stirling-1963-vol-1/05_045

Transcription

INTRODUCTION : GENERAL
The first of the Grahams ¹ to hold lands in Stirlingshire seems to have been Sir David
de Graham, who received grants of the lands of Mukraw, Killearn and Strathblane from the
Earl of Lennox about the middle of the 13th century. This property was the nucleus of the
barony of Mugdock, and succeeding members of the family soon added to their possessions
in the this part of the county; the standing of the Grahams in the 14th century is well demonstrated
by their erection of the powerful castle of Mugdock at this time (cf. No. 207). Early in the
15th century Sir William de Graham acquired from Duncan, Earl of Lennox, the superiority
of Mugdock and of the other family estates in the Lennox, and these were erected into a barony
in 1458. The family retained its Stirlingshire estates until the forfeiture of the great Marquess
in 1645, when the barony of Mugdock was granted to the Marquess of Argyll. These losses
were made good at the Restoration, and the 2nd Marquess took up residence at Mugdock
Castle, which he enlarged and improved; his son, however, purchased the barony of Buchanan
in 1680 and this eventually became the principal seat of the family. By this time the Grahams
were the largest landholders in the western part of the county, filling the place that had been
occupied in mediaeval times by the Earls of Lennox; as we have seen, the pre-eminence of
the house of Montrose was shown by the purchase of the remaining Lennox estates and
superiorities in Stirlingshire by James, the 4th Marquess, in 1703. The 2nd Duke of Montrose
increased his possessions about Buchanan, laying out the grounds there and adding to the
house. Buchanan remained the principal family seat in Stirlingshire until the present century,
Buchanan Old House (No. 329) having been replaced by Buchanan Castle in 1857.
The family of Buchanan, ² of which the senior branch was that of Buchanan of Buchanan,
was established in Stirlingshire at a very early date. The first member of the family of whom
there is definite record appears to have been Alan de Buchanan, who is mentioned in 1274;
Maurice of Buchanan had a charter of the lands of Buchanan and Sallochy from the Earl of
Lennox early in the 14th century, and this property, together with Auchmar, formed the basis
of the family's holding within the county. The Buchanans continued in possession of their
estates for about four centuries, but on the death of John Buchanan of that Ilk they passed by
purchase, as has been said, to James, 3rd Marquess of Montrose. Of the many other branches
of the family, perhaps the most notable was that of Drumakill, the founder of which, Thomas
Buchanan, was in possession of Drumakill and of part of the lands of Gartincaber, Lettre and
Carbeth at the end of the 15th century. George Buchanan, the historian, who was born in 1506,
was of this line of the family, being a younger son of Thomas Buchanan, 3rd of Drumakill. In
1669, William Buchanan, 11th of Drumakill, sold the estate to his nephew, buying in its place
the neighbouring property of Craigivairn, which remained with the Buchanans until the
beginning of the 19th century.
Another old-established family in the west of Stirlingshire is that of Edmonstone of
Duntreath. ³ Duntreath, which lay within the earldom of Lennox, was granted to William
Edmonstone by the Earl of Lennox before 1434 and was erected into a barony in 1452. The
family maintained its position until about the end of the 16th century, when it declined some-
what in prosperity; advantage was therefore taken of the Plantation of Ulster to acquire the
estate of Broadisland in Co. Antrim, where William Edmonstone of Duntreath settled in 1609.

1 On whom see The Scots Peerage, vi, 191 ff.
2 Strathendrick, 283 ff.
3 Edmonstone, A., Genealogical Account of the Family of Edmonstone of Duntreath, passim.

-- 11

  Transcribers who have contributed to this page.

valrsl- Moderator, Brenda Pollock

  Location information for this page.