James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose

James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose

James Graham, 1st Duke and 4th Marquess of Montrose (April 1682 – 7 January 1742) was a Scottish aristocratic statesman in the early eighteenth century.

He was the only son of James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose and Lady Christian Leslie. On 31 March 1702 he married Christian Carnegie, daughter of David Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Northesk. Together they had a son, William Graham.

Originally the fourth Marquess of Montrose, James was elevated to a dukedom in 1707, as a reward for his important support of the Act of Union, whilst being Lord President of the Scottish Privy Council. He was Lord High Admiral of Scotland from 1705 to 1706. He was Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1709 to 1713 and served as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1716 to 1733. He was also a Lord of the Regency for Great Britain in 1714, upon the death of Queen Anne. Furthermore, he served rather shortly as Secretary of State for Scotland at the time of the Georgian ministry of Lord Townshend. In 1719 he was one of main subscribers in the Royal Academy of Music (1719), a corporation that produced baroque opera on stage. He served as a Governor of London's Foundling Hospital at the time of its foundation in 1739. For much of his adult life he was Chancellor of the University of Glasgow.

Apart from his political career, the Duke is frequently associated with Robert MacGregor, who is popularly remembered by the name of Rob Roy. On his death he was buried at Aberuthven.

References

Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

Political offices
Preceded by The Marquess of Annandale	Lord President of the Council of Scotland 1704 – 1705	Succeeded by The Marquess of Annandale
Preceded by The Duke of Richmond and Lennox	Lord High Admiral of Scotland 1705 – 1706	Succeeded by The Earl of Wemyss
Preceded by The Marquess of Annandale	Lord President of the Council of Scotland 1706 – 1707	Office abolished
Preceded by The Duke of Queensberry and Dover	Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland 1709 – 1713	Succeeded by The Duke of Atholl
Preceded by The Earl of Mar	Scottish Secretary 1714 – 1715	Succeeded by The Duke of Roxburghe
Preceded by The Earl of Ilay	Lord Clerk Register 1716	Succeeded by Lord Polwarth
Preceded by The Marquess of Annandale	Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland 1716 – 1733	Succeeded by The Earl of Ilay
Academic offices
Preceded by The Earl of Hyndford	Chancellor of the University of Glasgow 1714 – 1743	Succeeded by The 2nd Duke of Montrose
Peerage of Scotland
New creation	Duke of Montrose 1707 – 1742	Succeeded by William Graham
Preceded by James Graham	Marquess of Montrose 1684 – 1742