DESCENDED FROM MONTROSE THROUGH ROBERT GRAEME, ARCHDEACON OF ROSS SON OF FIRST GREAT BARON OF INCHBRAKIE AND ABERUTHVEN

The life of the Archdeacon of Ross shows him to have been one of the most powerful men of his time, circa 1540 to 1661; his history is related in Sketch III of this volume. The Archdeacon had married Marjorie, daughter of Dunbar of Albrach, and a large family is left; on his son George’s shoulders falls the burden of dowering them.

George the second of Drynie was often at loggerheads with his north country neighbours; we find his name appearing as cautioner in 1597 and 1598, when he must have reached man’s estate, and in 1602 following on his father’s death he executes a deed (on a decreet arbitral pronounced by Patrick Graham of Inchbrakie and George Graeme afterwards Bishop of Dunblane and Orkney, his cousins), granting certain portions to his younger brothers David, Thomas, James and Robert. His sisters also are included in this. In 1613 he is down in Perthshire and signs Marion Colville’s contract of marriage to Murray of Tibbermuir; he signs his name Greme.

We hear nothing more of the brothers and sisters, but the Inverness sasines state George married Helen McKenzie. The Drynie pedigree states she was sister of Lord Portmore.

George Graeme had two sons by his marriage:

Thomas Graeme, who married Miss MacKenzie of Applecross and died without male issue, leaving only a daughter Isobel and Alexander, who carried on the line.

In 1607 we find George their father cautioner for 1000 merks at the Chanoury of Ross; he appears often to be in trouble

Poor George Graeme, he has a high spirit and is amongst rather turbulent surroundings as we have seen in the sketch of the Archdeacon, and in 1612 the Queen’s Chamber lain pursues him for debt to Her Majesty and what is more, Gordon of Buckie is denounced a rebel for not having "presented" George to the Council in November 1612.

The old feud between Graeme and McKenzie seems in no way appeased by the marriage of George’s son with Miss Mackenzie of Applecross; at any rate, some branches are still irreconcilable; we are rather glad to see George gets the best of it this time!

He appears as the pursuer against the servant (means also tenant) to John McKenzie minister at Dingwall, whom he accuses out of hatred to himself and "without respect to that godlie, honest and peciable behaviour which beseemeth ane of his calling," to have sent his tenant with a musket "chargit with a great number of bulletis to ane house to wait behind a dyke within the said George his owne towne of Drenie and attack said George."

When Rorie, this tenant saw "George of Drynie single and him alane with ane boy onlie following him with his sword at his back going and walking furth the hie way," he shot him and seven bullets went into George "of which five remain"; Rorie seeing George fall, ran at him and felled him with the butt end of the musket, leaving him for dead; no sooner did the servitors of John McKenzie see George struggle to his feet than they "boden in geir of weir" with derks and swords and targets and pistols on their bodies, rise out of their place where they "lay dernit" and follow George with all speed and he barely escaped with his life. George Graeme and the king’s Advocate both appeared; the accused not appearing were denounced rebels, and for once in a way George got the best of it.

The above is entered in order to show life in the Highlands at the period and the manner in which a gentleman walked out accompanied by his sword-bearer, for fear of attacks.

George holds his position as Commissioner for the County in spite of all those feuds, and so does his son Thomas and also obtains passes from General Middleton; in 1647 the Acts of Parliament show George and Thomas pardoned and finding cautioners in 1647.

George dies between this year and 1650, and some land is sold; some years later Barbara, Countess of Seafield, leaves a ratification of land in favour of the poor of the Chanourie of Ross, and describes the field as bounded betwixt land pertaining some time to the deceased Robert Graeme and now to Mr Alexander McKenzie.

Thomas Graeme died some years after, leaving no male issue, he had a brother Patrick who witnesses the will of Marion Crichton, the Bishop of Orkney’s wife, in 1633, and he is succeeded by Alexander, his brother, who has been a Commissioner of Excise in 1661; he married firstly, a daughter of Rose of Kilravoich, and had two sons, John and Alexander, both of whom died without issue. Alexander married secondly, Magdalene, daughter of Alexander McKenzie of Suddy, who was grandson of Sir Kenneth McKenzie, fifth baron of Kintail, by Lord Lovat’s daughter. They had a large family.

              Colin afterwards fifth of Drynie

               William

               Isabella, married to J. Plumenn of Willston

               Magdalene, Jane and Margaret

In 1663 Alexander is Justice of the Peaceand in 1690 Sheriff of Ross, and in 1692 he is served heir, right back to his grandfather, the Archdeacon of Ross, probably because he succeeds to the lands of Drynie, after his brother Thomas’ death, or possibly that of one of his nephews, for it must be borne in mind Alexander was the second son of his father George.

