Sir John Graham of Dundaff & Abercorn

History records him as the “Right Hand of Wallace.” The inscription on his grave reads: “Her lyse Sir John the Graham, baith wight and wise, Ane of the Chief who saved Scotland thryse, Ane better knight no to the world was lent Nor was gude Graeme of truth and hardiment.”

Sir John Graham of Dundaff

• Birth: abt 1260
• Death: Died 22 Jul 1289 Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland
• Cause: killed at Battle of Falkirk
• Parents: Sir David Graham, of Dundaff, Sheriff of Berwickshire
• Spouse: Margery
• Children: (uncertainly) Sir John Graham “the younger” (TSP). Not
• also known as: Sir John de Graeme; Sir John de Graham of Dundaff and Abercorn, "Graham with the Bright Sword"

Biography

1 - Killed fighting alongside William Wallace when he was defeated by the English at the Battle of Falkirk on 22 July 1298.

2 - Sir John Graham of Dundaff, a friend and follower of Wallace was killed at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.

3 - Second son of Sir John de Graham, Sheriff of Berwick; may be regarded as the first eminent member of the family. He is still fondly remembered as the bosom friend of the illustrious Scottish patriot Wallace. He was killed at the battle of Falkirk, 22 July 1298, fighting gallantly against the English invaders under Edward I, and was buried in the churchyard of that town. His tombstone, which has been thrice renewed, bears in the center his coat-of-arms; at the upper part, round an architectural device, is the moto, 'Vivit post funere virtus,'

3 - This Electric Scotland excerpt identifies this Sir John as son rather than brother of Sir Patrick.

"The son of the marriage with the daughter of the Earl of Strathearn was the famous Sir John the Graeme, hero of the Wars of Independence, who rescued Wallace at Queensberry, and was killed in 1298 at the battle of Falkirk, where his name is still perpetuated in the district of Grahamston. The lament for his death put into the mouth of Wallace by Henry the Minstrel forms one of the finest passages in the famous poem by that author. ..."

Family

From The Scots Peerage, page 204 < Archive.Org >

(Places as the third child of David Graham & Agnes Noble, and younger brother of 1) Sir Patrick (heir) (m. Annabella) 2) David d. 1297 (m. Muriel).

3. Sir John Graham of Dundaff, immortalised by Blind Harry, has been placed by Douglas and Wood as a son of Sir David Graham. This, however, is inconsistent with the history of Sir John as related by the Minstrel, the sole direct authority for it, Harry making Sir John the son of an older knight of the same name, Lord of Dundaff, and living there at the outset of Wallace's career.' That there was a son of Sir David called John is very probable.

• from Sir John Graham of Dundaff is known as the "Graham with the Bright Sword" BY W. JAMES (JIM) NETHERY, FSA Scot

Sir John de Graham was born during the early 13th century. Tradition holds that he was born in a Motte and Bailey castle below Fintry hills. These castles were made by digging a ditch around a mound (motte) built up with the soil from the ditch. On the flattened top of the motte a high palisade made of logs was built for defense. Adjacent to the motte, there was a living area of several acres, which was called the bailey, it was surrounded by another palisade and ditch. Grahams castle, at the head of the Carron valley, was unique because it had a square ditch. These castles were used by the Normans for protection and to control the indigenous population.

Sir John’s father is believed to be the grandson of William de Graham. Sir John was legendary for his bravery, and was known as Graham with the Bright Sword.

Sir William Wallace met Sir John, late in 1296, after escaping his English pursuers by swimming the icy River Forth. He spent three nights with the Grahams of Dundaff before going to Gilbank, near Lanark, for Christmas. Early in 1297, Sir John Graham, with 30 men, met Wallace at Queensberry as he was being pursued by the English. Together, they suddenly turned and charged their pursuers. Many of the English scattered, leaving their leader with a small group of men. Sir John and his men promptly attacked and annihilated all of them.

May 1297, they avoided an ambush at Lanark with Wallace and Graham fighting off the English, in a narrow Street, leaving 50 dead and escaping through the home of Wallaces wife, Marion. The sheriff murdered Marion and burned her house. The next night Wallace returned and avenged Marions death by killing the sheriff and his son, while Sir John Graham led an attack on the English garrison, killing the commander and all of his men.

At Scone, Sir John helped Wallace avenge the killing of his uncle, Sir Ronald Crawford, by attacking a English court which was in session.

