William Graham, 1st Earl of Montrose facts for kids
William Graham, who became the 1st Earl of Montrose, was an important Scottish nobleman. He lived from 1464 to 1513. King James IV of Scotland made him an Earl. Sadly, he died fighting alongside the King at the Battle of Flodden.
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Who Was William Graham?
William Graham was the oldest son of William Graham, the 2nd Lord Graham. His mother was Eleanor Douglas. The Graham family, also known as Clan Graham, was a very old Scottish family. They originally came from Normandy. They became well-known during the time of King David I of Scotland.
William Graham's Journey to Power
When his father died around 1471, William became the 3rd Lord Graham. He was still quite young. He started attending the Scottish Parliament in 1479. He supported King James III in a disagreement with his son. William was present at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488.
After this battle, the new king, James IV, was kind to many of his father's supporters. William Graham was one of them. He continued to serve in Parliament under King James IV.
In 1503, William Graham was given a special new title. He became the 1st Earl of Montrose. This title came from his family's old lands at Old Montrose. He continued to serve in Parliament as an Earl.
The Battle of Flodden
In 1513, King James IV decided to invade England. Earl William Graham went with the King. On September 9, 1513, a big battle happened. This was the Battle of Flodden. Sadly, Earl William Graham was killed in this battle. His brother, George Graham, and his brother-in-law, Sir William Edmonstone, also died there.
William Graham's Lands
Before he became an Earl, William Graham bought some new lands. These were Aberuthven and Inchbrakie in Perthshire. After he became an Earl, his family's old lands of Old Montrose were made into a special area. It was called the free barony and earldom of Montrose. He also received control over other new areas. These included Kincardine, Aberuthven, and Kynnaber.
William Graham's Family Life
William Graham, the 1st Earl of Montrose, was married three times.
- His first wife was Annabel Drummond.
- His second wife was Janet Edmonstone.
- His third wife was Christian Wawane.
Children from His Marriages
From his first marriage to Annabel Drummond, he had two sons:
- William Graham, who became the 2nd Earl of Montrose.
- Walter Graham.
From his third marriage to Christian Wawane, he had another son:
- Patrick Graham of Inchbraikie.
Earl William also had several daughters:
- Helen Graham, who married Humphrey Colquhoun.
- Nicolas Graham, who married John Moray.
- Elizabeth Graham, who married Walter Drummond.
- Margaret Graham, who married Sir John Somerville.
- Jean Graham, who married David Graham.
