract 26 February 1612) the Earl of Airth and Menteith had seven sons and four daughters"

from Scots Peerage (vol 6) ¹