William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose (1492 – 24 May 1571) was a Scottish nobleman and statesman, who successfully steered a moderate course through the treacherous waters of mid-16th century Scottish politics.

Origins

Graham was the eldest son and heir of William Graham, 1st Earl of Montrose by Annabel, a daughter of John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond. The Grahams were a long-established family of Norman origin, who first rose to prominence in the reign of

David I David I may refer to: * David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399 * David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741) * David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881) * David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048) * David I of Scotland ...

Career in the reign of James V

Montrose succeeded to the earldom as a minor, following the death of his father at the

Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory ...

. In 1525, he was one of a number of lords selected to attend personally on the King and in June 1535 he was appointed an ambassador to France in connection with the King's marriage. On 29 August 1536, he was named as one of the Commission of Regency during the King's absence in France until the King returned in 1537 with Madeleine of Valois.Sir John Balfour Paul, ''

The Scots Peerage ''The Scots Peerage'' is a nine-volume book series of the Scottish nobility compiled and edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, published in Edinburgh from 1904 to 1914. The full title is ''The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Rober ...

'', volume VI (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1909), at pages 226-230 Montrose supported the King in his struggles with the pro-English faction led by

Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 148922 January 1557) was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the son of George, Master of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and succ ...

and was rewarded on 29 May 1542 with a grant in feu of the King's lands of Rathernes and Blacksaugh, in

Strathearn Strathearn or Strath Earn (), also the Earn Valley, is the strath of the River Earn, which flows from Loch Earn to meet the River Tay in the east of Scotland. The area covers the stretch of the river, containing a number of settlements in ...

. (He afterwards also acquired the neighbouring lands of Orchill and Garvock.)

Career in the reign of Queen Mary

Following the King's death, Montrose was present at the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

held at

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

on 15 March 1543 and voted for the election of the Earl of Arran as regent for the infant

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

. However, when differences arose between the Regent and Cardinal Beaton, Montrose supported the latter. Montrose remained a leading member of the Regent's Council and was rewarded on 11 January 1546, for his personal attendance on the Queen, with a charter of many of the lands forfeited by the Earl of Lennox (at least until Lennox's restoration to favour in 1564). In November 1547, Montrose took part with the Regent in the unsuccessful siege of Broughty Castle, following its surrender to the English after the

Battle of Pinkie Cleugh The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh (), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk, Lothian, River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the U ...

. Montrose was not present at the Reformation Parliament of 1560 and was the only nobleman to attend the Queen's first

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

on her return from France in 1561. In 1563, the Bishop of Dunblane identified Montrose to

Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV (; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death, in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered itself a b ...

as remaining true to the

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

faith. Although Montrose was made a member of the Privy Council on 6 September 1561, he is not recorded as having attended any of the Queen's Parliaments after her return from France. He favoured the Queen's marriage to

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (1546 – 10 February 1567) was King of Scotland as the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, from 29 July 1565 until his murder in 1567. Lord Darnley had one child with Mary, the future James VI of Scotland and I ...

, but steered a middle course during the tumultuous upheavals that followed. Thus, he dissented from the deposition of the Queen and her imprisonment at Lochleven Castle between 1567 and 1568, and joined the Queen at Hamilton, following her escape; but he did not take the field in her support and his grandson and heir was on the other side. Montrose died at Kincardine on 24 May 1571.

Family

In December 1515 Montrose married Janet Keith, daughter of William, 3rd

Earl Marischal The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held ...

. She died between 27 August 1546 and 25 August 1547. They had numerous children:Gordon A. MacGregor, ''The Red Book of Perthshire'' (Perthshire Heritage Trust, 2006) * Robert Graham, Master of Graham, who was killed at the

on 10 September 1547. By his wife, Margaret Fleming, daughter of Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming, he had a posthumous son,

John Graham, 3rd Earl of Montrose John Graham, 3rd Earl of Montrose (1548 – 9 November 1608) was a Scottish peer and Chancellor of the University of St Andrews from 1599 to 1604. He was Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, from 1605 to 1606. Family back ...

, who succeeded to the earldom on Montrose's death. * Alexander Graham of Wallaceston, who married Marion, the daughter of George Seton, 3rd Lord Seton and widow of Hugh Montgomerie, Earl of Eglinton. * William Graham, the Rector of

Killearn Killearn (, from orig. ''Ceann Fhearann'', "Head/End of (the) Land/Territory"; until the 15th century when ''Ceann'' was replaced by ''Cill''; denoting the presence of a house of worship)Knight "What's in a Name"(August 2014) (pdf) ''Killearn C ...

, who died in about 1597 * Mungo Graham of Rathernis, who married (contract 26 March 1571) Marjorie, daughter of Sir William Edmonstone of Duntreath, was Master of the Household to

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for many years and died before 15 May 1590 * Margaret Graham, who married (contract 17 February 1535) Robert, Master of Erskine * Elizabeth Graham, who married

George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness George Sinclair (died 1582) was a Scottish nobleman, the 4th Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. Early life He was the son of John Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Caithness and Elizabeth, daughter ...

* Agnes Graham, who married (contract 15 April 1547) Sir

William Murray of Tullibardine William Murray of Tullibardine (died 1583) was a Scottish courtier and leader of the Clan Murray. Family background William Murray was the son of William Murray of Tullibardine (d. 1562) and Katherine Campbell, daughter of Sir Duncan Campbell ...

* Janet Graham, who married Sir Andrew Murray of Balvaird, their children included

David Murray, 1st Viscount of Stormont David Murray, 1st Viscount of Stormont (died 27 August 1631) was a Scottish courtier, comptroller of Scotland and captain of the king's guard, known as Sir David Murray of Gospertie, then Lord Scone, and afterwards Viscount Stormont. He is know ...

and Patrick Murray * Christian Graham, who married Robert Graham of Knockdolian

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montrose, William Graham, 2nd Earl Earls of Montrose 1571 deaths 16th-century Scottish peers Court of James V of Scotland Members of the Privy Council of Scotland Privy Council of Mary, Queen of Scots Year of birth unknown