James Graham, 2nd Marquess of Montrose facts for kids

James Graham, 2nd Marquess of Montrose (born around 1631 – died February 1669) was an important Scottish nobleman and judge. He was known as "James the Good" or "the Good Marquess" because of his fair and honest character.

Early Life and Challenges

James Graham was the second son of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. His mother was Lady Magdalene Carnegie. His grandparents were John Graham, 4th Earl of Montrose and Lady Margaret Ruthven.

When James was about 14 years old, his older brother passed away in 1645. Soon after, James was captured by General John Urry in Montrose, Angus. At the time, he was attending school with his tutor. Both James and his tutor were held in Edinburgh Castle for a period.

The Montrose Family Lands

In 1650, James's father, the 1st Marquess of Montrose, was executed for serious political reasons. Because of this, the Montrose family's lands and wealth were taken away.

However, after King Charles II was defeated in 1652, James traveled to London. There, he met Oliver Cromwell, who was a powerful leader at the time. James then quickly returned to Scotland, and his family's lands were given back to him.

In the next year, James joined a rebellion in the Scottish Highlands. This uprising was led by William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn.

Disagreements and Peace

In 1653, James had a serious disagreement with Lord Lorne. Lord Lorne was a long-time rival of James's family. Their argument became very heated.

When the rebellion in the Highlands started to fail, James and Glencairn sent a message to George Monck. They offered to surrender if their lives were spared. Soon after, James and about 200 of his men were completely defeated by a smaller group. James and his party then made their own peace agreement with Monck. They agreed to go to Dundee on February 23rd, give up their weapons, and arrange for their safety.

After the king was restored to power in England, James took part in his father's state funeral. This grand event took place at Holyrood Abbey on January 1, 1661.

A Fair Judge

In April 1661, James was asked to vote at the trial of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll. However, James refused to vote. He said he could not be fair because of his family's past conflicts with Argyll.

James also made a financial claim against Argyll's son, Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll. This was to get back lands that had been given to James's father when Argyll's father lost his property. This led to a legal dispute between them. However, they eventually reached an agreement. On February 23, 1667, they even toasted each other in front of important officials.

In 1668, James was appointed an extraordinary lord of session. This meant he became a special judge in Scotland's highest court.

Family Life

James Montrose married Lady Isabella Douglas (1630–1673). She was the fifth daughter of William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton. James and Isabella had two sons and two daughters:

• James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose (1657–1684), who married Lady Christian Leslie.
• Lord Charles Graham, who passed away when he was young in 1674.
• Anne Graham, who married Alexander Livingston, 3rd Earl of Callendar.
• Jane Graham, who married Jonathan Urquhart of Cromarty.
• Grizel Graham, who married William, the second son of William, Lord Cochrane.

James passed away in February 1669. Argyll, whom James had chosen to be the guardian for his son, traveled from Inverary to Perthshire to attend James's funeral.

Future Generations

James's grandson, James Graham, became the 4th Marquess of Montrose. In 1707, he was given the higher title of 1st Duke of Montrose. This was a reward for his strong support of the Act of Union, which joined Scotland and England. At that time, he was also the Lord President of the Scottish Privy Council.

He held several other important roles:

• He was the Lord High Admiral of Scotland from 1705 to 1706.
• He was the Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1709 to 1713.
• He served as the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1716 to 1733.
• He was also a Lord of the Regency for Great Britain in 1714, after the death of Queen Anne.