Rev. James Grahame

From Scotland's People Old Parish Registers - Births and Baptisms

• 1 May 1765 birth or baptism of James Graham, son of Thomas Graham and Jean Robertson [child 4], in the parish of Glasgow

From Scotland's People: Old Parish Records - Marriages and Banns

• 14 March 1802 marriage or banns of James Graham to Janet Graham, in the parish of St Cuthbert's

From Edinburgh Magazine: Or Literary Miscellany Volume 19 Published 1802 Page 238 Marriages

Wednesday, 17 March 1802 At Edinburgh, James Grahame, Esq. advocate, to Miss Janet Graham, daughter of Richard Graham, Esq. of Blatwood.

From William Henry Hill handwritten manuscript, p30 97 Jean Grahame 98 Euphemia Erskine Robison 99 Anne G Robison 100 James G author Sabbath 101 William Richard G 102 James G 103 Thomas G.jpg

[WHH-REF:100] James Grahame, author of the "Sabbath" and other poems, second son of Thomas Grahame [WHH-REF:86] was born on 22 April 1765. He passed as a writer to the Signet in 1791 and as an advocate in 1795. In 1809 however, he abandoned the legal profession and entered the Church of England. On [blank] 1802 he married Janet daughter of Richard Graham of Blatwood in the County of Dumfries and of the Moat Annan, and died on 14 September 1811 leaving issue viz:

• Thomas Grahame [WHH-REF:101a] born 3 October 1804 died 24 March 1838 sine prole
• Hannah Grahame [WHH-REF:100b] born 16 May 1803 died 23 November 1843 unmarried
• William Richard Grahame [WHH-REF:101]
• James Grahame [WHH-REF:100c] born 14 December 1809 and died in infancy

From Early records of an old Glasgow family - Hill family, 1520-1901, by William Henry Hill, Published 1902 Page 74

James Grahame, Advocate, Author of The Sabbath and other poems.

Full story on Electric Scotland

From Wikipedia - James Grahame

After completing his literary course at the University of Glasgow Old College, now 140 High Street, Glasgow G1 1QF 55.85917, -4.24028, Grahame went in 1784 to Edinburgh, where he worked as a legal clerk, and was called to the Scottish bar in 1795. However, he had always wanted to go in for the Church, and when he was 44 he took Anglican orders, and became a curate first at Shipton, Gloucestershire, and then at Sedgefield, County Durham.

His works include a dramatic poem, "Mary Queen of Scots" (1801), "The Sabbath" (1804), "British Georgics" (1804), "The Birds of Scotland" (1806), and "Poems on the Abolition of the Slave Trade" in a joint volume on the subject with Elizabeth Benger and James Montgomery (1809). His principal work, "The Sabbath", a sacred and descriptive poem in blank verse, is characterized by devotional feeling and by happy delineation of Scottish scenery. In the notes to his poems he expresses enlightened views on popular education, the criminal law and other public questions. He was emphatically a friend of humanity—a philanthropist as well as a poet.

A satirical reference to "Sepulchral Grahame" is found in Lord Byron's "English Bards and Scotch Reviewers".

From Dictionary of National Biography Page 366

James Grahame, (1765–1811), Scotch poet, was born in Glasgow, 22 April 1765, his father being a prominent lawyer and ardent Whig. After a distinguished school and college career in Glasgow, Grahame, against his own inclination to study for the church, was apprenticed to his cousin, Laurence Hill, W.S., Edinburgh. Although disliking his work, and having somewhat uncertain health to contend with, he completed his apprenticeship, and in 1791 was admitted a member of the Society of Writers to the Signet. His father dying this year, Grahame meditated a change of profession, and at length, in 1795, became an advocate. In 1802 he married the eldest daughter of Richard Grahame, town-clerk, Annan, and for several years pursued his profession and took recreation in literature. His success as an advocate being limited, Grahame resolved on realising his early intention of being a clergyman. Accordingly in 1809 he went to London, and shortly afterwards, ignoring his original position and reputation as ‘a Westland Whig,’ was ordained by the Bishop of Norwich. Presently he was appointed curate of Shipton Moyne, Gloucestershire, which he left in April 1810 to attend to certain family interests in Edinburgh. There was a vacancy that year in St. George's Chapel, Edinburgh, for which Grahame was an unsuccessful candidate. Mrs. Grant of Laggan, in one of her letters, tells of hearing him preaching for the post, and pleasantly describes and criticises both himself and his sermon. In August of that year Grahame was appointed sub-curate of St. Margaret's, Durham, from which he was shortly transferred to the curacy of Sedgefield in the same diocese. This he soon left, owing to declining health. He went for advice to Edinburgh, whence, after a short stay, he and his wife proceeded to his brother's residence at Whitehill, Glasgow Whitehill House, near 35 Finlay Drive, Glasgow G31 2QY 55.860043, -4.218424. Here Grahame died, 14 September 1811, leaving his widow and two sons and a daughter.

While at the university Grahame printed some verse for private circulation, and in 1797 he published his ‘Rural Calendar.’ To 1799 belongs ‘Wallace, a Tragedy,’ of which six copies were printed. In 1801 appeared an unsuccessful dramatic poem on Mary Queen of Scots. When married Grahame discovered that his wife thought but meanly of his poetry, and this, no doubt, was his main reason for publishing ‘The Sabbath’ anonymously in 1804. It charmed him to find Mrs. Grahame in raptures over the descriptive beauty, the vivid historical illustrations, the moving, sentimental pictures, and the deep religious earnestness of a poem that is Scottish to the core; and he then avowed the authorship. Three new editions were called for in a year, and to these Grahame added descriptive and thoughtful ‘Sabbath Walks.’ In 1806 he wrote a pamphlet advocating trial by jury in civil causes, and in the same year he published his ‘Birds of Scotland,’ exemplifying both ornithological knowledge and descriptive ingenuity and ease. In 1808 he issued his poems in two volumes, publishing the following year in quarto his ‘British Georgics,’ of which the most poetical portions are not didactic. In 1810 he published ‘Poems on the Abolition of the Slave Trade.’ As poet of ‘The Sabbath’ Grahame is much respected and admired by Scott, while he is the object of one of Byron's most gratuitous sneers in ‘English Bards and Scotch Reviewers,’ and supplies Professor Wilson with the theme of a very warm poetical eulogy.

[Edinburgh Annual Register, 1812; Lockhart's Life of Scott, ii. 29, 176, 369, 389, 390; Mrs. Grant of Laggan's Memoirs and Correspondence, i. 136, 243; Chambers's Biog. Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen; Anderson's Scottish Nation.]

From Exhibition Illustrative of Old Glasgow 1894 by Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Published 1894 Page 42

Lent by Thomas Grahame.

117. [Portrait of] The Rev. James Grahame. Born, 1765; died, 1811.

Second son of Thomas Grahame, writer in Glasgow, and brother of Robert Grahame of Whitehill (No. 446). Married the eldest daughter of Richard Grahame of Blattwood, Town-clerk of Annan. First a Writer to the Signet, he thereafter became an advocate, and finally, abandoning the law, was ordained a deacon of the Church of England. Author of "The Sabbath" and other poems.

Painter unknown.

Image from National Galleries Scotland

• Artist: Freeman
• Title: Rev. James Grahame, 1765 - 1811. Advocate, clergyman and poet
• Date created: Unknown
• Materials: Stipple and line engraving
• Measurements: 21.50 x 13.00 cm
• Object type: Work on paper
• Accession number: UP G 119
• Gallery: Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JD 55.955417, -3.193583 (Print Room)
• Depicted: Rev. James Grahame