Helen Graham

Notes:

She was definitely a daughter of the first earl of Montrose. The will of William Graham, who was killed at the battle of Flodden Field in 1513, acknowledges a debt to the Laird of Luss (i.e. John Colquhoun, father of Humphrey), on account of his daughter's dowry, and also the Laird of Luss younger (i.e. Humphrey).

Burke's Peerage and Burke's Landed Gentry, and thus many online sources, show William Graham's daughters Margaret, Elizabeth, and Helen, in that order, as daughters of William Graham by his second wife Janet Edmondstone.

This cannot be true of Elizabeth. The Complete Peerage 4:470 says that Walter Drummond, grandson of John Drummond and Elizabeth Lindsay, "m., in Feb. 1513/4, his cousin Elizabeth, 2nd da. of William (Graham), 1st Earl of Montrose [S.], by his first wife Annabel, 4th da. of John (Drummond), Lord Drummond abovenamed." It can be seen that if Walter Drummond and his wife Elizabeth were cousins, it would have to be the case that Elizabeth was a daughter of William Graham's first wife, Annabel Drummond.

CP says of Annabel Drummond that "[s]he was living 1492" and that her son William Graham, second earl of Montrose, was "a minor at his father's death", 9 Sep 1513, but "was served heir to him" 24 Oct 1513. The Scots Peerage narrates this latter event in a way that suggests that the younger William was still a minor on 24 Oct 1513: "William […] was under age at the death of his father, but in virtue of the Act of 24 August, was served his heir 24 October, 1513." SP goes on to emphasize and extoll his precocity: "He early displayed qualities of prudence and statesmanship which enabled him, over a long life," [etc.]. CP notes that the younger William "was present in Parl. [S.] 2 Jun 1514" and that he married his only wife, Janet Keith, in Dec 1515. All of which suggests that the second earl attained his majority no earlier than the end of 1513, which means that he has to have been born to Annabel Drummond no earlier than the end of 1492, and given that he could perfectly well have married while still a minor, plausibly as late as 1497 or 1498.

Also, according to SP, William Graham and Annabel Drummond had a second son following William: "Walter, a younger son of the first marriage, who had a tack of Little Cairnie for nineteen years from the Abbot of Inchaffray, 8 January 1541-42, and appears to have been ancestor of the second family of the Grahams of Thornick, afterwards Cairnie." If so, this moves the end of Annabel Drummond's life to no earlier than the end of 1493. And again, given that the first son could easily have been born as late as 1497-98, she was quite possibly still living in 1498-99.

The date of William Graham's marriage to Janet Edmondstone is unknown to us, but the earliest record of them as married is a charter dated 17 Mar 1505. According to CP she died between that date and 15 Apr 1506.

The papal dispensation for Helen Graham's marriage to Humphrey Colquhoun was dated 13 Jul 1509.

If Annabel Drummond died as soon as the records allow, say December 1493, and William Graham married Janet Edmondstone as soon as possible, say the first part of 1494, and Helen Graham was their first child, born say early 1495, then the papal dispensation for her marriage to Humphrey Colquhoun, dated 13 Jul 1509, was issued when she was fourteen. Which is hardly unheard-of among the aristocracy of 15th/16th century Scotland, but also adds up to a pretty tight fit.

Additional to this is the fact that William Graham and Annabel Drummond married in 1479, and yet their eldest son and heir cannot have been born earlier than late 1513. It is implausible that they spent the first dozen years of their marriage having no children. We have seen that daughter Elizabeth has to have been the issue of William and Annabel. Margaret is specified by SP as a daughter of the second marriage. Aside from the fact that this implies, in SP's usual manner of listing offspring, that the other daughters, whose mothers are not noted, were from the first marriage, it also means that Helen, Jean, and Elizabeth are the only known offspring of William Graham whose birth can be used to fill the childbearing years from 1480 to 1492. (The other legitimate child of William Graham, Patrick, is given by SP as his son by his third wife, Christian Wawane.)

Taken together, we think the evidence preponderantly suggests that Helen Graham was a daughter of William Graham's first wife, and probably, as the order of William's children in SP suggests, his eldest daughter.