Sir John Graham was a member of the army, led by Sir William Wallace and Sir Andrew Moray, at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, on September 11, 1297. The Scots lured the English army onto a narrow wooden bridge, across the River Forth, then firing the bridge and attacking those who had already crossed. The English were defeated and driven out of Scotland but Sir Andrew Moray died of wounds he received during the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

At Falkirk, July 22, 1298, Sir John Graham died while fighting at Wallace side. His armor had not been properly secured at his waist and a English knight found the fatal area with his sword. William Wallace carried Sir Johns body to St. Marys Kirk in Falkirk, where he was buried.

History records him as the Right Hand of Wallace. The inscription on his grave reads:

• Her lyse Sir John the Graham, baith wight and wise,
• Ane of the Chief who saved Scotland thryse,
• Ane better knight no to the world was lent
• Nor was gude Graeme of truth and hardiment

Sir John Graham’s sword hangs in the home of the 8th Duke of Montrose and is inscribed:

• Sir John de Graham verry wicht and wyse
• Ane o ye chiefs relievet Scotland thryse,
• Fought vith ys sword, and ner thout schame,
• Commandit nane to beir it bot his name

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Ancestry

http://www.multiwords.de/genealogy/graham01.htm

• i. David de Graham of Kinnabar m Amabel
  • a. Sir David de Graham of Dundaff (a 1244) m Agnes
    • 1. Sir David Graham of Dundaff'(d c1270) Various sources indicate that his wife was Annabella, daughter of 4th Earl of Strathearn. TSP (Strathearn) specifically contradicts this and reports "the evidence is clear that she was the wife of his son Sir Patrick".
      • (B) Sir John Graham of Dundaff (d Falkirk 22.07.1289 or his son John) m Margery (a 1296)

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http://www.falkirklocalhistorysociety.co.uk/home/index.php?id=104

Second in Command under William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk

K. Battle of Falkirk, 1298.

Evidence needed to support Euphemia Graham as a daughter of Sir John Graham of Dundaff & Abercorn & Marjory. The Scots Peerage has no children for the man who died 1298 at Falkirk, and asserts that “The marriage of Sir John to the ' first dochter ' of Halyday, nephew of Wallace, is an obvious myth.”

- The Scots peerage (1904) “Graham, Duke of Montrose” Page 204-205 < Archive.Org >

This is wrong:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_de_Graham

Family and issue

John married Marjory Halliday, and had the following known issue:

John, Earl of Mentieth (d. 1347), married Mary II, suo jure Countess of Menteith, the daughter of Alan II, Earl of Menteith; had issue.

John Graham, 9th Earl of Menteith

Burkes Peerage 1934 merely identifies this son as Sir John, living in 1317. The Scots Peerage (identifying him as a younger son of Sir Patrick by Annabella of Strathearn) reports a suggestion that he was the Sir John who became Earl of Menteith through his marriage.

Update 6 December 2024

• Detached wife Marjory, b. Abt 1270, Scotland from Halliday parents
• Detached Euphemia as daughter

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Tomb of Sir John de Graham Public image: Site and Tomb monument

Source: < Falkirk.gov.uk >

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References

1. http://www.thepeerage.com/p51187.htm#i511861 cites
2. [S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 2751. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.
3. See Burke's Landed Gentry under "Graham formerly of Auchencloich and Tamrawer" & Burke's Peerage under "Montrose"
4. Stirnet Genealogy at http://www.stirnet.com/HTML/genie/british/gg/graham10.htm
5. http://www.multiwords.de/genealogy/graham01.htm
6. http://www.thepeerage.com/p51187.htm#i511861
7. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=maclaren&...
8. http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/in-brief/297...
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_de_Graham
10. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=67296341
11. The Scots peerage (1904) “Graham, Duke of Montrose” Page 204-205 < Archive.Org >
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_de_Graham (has errors) “He was the son of David de Graham and Agnes Noble and was born in the lands of Dundaff, Stirlingshire, Scotland.” Cites
    1. Debrett, p. 678.
    2. Reid, Stuart (2004). Battles of the Scottish Lowlands. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Limited. p. 23. ISBN 9781844150786.
    3. Williams, Martin (13 August 2011). "Tomb of Wallace's finest knight is to be restored". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
    4. Falkirk". Statistical Account of Scotland. Vol. 19. 1791–1799. p. 100.
13. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Graham-3655 “ likely to have been the son of David Graham and Agnes Noble. [1]
    1. Paul, Sir James Balfour The Scots Peerage Edinburgh (1904) page 200 < Archive.Org >
14. Wikipedia: John de Graham
15. Wikipedia:William Wallace
16. Wikipedia: The Wallace (poem)
17. Wikipedia:Battle of Stirling Bridge
18. Wikipedia: Battle of Falkirk
19. Wikipedia:First War of Scottish Independence
20. https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTTISH%20NOBILITY%20UNTITLED.htm... does not show this John as a son of David & Agnes & brother of Patrick