Everything about James Graham 1st Marquess Of Montrose totally explained
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (
October 1612 -
21 May 1650), was a
Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the
Covenanters in the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King
Charles I as the
English Civil War developed. From 1644 to 1646, and again in 1650 he fought a
civil war in Scotland on behalf of the King.
Family
James Graham was the chief of
Clan Graham. He was a son of
John Graham, 4th Earl of Montrose and Mary Ruthven. His maternal grandparents were
William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, and Dorothea, a daughter of
Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven and his second wife Janet Stewart. Her maternal grandparents were
John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl and Lady Janet Campbell. Janet Campbell was a daughter of
Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll and Elizabeth Stewart. Elizabeth was a daughter of
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox and Margaret Montgomerie. Margaret was a daughter of
Alexander Montgomerie, 1st Lord Montgomerie and Margaret Boyd.
James Graham became 5th
Earl of Montrose by his father's death in
1626. He was educated at the
University of St Andrews, and at the age of seventeen married Magdalene Carnegie, daughter of
David Carnegie (afterwards
Earl of Southesk). They were parents of
James Graham, 2nd Marquess of Montrose.
Covenanter to Royalist
In
1638, after King Charles had attempted to impose an
Anglican-oriented prayer book upon the reluctant Scots, resistance spread throughout the country, eventually leading to the
Bishops' Wars. Montrose joined the party of resistance, and was for some time one of its most energetic champions. He had nothing
puritanical in his nature, but he shared in the ill-feeling aroused by the political authority King Charles had given to the
bishops. He signed the
National Covenant, and was sent to suppress the opposition which arose around
Aberdeen and in the country of the Gordons. Three times Montrose entered Aberdeen, where he succeeded in his object, on the second occasion carrying off the head of the Gordons, the
Marquess of Huntly, as a prisoner to
Edinburgh (though in so doing, for the first and last time in his life, he violated a safe-conduct). He was a leader of the delegation who subsequently met at
Muchalls Castle to parlay regarding the 1638 confrontation with the
Bishop of Aberdeen. With the
Earl Marischal he led a force of 9000 men across the
Causey Mounth through the
Portlethen Moss to attack
Royalists at the
Bridge of Dee. This set of events was an element of
Charles I decision to grant sweeping reforms to the
Covenanters.
In July
1639, after the signature of the
Treaty of Berwick, Montrose was one of the Covenanting leaders who visited Charles. The change of policy on his part, eventually leading to his support for the king, arose from his wish to get rid of the bishops without making
presbyters masters of the state. His was essentially a layman's view of the situation. Taking no account of the real forces of the time, he aimed at an ideal form of society in which the clergy should confine themselves to their spiritual duties, and the king should maintain law and order. In the Scottish parliament which met in September, Montrose found himself in opposition to
Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, who had made himself the representative of the Presbyterian and national party, and of the middle classes. Montrose, on the other hand, wished to bring the king's authority to bear upon parliament to defeat Argyll, and offered the king the support of a great number of nobles. He failed, because Charles couldn't even then consent to abandon the bishops, and because no Scottish party of any weight could be formed unless
Presbyterianism were established ecclesiastically.
Rather than give way, Charles prepared in
1640 to invade Scotland. Montrose was of necessity driven to play something of a double part. In August 1640 he signed the
Bond of Cumbernauld as a protest against the particular and direct practicing of a few, in other words, against the ambition of Argyll. But he took his place amongst the defenders of his country, and in the same month he displayed his gallantry in action at the forcing of the
Tyne at
Newburn. After the invasion had been crowned with success, Montrose still continued to cherish his now hopeless policy. On
27 May 1641 he was summoned before the Committee of Estates and charged with intrigues against Argyll, and on the 11th of June he was imprisoned in
Edinburgh Castle. Charles visited Scotland to give his formal assent to the abolition of
Episcopacy, and upon the king's return to England Montrose shared in the amnesty which was tacitly accorded to all Charles's partisans.
Highlanders had never before been known to combine together, but Montrose knew that many of the West Highland clans, who were largely
Catholic, detested Argyll and his
Campbell clansmen, none more so than the
MacDonalds who with many of the other clans rallied to his summons. The Royalist allied
Irish Confederates sent 2000 disciplined Irish soldiers led by
Alasdair MacColla across the sea to assist him. In two campaigns, distinguished by rapidity of movement, he met and defeated his opponents in six battles. At
Tippermuir and
Aberdeen he routed Covenanting levies; at
Inverlochy he crushed the Campbells, at
Auldearn,
Alford and
Kilsyth his victories were obtained over well-led and disciplined armies.
The fiery enthusiasm of the Gordons and other clans often carried the day, but Montrose relied more upon the disciplined infantry from Ireland. His strategy at Inverlochy, his tactics at Aberdeen, Auldearn and Kilsyth furnished models of the military art, but above all his daring and constancy marked him out as one of the greatest soldiers of the war. His career of victory was crowned by the great
Battle of Kilsyth on
15 August 1645.
Now Montrose found himself apparently master of Scotland. In the name of the king, who now appointed him
lord lieutenant and captain-general of Scotland, he summoned a parliament to meet at
Glasgow on
20 October, in which he no doubt hoped to reconcile loyal obedience to the king with the establishment of a non-political Presbyterian clergy. That parliament never met. Charles had been defeated at the
Battle of Naseby on
14 June, and Montrose must come to his help if there was to be still a king to proclaim.
David Leslie, the best of the Scottish generals, was promptly dispatched against Montrose to anticipate the invasion. On
12 September he came upon Montrose, deserted by his Highlanders and guarded only by a little group of followers, at
Philiphaugh. He won an easy victory. Montrose cut his way through to the Highlands; but he failed to organize an army. In September 1646 he embarked for
Norway.
Montrose was to appear once more on the stage of Scottish history. In June
1649, burning to revenge the death of the king, he was restored by the exiled
Charles II to the now nominal lieutenancy of Scotland. Charles however didn't scruple shortly afterwards to disavow his noblest supporter in order to become a king on terms dictated by Argyll and Argyll's adherents. In March
1650 Montrose landed in
Orkney to take the command of a small force which he'd sent on before him. Crossing to the mainland, he tried in vain to raise the clans, and on
27 April he was surprised and routed at the
Battle of Carbisdale in
Ross-shire. His forces were defeated in battle but he escaped. After wandering for some time he was surrendered by Neil MacLeod of Assynt at
Ardvreck Castle, to whose protection, in ignorance of
MacLeod's political enmity, he'd entrusted himself. He was brought a prisoner to Edinburgh, and on
20 May sentenced to death by the parliament. He was
hanged on the 21st, with Wishart's laudatory biography of him put round his neck. To the last he protested that he was a real Covenanter and a loyal subject.
Shortly after Montrose's death the Scottish Argyll Government switched sides and became Royalists too.
Battle history
For a full list of James Graham's battles and military activity see
Clan Graham.
Further Information
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