Helen married Humphrey Colquhoun about 13 Jul 1509. Humphrey (son of John Colquhoun and Elizabeth Stewart) was born in of Luss, Argyll, Scotland; died in Jan 1538. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Helen Colquhoun died between 13 Jun 1594 and 13 Mar 1596 in Aiket, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Notes:

"Lord Graham sat in the Parliaments of James III in 1479, 1481, 1482 and 1487, and supported the cause of that monarch against his son and the confederated Lords, being present on the royal side at the battle of Sauchieburn, 11 June 1488. He was soon received into favour, and even familiar friendship, by James IV, and sat in this sovereign's first Parliament 6 October 1488, and in the second 6 February 1491-92. His principal acquisitions were the estates of Aberuthven and Inchbrakie in Perthshire. Between 7 July7 and 20 November 1503 he was created EARL OF MONTROSE, and sat as such in Parliament 3 February 1505-6. On 3 March 1504-5 as William, Earl of Montrose, he had had a charter upon his own resignation of the lands of Old Montrose, which lands, the charter bears, belonged hereditarily to him by the grant of Robert I and the confirmation of David II under their Great Seals, to his predecessors, and which James IV now erected into the free barony and earldom of Montrose. Of the same date he had three other charters, viz. a new erection of the barony of Kincardine, of Aberuthven, Inchbrakie, and others united into a barony of Aberuthven, and of Kynnaber in Forfarshire also erected into a barony. The Earl accompanied James IV in his ill-starred invasion of England, and fell at Flodden, 'sub vexillo regis,' along with his brother George of Callendar, and his brother-in-law, Sir William Edmondstone of Duntreath, 9 September 1513." [The Scots Peerage, citation details below.]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Abt 1500

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 1472

Notes:

"William, second Lord Graham, sat in Parliament 9 October 1466, and, on 23 November following, had a protection from Edward IV, along with his relative Patrick, Bishop of St. Andrews, and others, for two years, to come to England, and thence to go to France, Flanders, etc., and return to Scotland. It is known that Bishop Graham went to Rome, and remained there for some years, but how far Lord Graham availed himself of the protection is doubtful. He sat in Parliament again on 14 October 1467 and 21 November 1469, and died about the year 1471." [The Scots Peerage, citation details below]

William married Helen Douglas before 1460. Helen (daughter of William Douglas and Margaret Hay) was born about 1436; died after 20 Nov 1486. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Aft 1471

Notes:

Also Eleanor, Elene, etc.

"In an action pursued by her against her mother-in-law, Christian, Lady Graham, in 1474, the latter successfully pleaded the exception 'again ye said Elene yt scho suld be under sentence of cursing.'" [The Scots Peerage, citation details below]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: of Stobhall, Perthshire, Scotland
• Alternate death: Abt 4 Aug 1518
• Alternate death: 1519, Drummond Castle, Perthshire, Scotland

Notes:

"Created first Lord Drummond 1487/8, seneschal and coroner of Strathearn, ambassador to England, supported the marriage of the Earl of Angus to Queen Margaret." [The Ancestry of Charles II, citation details below]

From the 1885-1900 Dictionary of National Biography:

