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 DO NOT FORGET Clan Crest © Art Pewter Silver Ltd, East Kilbride, Scotland |
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| Legend has it that the Grahams descend from ‘Gramus’, a great Caledonian chief, who demolished the wall built between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde built by the Roman Emperor Antonius. However, from the records available, it appears that Sir William de Graham was the first Scottish Graham. He accompanied David I on his way north to claim the Scottish crown. His name appears in William the Conqueror’s Doomsday book.
The Grahams were known as warriors: William, 3rd Lord Graham, died fighting at Flodden, and was created First Lord of Montrose in 1504. James Graham, 5th Earl and 1st Marquis, became known as one of the greatest generals of the time. In the 1640’s he held against the force of the Calvinists and Campbells, but was eventually defeated in 1645. He escaped to Europe, but many of the Grahams, including women and children were rounded up and slaughtered by the Calvinists. He returned to Scotland in 1650 to fight for Charles II. He was captured and ignominiously executed and only later was he given the dignity of a state funeral. The Grahams continued to be a source of trouble to the Calvinists during the 17th century and John Graham of Claverhouse, ‘Bonnie Dundee’, upheld this tradition. He shaped the Highlanders into a single fighting force which resulted in notable victories. He died at the pass of Killiekrankie, fighting for the last Stewart king.The Grahams stayed out of the Jacobite uprisings but were the target of trouble from the Macgregors with incursions into their land at Loch Lomond. During the 20th century the clan continued to make its mark in battle. The then Marquis, who was a sea commander, organised the Clyde Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, which proved its worth during the 1st World War. The Grahams of Menteith are also a branch of the clan, descended from William de Graham. |