William Graham, 8th Earl of Menteith facts for kids

William Graham, 8th Earl of Menteith and 2nd Earl of Airth (born around 1634, died 1694), was an important Scottish nobleman. He helped stop a group called the Covenanters, who were against the king's religious rules. William also had a lot of money problems because of debts on his family's lands. When he died in 1694, his special titles ended.

William Graham's Early Life and Titles

William Graham was the son of John Graham, who was known as the Master of Menteith, and Lady Mary Keith. In 1661, when his grandfather, William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith, passed away, William Graham became the 8th Earl of Menteith and 2nd Earl of Airth.

Most of his family's lands were already controlled by people they owed money to. Because of this, William didn't really want to take on the earldom. He lived in London for several years, trying to get money from King Charles II. He believed the king's father, Charles I, owed his grandfather money. William only received 500 pounds, which was not enough to cover the interest on the family's large debts.

Dealing with Debts and Disputes

William's creditors, the people he owed money to, made him accept the earldom in 1670. He worked hard to oppose the Covenanters in his lands. These were groups who disagreed with the king's religious policies.

In 1671, William gained the power to act against people who owed money or broke rules in his earldom. He got an order to arrest John Graham of Duchray. John had not repaid a debt and was seen as disobeying the king's orders.

The Aberfoyle Incident

On February 13, 1671, the Earl of Airth and his group went to a bridge near Aberfoyle. They knew John Graham of Duchray would be there for a family event. John Graham of Duchray was known to support the Covenanters and disagreed with the Earl.

John Graham of Duchray had papers that he thought protected him from being removed from his lands. He said, "What dare you do? This is all your masters." But his papers did not protect him from civil debts. During the disagreement, one person with the Earl was injured. John Graham of Duchray was later taken to the Edinburgh Tolbooth.

The End of the Earldoms

Around 1679, the Earl of Airth made a deal with the Marquess of Montrose. The plan was for the Earldom of Menteith to go to the Marquess if he married one of the Earl's cousins, Helen or Elanor Graham.

However, the Marquess of Montrose chose not to marry one of the cousins. Instead, he gained the right to the earldom directly from King Charles II. This transfer meant that the Earldom of Menteith was almost completely lost to William Graham's family line.

Even though he lost most of his rights to the Earldom of Menteith, William Graham continued to be known as the Earl of Airth until he died in 1694. He did not have any children, so his titles ended with him.

Later, in 1744, another William Graham, who was a great-grandson of the Earl's sister, Elizabeth Graham, took on the title of Earl of Menteith.