James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose

The Duke of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose.
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland
In office 1716–1733
Monarch	George I George II
Preceded by	The Marquess of Annandale
Succeeded by	The Earl of Ilay
Lord Clerk Register
In office 1716–1716
Monarch	George I
Secretary of State for Scotland
In office 24 September 1714 – August 1715 (resigned)
Monarch	George I
Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland
In office 1709–1713
Monarch	Queen Anne
Lord President of the Council of Scotland
In office 1706–1707
Monarch	Queen Anne
Lord High Admiral of Scotland
In office 1705–1706
Monarch	Queen Anne
Lord President of the Council of Scotland
In office 1704–1705
Monarch	Queen Anne
Personal details
Born	April 1682 Scotland
Died	7 January 1742 (aged 59) London, England, Great Britain
Spouse(s)	Christian Carnegie
Children	4 sons 1 daughter

James Graham, 1st Duke and 4th Marquess of Montrose (April 1682 – 7 January 1742) was a Scottish aristocratic statesman in the early eighteenth century.

He was the only son of James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose and Lady Christian Leslie. On 31 March 1702 he married Christian Carnegie, daughter of David Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Northesk. Together they had several sons, including William Graham and Lord George Graham.

Originally the fourth Marquess of Montrose, James was elevated to a dukedom in 1707, as a reward for his important support of the Act of Union, whilst being Lord President of the Scottish Privy Council. He was Lord High Admiral of Scotland from 1705 to 1706. He was Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1709 to 1713 and served as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1716 to 1733. He was also a Lord of the Regency for Great Britain in 1714, upon the death of Queen Anne. Furthermore, he served rather shortly as Secretary of State for Scotland at the time of the Georgian ministry of Lord Townshend. In 1719 he was one of the main subscribers to the Royal Academy of Music (1719), a corporation that produced baroque opera on the stage. He served as a Governor of London's Foundling Hospital at the time of its foundation in 1739. For much of his adult life he was Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.

Apart from his political career, the Duke is frequently associated with Robert MacGregor, who is popularly remembered by the name of Rob Roy. On his death he was buried at Aberuthven.

In Michael Caton-Jones's Rob Roy, Graham is played by John Hurt.

Ancestry

Family of James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose

16. John Graham, 4th Earl of Montrose               8. James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose                       17. Lady Margaret Ruthven               4. James Graham, 2nd Marquess of Montrose                             18. David Carnegie, 1st Earl of Southesk               9. Lady Magdalene Carnegie                       19. Margaret Lindsay               2. James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose                                   20. Robert Douglas, Master of Morton               10. William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton                       21. Jean Lyon               5. Lady Isabel Douglas                             22. George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal               11. Lady Anne Keith                       23. The Hon. Margaret Home               1. James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose                                         24. James Leslie, Master of Rothes               12. John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes                       25. The Hon. Catherine Drummond               6. John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes                             26. John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar               13. Lady Anne Erskine                       27. Lady Mary Stewart               3. Lady Christian Leslie                                   28. Robert Lindsay, 9th Baron Lindsay of the Byres               14. John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford                       29. Lady Christian Hamilton               7. Lady Anne Lindsay                             30. James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton               15. Lady Margaret Hamilton                       31. Lady Ann Cunningham

External links

• Pedigree at Genealogics

References

Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

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Political offices
Preceded by The Marquess of Annandale	Lord President of the Council of Scotland 1704 – 1705	Succeeded by The Marquess of Annandale
Preceded by The Duke of Richmond and Lennox	Lord High Admiral of Scotland 1705 – 1706	Succeeded by The Earl of Wemyss
Preceded by The Marquess of Annandale	Lord President of the Council of Scotland 1706 – 1707	Office abolished
Preceded by The Duke of Queensberry and Dover	Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland 1709 – 1713	Succeeded by The Duke of Atholl
Preceded by The Earl of Mar	Scottish Secretary 1714 – 1715	Succeeded by The Duke of Roxburghe
Preceded by The Earl of Ilay	Lord Clerk Register 1716	Succeeded by Lord Polwarth
Preceded by The Marquess of Annandale	Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland 1716 – 1733	Succeeded by The Earl of Ilay
Academic offices
Preceded by The Earl of Hyndford	Chancellor of the University of Glasgow 1714 – 1743	Succeeded by The 2nd Duke of Montrose
Peerage of Scotland
New creation	Duke of Montrose 1707 – 1742	Succeeded by William Graham
Preceded by James Graham	Marquess of Montrose 1684 – 1742