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Sir Robert Graham of Kinpont

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Date: After 1387 to 1437
Location: Kincardineshire, Scotlandmap
Surname/tag: Graham
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The Birth Date is a rough estimate. See the text for details.

Contents

Family

Robert was born about 1387. His date of birth is based on the date of his parent's marriage. He was the second son of Patrick Graham of Kincardine and Egidia Stewart. [1] Robert was thought to have been a student in Paris in 1394 [1]

He was generally designated as "of Kinpunt" having probably succeeded to the estate after the advancement of his brother Patrick Graham, to the Earldom of Strathearn. [1] [2]

Robert was said to be the uncle and tutor of Malise, Earl of Strathearn [3] whose father had been killed. [4]

Marriage and Children

In an indenture dated 1399 between Sir Patrick Graham of Kincardine and Sir John Oliphant of Abderalgie that their respective son and daughter, Robert Graham and Marion Oliphant marry "God willing" [1] [5] [6] [7] Marion Oliphant is supposed to be the same Marion Oliphant who in 1446-47 resigned the lands of Cessfurd and others in favor of Sir Robert Graham, the eldest of her four sons [8] In a charter by James, Lord Hamilton dated 24 February 1446-7 to his kinsman Robert of Graham son and heir of Marion of Olphant, the sons of Marion are listed as the said Robert, Walter Graham, Patrick Graham and Umfridd Graham [9]

Robert is in a charter dated 4 August 1420, with William Graham and his spouse Mariota Stewart. His brother Alexander is among the witnesses [10] Mariote Stewart probably refers to Mary Stewart, Countess of Angus.

He had a son Thomas Graham who was with him as witness to the infeftment of Lucas of Stirling in the lands of Kere 22 January 1433 [11] He may have had other sons. In an excerpt from his book Life and Death of King James I of Scotland John Shirley mentions "one of Graham's sons" [12] and he is said to have 5 sons, including Thomas who was the eldest [13]

Political Life

He was a supporter of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and his son Murdoch who was kept in captivity for some years by the English, and liberated in about 1416 shortly after Henry V succeeded his father. [14] When Murdoch and his 2 sons were executed by James I in 1425, [15] Robert Graham was imprisoned in Dunbar, [16] but was free by 1428 . In 1436 after a disastrous military campaign in Roxburgh, afterwards referred to as the "Foul Raid" [17] Sir Robert denounced James I in Parliament and attempted to arrest him. [18] [19] Robert was arrested, and banished and imprisoned [20] but he afterwards escaped. [3]

Following his escape from imprisonment, a conspiracy was formed between Sir Robert and the Earl of Atholl and Atholl's grandson, Robert Stewart [21] [22]. On the night of 20 February 1437 ,James was lodging in the Dominican Friary in Perth, when Robert Stewart allowed in the conspirators [23] including Sir Robert , and his son Thomas, accompanied by a body of 300 Highlanders [24] when they then stabbed the king to death. Sir Robert is said to have been a leading actor in the murder [25]and dealt the fatal blow [26] [27]

Within a month the leaders of the plot were caught. The Earl of Atholl had a red hot coronet placed on his head before he and his son were beheaded. Robert Stewart was tortured to death.[22] Sir Robert Graham was found hiding under a rock on the edge of Loch Bhac above Blair Atholl, still known as Graham's Rock [22]

Death

He murdered King James I in 1437, in Perth [28] , in a plot with the Earl of Atholl [12] He was tried at Stirling Castle [26] and died on the scaffold in the same year, some claiming that he was tortured before, [29] for his part in the murder. [18] His son Thomas who was part of the plot to murder of James I, also suffered the same consequence [1]