From this generation on, the Graemes of Drynie spell their name principally with the h; here and there the elder or a second son still retain the diphthong of the house of their descent, and wherever that is so the name is spelt as written in this Sketch.

COLIN GRAHAM,FIFTH OF DRYNIE

Becomes the father of a race of soldier sons, grandsons and great-grandsons; to the third and fourth generations they go forth to the ends of the earth as servants of the king; he marries Anne, daughter of Shaw of Thornbeg (or Thornley), he is Lord-Lieutenant of the County, and in spite of it is very much complaining to his Chief that his house is being continually raided, and that everything is being stolen by the Mackenzies who have already five times descended on Drynie, this letter is dated 1716.

I may mention here that the spelling of Drynie is even more varied than the spelling of the surname. Dranie, Drymme, Drym, every alteration that two or one style can be converted into appears; but undoubtedly it signifies one property, that of Drynie, in the Black Isle, Ross-shire. Colin, the Lord Lieutenant’s family is –

I.  George Graham, afterwards of Drynie

II. Gordon Graham who married Miss McKenzie. We find his services detailed in General Stewart’s sketches of the 42^nd and the Black Watch; Gordon Graham entered it as an ensign in 1739; Lieutenant 1743; Captain 1747; Major 1758; Lieutenant-Colonel 1762. He was wounded and retired in 1770 after 31 years service; died 1784 leaving in the regiment his eldest son.

1.  Charles Graham does not appear to have married but devoted himself to his profession in the 42^nd Regiment, rising in it like his father from ensign to Lieutenant-Colonel; entering it in 1760, Lieutenant in 1762, Captain 1771, Major in 1778, Lieutenant Colonel 1782; he commanded it for 14 years when he took command of a regiment serving in the West Indies in 1796. In 1784 he is in the services of heirs as Charles Graham, Lieutenant Colonel of the 42^nd  to his is father Gordon Graham Lieutenant Colonel of the 42^nd.

2. William Graham was second son of Colonel Gordon Graham of the 42^nd; he married Isabella daughter of  Abernethy, Esq, and left issue:

III.  James Graeme, an ensign in Harrison’s Foot. He appears to have had a son James afterwards in the 37^th Infantry Regiment.

IV.  Mungo Graeme, Colonel in the Scotch Brigade; he married Margaret of Abercrombie and of Brunstaine, widow of Seton of Meldrum (her daughter by her first marriage had married Fred Halkett).

It is to be regretted that we have nothing more on Mungo Graeme services or those of his descendants. He and his wife appear to have settled abroad. They had only one son Colin Dundas Graham With the Inchbrakie papers is an interesting letter from this officer; he is home on leave and dates his letter from:

Drumsheugh near Edinburgh; April 21, 1792

He writes to Colonel Graeme of Inchbrakie the ninth laird and reminds him of the few days they spent together at Briell just before George Graeme was leaving the Scots Brigade and adds that he himself still belongs to the forlorn corps.

Colin Dundas speaks of Colonel Graeme the eighth laird and of his early acquaintance with him and the kind notice he bestowed on himself and his father (the late Colonel Mungo Graham) while both were serving in the same corps in Holland.

His letter is written to ask for particulars of his family descent; they have already traced the descent up to the Archdean of Ross according to a Royal Charter the family hold of the year 1589, but can find no trace of whose son Robert Archdean was, though there is a strong conjecture that he sprung from Inchbrakie. Colin adds that his cousins Lieutenant Colonel Graham of Drynie and Lieutenant Colonel Graham of the 42^nd are extremely solicitous on the subject; he concludes with kind messages and says tht he relies more on the information that George Graeme will obtain from his father Colonel Graeme of Inchbrakie, than from George’s own knowledge! 

If the Inchbrakie’s sent the correct information it was not added to the family pedigree.

Colonel Colin Dundas Graham married Mary Magdalene de Teustych a Dutch lady and had a large family:

1.  Margaret married first to Sir Michael B. Clare, M.D., Knight of the legion d’honneur; he died on the 19^th September 1832; she married secondly General Sir Hugh Halkett, C.B., G.C.H. born in 1787 died in 1871.A handsome tombstone is placed to the memory of both her husbands by Margaret Graham in the family burial place at Drynie. No issue is mentioned.