He sat in parliament 6 May 1471, under the designation of dominus de Stobhall. On 20 March 1473–4 he had a charter of the offices of seneschal and coroner of the earldom of Strathearn, in which he was confirmed in the succeeding reign. In 1483 he was one of the ambassadors to treat with the English, to whom a safe-conduct was granted 29 Nov. of that year; again, on 6 Aug. 1484, to treat of the marriage of James, prince of Scotland, and Anne de la Pole, niece of Richard III. He was a commissioner for settling border differences nominated by the treaty of Nottingham, 22 Sept. 1484; his safe-conduct into England being dated on the ensuing 29 Nov. He was raised to the peerage by the title of Lord Drummond, 29 Jan. 1487–8. Soon after he joined the party against James III, and sat in the first parliament of James IV, 6 Oct. 1488. In this same year he was appointed a privy councillor and justiciary of Scotland, and was afterwards constable of the castle of Stirling. In 1489 the so-called Earl of Lennox rose in revolt against the king. He had encamped at Gartalunane, on the south bank of the Forth, in the parish of Aberfoyle, but during the darkness of the night of 11 Oct. was surprised and utterly routed by Drummond. As one of the commissioners to redress border and other grievances, Drummond had a safe-conduct into England 22 May 1495, 26 July 1511, 24 Jan. 1512–13, and 20 April 1514. In 1514 Drummond gave great offence to many of the lords by promoting the marriage of his grandson, Archibald Douglas, sixth earl of Angus, with the queen-dowager Margaret. Lyon king-at-arms (Sir William Comyn) was despatched to summon Angus before the council, when Drummond, thinking that he had approached the earl with more boldness than respect, struck him on the breast. In 1515 John, duke of Albany, was chosen regent, but because Drummond did not favour the election he committed him (16 July) a close prisoner to Blackness Castle, upon an allegation that he had used violence towards the herald. He was tried capitally, found guilty, and his estates forfeited. However, he was not long in coming to terms with Albany. With other lords he signed the answer of refusal to Henry VIII, who had advised the removal of Albany, to which his seal is affixed, 4 July 1516, and in October he announced his final separation from the queen's party. He was in consequence released from prison and freed from his forfeiture, 22 Nov. 1516.

John married Elizabeth Lindsay before 1470. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Living 22 Sep 1509.

Patrick married Christian Erskine. Christian (daughter of Robert Erskine and (Unknown) Stewart) died after 1478. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Sep 1437

Notes:

2nd earl of Angus. He and his wife were 5X-great grandparents of James VI and I (1566-1625).

"He was one of the negotiators for the release of James I [S.] in 1423. Was Ambassador to England, 1430, and Warden of the Middle Marches, 1433. He defeated the English at Piperden, 10 Sep. 1435."[Complete Peerage, citation details below]

CP dates his marriage to about 1425, but The Ancestry of Charles II (citation details below) notes that the prenuptial dispensation for the marriage was dated 6 Jan 1414/15.

William married Margaret Hay about 1414 in Yester Castle, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland. Margaret (daughter of William Hay and Elizabeth) was born about 1400; died after 22 Apr 1484. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Aft 1483

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: of Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland
• Alternate death: 1470

Malcolm married Mariota Murray after 14 Jul 1445. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Marion Murray.

Notes:

4th Earl of Crawford. Called "the Tiger" for his character, and "Beardie" for his facial appearance.

"Sheriff of Aberdeen, Guardian of the Marches, in league with the Douglas against James II, but submitted with great ceremony and was restored." [The Ancestry of Charles II, citation details below]

"He had been appointed sheriff of Aberdeenshire by 1450 and as an envoy to England and commissioner of the truce the following year. From 1453 he was also a guardian of the march. Despite his border interests he was also active in the north-east, and probably in the early 1450s entered into a bond with the eighth earl of Douglas and John Macdonald, lord of the Isles. Its terms do not survive, but it was most likely intended to resolve tensions in the region while securing the interests of the subscribers. This alliance of three of the most powerful magnates in the kingdom aroused the suspicion of James II, however, and was the immediate cause of his slaying of Douglas on 22 February 1452. Shortly afterwards, on 18 May, Crawford was defeated by the earl of Huntly at Brechin and fled to Finavon. Although Huntly is said to have 'displayit the kingis banere', the battle may have been as much an extension of a private feud (Huntly had been involved in the hostilities at Arbroath in which Crawford's father was fatally wounded) as a consequence of James's hostility to Crawford. Crawford was forfeited in the parliament which assembled at Edinburgh on 12 June, but he subsequently reconciled his differences with Huntly and his father's foe Bishop Kennedy and, helped by their intercession on his behalf, had been restored to the king's favour by 23 May 1453, when he was made a conservator of a truce with England." [Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, citation details below]

Alexander married Margaret Dunbar. Margaret (daughter of David Dunbar) was born about 1420; died between Jul 1498 and Jan 1500. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also called Marjory, Mariota. "Her widowhood was marked by much litigation." [The Ancestry of Charles II, citation details below]