Biography of James Graham 1st Marquess Montrose 1612-1650

Before October 1612 [his father] John Graham 4th Earl Montrose (age 39) and Margaret Ruthven Countess Montrose were married. She by marriage Countess Montrose. She the daughter of William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie (age 71). He the son of [his grandfather] John Graham 3rd Earl Montrose. They were fourth cousins.

Around October 1612 James Graham 1st Marquess Montrose was born to John Graham 4th Earl Montrose (age 39).

In 1626 [his father] John Graham 4th Earl Montrose (age 53) died.

Around 1631 [his son] James Graham 2nd Marquess Montrose was born to James Graham 1st Marquess Montrose (age 18).

In 1644 James Graham 1st Marquess Montrose (age 31) was created 1st Marquess Montrose.

In 1650 James Graham 1st Marquess Montrose (age 37) was appointed 451st Knight of the Garter by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 19).

John Evelyn's Diary. 6th September 1651. I went with my wife (age 16) to St. Germains, to condole with Mr. Waller's (age 45) loss. I carried with me and treated at dinner that excellent and pious person the Dean of St. Paul's, Dr. Stewart, and Sir Lewis Dives (age 52) (half-brother to the Earl of Bristol (age 38)) [Note. Beatrice Walcott was mother to Lewis Dyve and George Digby 2nd Earl Bristol by her first and second husbands respectively. At the time of writing, 1651, the Earl of Bristol was John Digby 1st Earl Bristol (age 71); a case of Evelyn writing hi sdiary retrospectively], who entertained us with his wonderful escape out of prison in Whitehall [Map], the very evening before he was to have been put to death, leaping down out of a jakes two stories high into the Thames at high water, in the coldest of winter, and at night; so as by swimming he got to a boat that attended for him, though he was guarded by six musketeers. After this, he went about in women's habit, and then in a small-coal-man's, traveling 200 miles on foot, embarked for Scotland with some men he had raised, who coming on shore were all surprised and imprisoned on the Marquis of Montrose's score; he not knowing anything of their barbarous murder of that hero. This he told us was his fifth escape, and none less miraculous; with this note, that the charging through 1,000 men armed, or whatever danger could befall a man, he believed could not more confound and distract a man's thoughts than the execution of a premeditated escape, the passions of hope and fear being so strong. This knight was indeed a valiant gentleman; but not a little given to romance, when he spoke of himself. I returned to Paris the same evening.

John Evelyn's Diary. 3rd December 1651. Sir Lewis Dives (age 52) dined with us, who relating some of his adventures, showed me divers pieces of broad gold, which, being in his pocket in a fight, preserved his life by receiving a musket bullet on them, which deadened its violence, so that it went no further; but made such a stroke on the gold as fixed the impressions upon one another, battering and bending several of them; the bullet itself was flatted, and retained on it the color of the gold. He assured us that of a hundred of them, which it seems he then had in his pocket, not one escaped without some blemish. He affirmed that his being protected by a Neapolitan Prince, who connived at his bringing some horses into France, contrary to the order of the Viceroy, by assistance of some banditti, was the occasion of a difference between those great men, and consequently of the late civil war in that kingdom, the Viceroy having killed the Prince standing on his defence at his own castle. He told me that the second time of the Scots coming into England, the King was six times their number, and might easily have beaten them; but was betrayed, as were all other his designs and counsels, by some, even of his bedchamber, meaning M. Hamilton, who copied Montrose's letters from time to time when his Majesty was asleep.

Diary of John Nicoll. 4th January 1661. Upone Fryday the fourt of Januar, and the fourt day of the Parliament, they aggreyit that thair fould be Lordis [of] Articles, as in former Parliamentis. And furder, red a Declaration of his Majefteis will and command that the Erle of Montros his corps, his heid, legis, and airmes fould be gadderit togidder, quhilkis wer feparat from his body in Maij 1650, and collecit and brocht from all places and pairtes of the cuntrie, quhairunto thai wer fent by ordour of the Parliament than fitting, and put up in a coffin and honorablie bureyit upone the Kinges Majefteis expends; quhilk wes punctallie performit in maner following.

In January 1661 the limbs, body and head of James Graham 1st Marquess Montrose were collected for burial; see Diary of John Nicoll 04 Jan 1661 and Diary of John Nicoll 11 May 1661. On 11th May 1661 the remains were given a splendid funeral and were buried in the Edinburgh Cathedral [Map].