William Graham, 3rd Earl of Menteith

WILLIAM GRAHAM Earl of Menteith

Biographical Summary from the Scots Peerage

William Graham, third Earl of Menteith, is first named in record on 16 June 1521, when he and his wife redeemed the lands of Lochcon from his grand-uncle Walter, and he later took steps to redeem Kilbride. He joined with his father in 1528 in releasing other lands from mortgage, and in 1534, while still Master, he obtained from their owner the lands of Boquhapple and Drongy. He succeeded his father between February and May 1537, and had sasines of the earldom of Menteith, and of the lands of Kilpont and of Kilbride. He took little part in public affairs, though he was present in Parliament in December 1540. His career was cut short by an untoward incident. The event is narrated in more versions than one, but the main facts were that a party of marauders, Murrays of Athole according to one account, but according to most versions Stewarts of Appin, passing through Menteith, came to a place where a wedding feast was prepared, the Earl being an expected guest. The strangers seized on the provisions, ate up the whole, and went on their way. The Earl, enraged at their audacity, pursued the Stewarts, and, according to a local writer, overtook them near a spring, now known as the Tyepers Well, on the ' Tyepers ' path, which leads to Loch Achray and the Trossachs. Here a fight ensued, in which the Menteith men were worsted and the Earl slain or mortally wounded. The exact date of this fray is not known, but the Earl was alive in September 1543 and was dead before 23 January 1543-44. He died intestate, but an inventory of his goods was given up and confirmed at Dunblane in July 1545. He had 'plenishing' on the lands of Kilbryd, Dalbrok, Auchayk, Oardranycht, and Boquhoppill, also in 'Auchmore, Arnthome, Portend, Brigend and Inche,' in the diocese of Dunblane. In the diocese of St. Andrews he had Kinpont and Bonhard. The whole inventory in both dioceses amounted to £1392. 19s. 8d. Scots. Earl William married, before June 1521, Margaret Moubray, daughter of John Moubray of Barnbougle, and widow of John Cornwall of Bonhard, who was killed at Flodden. She survived him, and was alive in July 1548. The Scots Peerage VI: pp. 156-7

Genealogy

The Scots Peerage; founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom. Edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, LL.D., Lord Lyon King of Arms. Volume VI. (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1909), 601 pp.

From Darryl Lundy's Peerage page on William Graham:

http://www.thepeerage.com/p2052.htm#i20517

William Graham, 3rd Earl of Menteith [1]

• M, #20517,
• d. circa 1543/44
• Last Edited=19 Aug 2012

William Graham, 3rd Earl of Menteith was the son of Alexander Graham, 2nd Earl of Menteith and Margaret Buchanan.[1]

He married Margaret Moubray, daughter of John Moubray of Barnbougle, before 16 June 1521.[1]

He died circa 1543/44, allegedly killed in a clan feud with the Tutor of the Stewarts of Appin, whose retinue had eaten up a wedding breakfast at which the 3rd Earl of Menteith was a guest, constituting a casus belli.[1]

He succeeded to the title of 3rd Earl of Menteith [S., 1427] in 1537.[1]

Children of William Graham, 3rd Earl of Menteith and Margaret Moubray

• 1. John Graham, 4th Earl of Menteith+[1] d. Jan 1564/65
• 2. Lady Margaret Graham+[2]

Citations

• 1. [S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 2751. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.
• 2. [S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 199. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.