SP Correction: Janet the Graham, 'gud dochter', and the Forresters of Carden
John P. Ravilious
Hello All,
In a prior thread entitled "Sir Walter Forrester of Torwood" [11
Feb 2010 et seq.], Bill Kuhlman provided an interesting record, a
discharge dated at Stirling, 2 Oct 1488:
'Discharge by Duncan Forester of the Torwoud to Sir
James Ogilvy of Erlie, kt., of 20 merks Scots payable in terms of
contract of marriage between Walter Forrester, son of the said Duncan
and Janet the Graham, 'gud dochter' of the said Sir James.
Streuling.' [1]
The term 'gud dochter' was discussed, but the matter of Janet's
position in the Graham pedigree unresolved. The answer has been
provided by a 19th century Scots dictionary, which gives two
definititions for the term "Gud-dochter": (1) A daughter-in-law; (2) A
stepdaughter [2]. It is evident that Janet Graham would not have been
the daughter-in-law of James Ogilvy in 1488: she must in fact have
been Ogilvy's stepdaughter, the daughter of Helen by a prior husband.
In the same Forrester thread, Alex Findlater asked,
' I wonder whether the Helen Graham whom Sir James Ogilvie of
Airlie
married might not have been the widow of William 2nd Lord Graham, and
so be Helen Douglas sister of 4th Earl of Angus. His son, John 2nd
Lord Ogilvie,was said to have married her daughter, Jean/Marion
Graham, and it would also explain a relationship to Janet Graham, if
she were another, unrecorded, daughter of William Graham and Helen.
Finally the APS reference, above, is quoted in SP as the source for
Agnes, listed as another daughter. Thus they were all step-siblings.
'
This was in fact the case: the wife of Sir James Ogilvie was
Helen Graham, nee Douglas. Other writers have shown this in the past,
including Bruce McAndrew in his excellent tome, Scotland's Historic
Heraldry (p. 310). The proof that this was the case can be found in
the appeal of the Earl of Huntly (1567), in which he identified the
affinity of Sir John Bellenden with Sir Andrew Murray of Arngask:
" 15. Sir Andro Murray of Arngosk, attingent to said Justice Clerk
in third degree of affinity; counting umquhile William, Lord Graham,
and his son William, now Earl of Montrose, twa, and his daughter Lady
Balvaird, spouse to the said Sir Andro, the thrid; and Agnes Graham,
sister to the said umquhile William, Lord Graham, and spouse to the
said umquhile Sir Walter Forrester of Carden, ane, Agnes Forrester,
her daughter, twa, and the said Justice Clerk, her son, the
thrid." [3]
This was poorly understood by several writers including the
undersigned. However, it is clear that Janet Graham, Lady Balvaird
was called the daughter of 'William, now Earl of Montrose' that Huntly
intended William Graham, _2nd_ Earl of Montrose (d. 1571) who was the
Earl at the time of his writing [William, the 1st Earl, having been
slain at Flodden in 1513]. The description of William Graham, 1st
Earl of Montrose as 'umquhile William, Lord Graham' was incomplete and
misleading, but given he was Earl of Montrose for all of 6 years prior
to his death perhaps understandable.
William Douglas
2nd earl of Angus
d. 1437
I
I
William = Helen
Graham I Douglas
L Graham I
________I_________
I I
William Graham Agnes
L Graham, & = c 1488
E of Montrose Walter Forrester
d. 1513 of Carden
I ____I_____
I I I
William Agnes Duncan,
2nd E of = Thomas & siblings
Montrose Bellenden
d. 1571 d. bef Jul 1547
I I
I I
Janet Sir John
= Sir Andrew Bellenden
Murray
of Balvaird
(later Arngask)
This results in a correction to my own records, and to the Scots
Peerage accounts for Montrose and Airlie. It also modifies the
ancestry of a number of individuals, including Lord Byron (via Bruce
of Airth) and many more besides.
Cheers,
John
Notes
[1] The source of Bill Kulhmann's contribution is NAS, Papers of the
Earls of Airlie, GD16/44/2.
[2] John Jamieson, D.D., An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish
Language, Vol. I (Edinburgh: the University Press, 1808) (no
pagination).
[3] 'Some Points in Scotch Genealogy', Notes and Queries, 7th ser.
vol. VII, Feb. 16, 1889, pp. 121-2.