2.  Georgina, married Lieutenant Colonel Balneaves, 27^th Regiment, they had: Henry, Michael, Frances and Mary

3.  Jemima Charlotte, married George Gunn Monro of Poyntzfield, and had: Mary,married Colonel Mackay; Anne married Henry G. Errington;, George and Innes married to Emily Mason;

4.  Henrietta married J. Hill

5.  Alexander Gordon Graham of the Hanoverian Grenadier Guards, married his cousin Miss Nancy Graham and had:

a)Mary, married Rev.J.A.Anderson – they had 3 children – Nancy Anderson, George Anderson and Alexander C. Anderson.

b)Jane J. Graham

c)Charles born 1835, he died when 3 years old at Cromarty, 5^th August 1832.

d)Hugh Halkett, 3^rd son born 1839 died at Auckland NZ in September 1870 aged 31 years.

e)George,born 1834, died at Cromarty on 1 August 1861 aged 18 years.

f)Colin Alexander, born 1848 who died at Winchester on 17^th March 1870 aged 32 years.

There is another son whose name is not given, their second son (for Hugh is called their third son)Alexander Gordon Graham and his wife Nancy were sadly bereaved of their five boys and we are not told whether these elder boys had any issue.

g)  Nancy Graham

h)  Henrietta J. Graham

i)  Margaret Graham she married Bryan W.Donkin Esq. And has issue three children, Winifred, Constance, and a son Bryan Percy.

Alexander Gordon Graham (the father of the above nine children and great grandson of Colin, 5^th of Drynie) and his kinsman, George 10^th Laird of Inchbrakie who was in the Hanorverian Guards made acquaintance at Hanover.

A tablet in the burial place at Drynie is erected to the memory of Alexander and his wife; he died a Captain in the Hanoverian Guards, born at Abconde, Holland, 28^th January 1803, died at Cromarty, November 12^th 1878. Nancy his wife died at Cromarty 22^nd May 1883, aged 78 years.

6.  Charles D., 6^th child of Colin Dundas Graham served with the 8^th Light Dragoons in the Netherlands.

Colonel Colin Dundas Graham and his wife, Magdalene both rest in the family vault at Drynie; he obtained the appointment of Lieutenant Governor of St Maws, and was a Knight of the Royal Order of William of the Netherlands; one is glad to think that he left "that forlorn corps" to which his letter alludes, and was buried at the home of his fathers. The memorial states he died in 1828, aged 76 years deeply lamented and deplored by his family who erect it, to his endeared memory and that of his wife, Mary M. Graham, who died at Cromarty 1839, aged 76 years.

We take up the story with the Drynie family again at:

V. Nelly, who was the 5^th child of Colin Graham 5^th of Drynie and his wife Anne Shaw. She married William Munro, Captain in W.I.M.

We now return to the eldest child of Coilin Graham, fifth of Drynie, and Shaw, his wife.

GEORGE GRAHAM

SIXTH OF DRYNIE

Married Anne, daughter of Monro of Basimore, and had issue:-

I. General Colin Graham, 21^st H.Regiment, 7^th of Drynie, d.s.p. and the estate devolved on his brother Charles.

II. George, d.s.p.

III. Gordon, d.s.p

IV. Alexander Graham, Mr Graham was British Consul at Hayal (?) and married Donna Ighaive of Hayal, they had issue, Francis married (he was her second husband) Jemima, his distant cousin, daughter of Colin Dundas Graham, Lt.Col. K.H.  They had two children, Colin and Agus, both died young.

V. Charles Graham, who entered the profession of a merchant in London;his three elder brothers leaving no male issue, he was in November 1799 retoured heir to his brother, Colin Graham of Drynie, and became owner of the property as -

CHARLES GRAHAM

EIGHTH OF DRYNIE

He married a daughter of Mackenzie of Haiburn and had issue an only son.

GEORGE GRAHAM

NINTH OF DRYNIE

Mr George Graham married Mademoiselle de Clavy; their issue George died in infancy, and the estates were left to a son, John C.W. Paul, who sold them and died on April 13^th 1898.

In Mr George Graham ninth of Drynie the male line virtually ended. The family burial place records the deaths of himself and his family.

VI.  John Graham, a Major of the Royal Marines, was drowned in the Royal George.

VII.  Elizabeth Graham, married Robert Gordon.

VIII.  Anne Graham died unmarried.

IX.  Janet Graham died unmarried in 1829 aged 85 years.

Thus ends the family of George Graham 6^th of Drynie, descended from the first Earl of Montrose and that nobleman’s grandson Robert Graeme, Archdeacon of Ross.

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