Earls of Airth (1633)
1st Earl of Airth, William Graham, b.1591, a.1633, d.1661
William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith,
was made a Privy Counsellor in 1626 and Lord President of the Court of Session
from 1628 as well as being Lord Justice General. He was a favourite of Charles
I and created 1st Earl of Strathearn in 1631. However, about this
time questions arose as to the legitimacy of any children born to King Robert
II and his first wife Elizabeth Mure, since they were not married at the time
of their children’s births. The issue was later settled, but at the time
Menteith made a nuisance of himself by bragging about being the legitimate heir
of Robert II, and being in possession of the Strathearn title only reinforced
his conceit. The patent to the earldom of Strathearn was therefore hastily
withdrawn and replaced by the title of 1st Earl of Airth. Graham was
later reconciled to his King and fought against the Covenanters.
2nd Earl of Airth, William Graham, b.?, a.1661, d.1693
Grandson of the 1st Earl and Agnes Gray, daughter of Patrick
Gray, 6th Lord Gray, and son of John Graham, Lord Graham of Kinpont
(b.c.1613, d.1644) and Mary Keith, daughter of William Keith, 5th
Earl Marischal. The Lord Graham had fought for the
King at the Battle of Tippermuir and had been murdered shortly afterwards by
his close friend, James Stewart of Ardvorlich, supposedly after refusing to defect
to the Covenanters and assassinate Montrose, since after the death, Stewart
featured prominently for the Covenanters. The 2nd Earl, also 8th
Earl of Menteith, had money problems and had to borrow from members of his
family. He eventually sold most of his lands to his kinsman and Clan Chief, James
Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose, with
the remainder going to his nephew. On his death the earldom, and that of Menteith,
became extinct or dormant.
(Last updated: 29/04/2011)