Research Notes

Robert's marriage to Mariota Oliphant, may have never taken place, according to Louisa Grace Graeme in her book Or and Sable: A book of the Graemes and Grahams, instead she married his half brother William . [30] No sources provided in this book and the premise is not proven.
It is more likely that the Marion Oliphant married to Robert was a completely different person to the Mariota Oliphant purported to be married to his half brother William. There is much conjecture about the name of William's first wife and the mother of his elder children, yet to be resolved.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Paul, Sir James BalfourThe Scots Peerage : Edinburgh (1904) Volume 6, page 214 vol 6 page 214
  2. ↑ Stuart, John, Burnett, G The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland Edinburgh (1878) Great Britain Public Record Office, Vol IV page 195 Vol IV page 195
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harris. Sir Nicholas, History of the Earldoms of Strathearn and Monteith W Pickering : London, 1842, National Library of Scotland, page 20
  4. ↑ History of the Earldoms of Strathearn, Monteith and Airth, National Library of Scotland page 17
  5. ↑ Drummond, The Honourable William, Glasgow: Constable (1889) Geneaology of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Drummond page 166
  6. ↑ Oliphants in Scotland History of Scottish Families, National Library of Scotland [page xxvii
  7. ↑ MacFarlane Geneaologies-National Library of Scotland vol 2 page 102
  8. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour The Scots Peerage Edinburgh: David Douglas (1904) vol 6, page 537 vol 6, page 537
  9. ↑ Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Great Britain. Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=_GIpAAAAYAAJ&pg=GBS.PA16&hl=en_GB
  10. ↑ The Great Seal of Scotland A.D 1306-1668 vol 2 page 36
  11. ↑ Fraser, William Stirlings of Keir : Edinburgh (1858) National Library of Scotland, page 211]
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Shirley, John Life and Death of King James I of Scotland (1837) https://digital.nls.uk/scotlandspages/timeline/1437.html
  13. ↑ Brown, MH (2004) Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Subscription needed
  14. ↑ Stuart John, Burnett, G, Edinburgh (1878) Great Britain Public Record Office The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland Vol 4 page Ixxvii
  15. ↑ Bain, Joseph Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, Great Britain Public Record Office (1881) Vol 4 https://https://archive.org/details/calendarofdocume04grea/page/n37/mode/1up
  16. ↑ Stuart, John, Burnett, G, Edinburgh (1898) Great Seal Public Office The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland page Ixxix
  17. ↑ Stuart , John, Burnett, G Edinburgh (1898) Great Britain Public Office, The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland vol 4 page Ixxix
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Shirley, John, translation of The Dethe of James Kynge of Sotis, page 8 https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/deathjas/1:2?rgn=main;view=fulltext
  19. ↑ McGladdery, Christine, The Kings and Queens of Scotland: James I (2002) page 140
  20. ↑ Stuart, John, Burnett, G: Edinburgh (1878) Great Britain Public Record Office The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland vol 4 page cxix
  21. ↑ Story of the Stewarts History of Scottish Families: National Library of Scotland https://digital.nls.uk/histories-of-scottish-families/archive/95232287#
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 History of the Stewarts|Battles and Historic Events| Murder of James : https://www.stewartsociety.org/history-of-the-stewarts.cfm?section=battles-and-historical-events&subcatid=2&histid=17
  23. ↑ McQuarrie, Alan Medieval Scotland : Kingship and Nation Sutton (2004) page 219
  24. ↑ Stuart, John, Burnett, G, Edinburgh: (1878) Great Britain Public Record OfficeThe Exchequer Rolls of Scotland Vol 4 page cxxi vol 4 page cxxi
  25. ↑ 'Cronykill' in Misc.Scotia.ii as cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour, The Scots Peerage Edinburgh: David Douglas (904) Volume 6, page 214 vol 6 page 214
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Brown. Michael, James I 1994: Tuckwell Press 2000 page 198
  27. ↑ Seaver, J Montgomery Graham Family Records Philadelphia (1929) p29 (D) Ref 40 page 29
  28. ↑ McGladdery, ChristineThe Kings and Queens of Scotland : James I (2002) page 143
  29. ↑ Graham, Lloyd D, House Graham From the Antoine Wall to the Temple of Hymen Chapter 5, page 73
  30. ↑ Graeme, Louisa Grace Or and Sable A book of the Graemes and Grahams page xxx page xxx

See Also:

Clan Graham Society The Grahams : These Are Your People https://clangrahamsociety.org/the-grahams-these-are-your-people/

Abernethy, Susan : The Assassination of King James I of Scotland https://thefreelancehistorywriter.com/2013/05/24/the-assassination-of-king-james-i-of-scotland/

Flantzer, Susan : Assassination of James I, King of Scotland, https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/assassination-of-james-i-king-of-scots-1437/

Oram, Professor Richard A Queen's Revenge - King James I of Scotland http://www.kingjames1ofscotland.co.uk/publications/a-queens-revenge/

Wikipedia: James I of Scotland

Wikipedia: Sir Robert Graham

Wikipedia: Roxburgh Castle

Wikipedia: Dunbar Castle

Clan Graham: Electric Scotland https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/dtog/graham2.html





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