James Graham (25 October 1612-21 May 1650) was the first Marquis of Montrose, and was a leader of the Scottish Covenanters during the Bishops' Wars. He later commanded House of Stuart royalists during the English Civil Wars, and was hung and beheaded by the Parliamentarians after their victory. In Scotland, he is known as the Great Montrose.
Biography[]
Graham was born to the Clan Graham of Scotland, and was descended from the Grahams, Stewarts, and many other clans. As a young man, he read Roman works such as Xenophon, Seneca, and Tasso, and his favorite novel was Walter Raleigh's "The History of the World".
In 1638, when Charles I of England attempted to convert the Presbyterian Scots to Episcopalianism, the Bishops' Wars began as the Scots rebelled against English rule. He joined the "Covenanters", the rebels against English rule, but after the war's end in 1639, Graham began to feel sympathies for the king, as he wanted to remove the bishops from power without making the Presbyterians the masters of the country.
King Charles refused to give way to the demands of the Scots and in 1640 he again invaded Scotland, so he played a double game. Although fighting against the English and winning many battles, he was brought before a Scottish court for conspiracy against Argyll, and he was imprisoned. But after the end of the war, he was granted amnesty alongside the other partisans of King Charles.
In 1644, for his loyalty to the King, he was given the rank of Marquess, and a year later was made Captain General of Scotland (governor of Scotland). Leading Highland Scots and Royalist Irish during the English Civil Wars, he defeated Parliamentarian Scots and Covenanters in the Battle of Tippermuir and the Battle of Aberdeen in 1646. His consistency of victory led to his acquisition of the accolade as one of the greatest generals of the time period, as he constantly defeated his opponents.
However, after King Charles was defeated in the Battle of Naseby, Graham was exiled to Norway in September 1646. Before then, he had been effective master of Scotland, and his declaration of a non-political Presbyterian government had led to the making of many enemies, including general David Leslie.
Death[]
Montrose's tomb
Graham returned in 1649 after King Charles died, and he was maded the now-nominal Governor of Scotland. Graham tried to raise the clans against the Covenanters, but on 27 April 1650 he was defeated in the Battle of Carbisdale by Archibald Strachan and the Covenanters and government Scots. He escaped but was captured soon after, and he was hung in Edinburgh. Graham was beheaded afterwards.