Robert Cunninghame-Grahame of Gartmore
Encyclopedia
Robert Graham who took the name Bontine in 1770 and Cunninghame Graham in 1796, was a Scottish
politician and poet. He is now remembered for a poem If doughty deeds my lady please, which was later set to music by his great-great-grandson, Rev. Malise Cunninghame Graham and also by Sir Arthur Sullivan.
Robert, who was the second son of Nicol Graham of Gartmore by his wife, Lady Margaret Cunningham, was born at Gartmore
, Perthshire
, and educated, along with his elder brother William, at the University of Glasgow
(matriculating under Professor Andrew Rosse). He spent much of his early life in Jamaica
, where he was a planter and merchant
, and became Receiver-General for Taxes in 1753. He also represented the district of St Davids (1765–67). He married Anne, sister of Sir John Taylor Bt of Lyssons Hall, in 1764 (as recorded in the Cunninghame Graham Family Bible) and he built the current Ardoch House (near Dumbarton) in colonial style for her. She died in December, 1780, leaving two daughters and two sons. He secondly married Elizabeth Buchanan circa 1783, by whom he had a further son and daughter; they separated in 1787 and divorced in 1789.
He changed name twice; firstly, under the terms of an entail
by which he inherited the Ardoch estate from William Bontine, he took the surname Bontine until his father died. Secondly, in line with the 1709 entail
of William 12th Earl of Glencairn
, he assumed the name and arms of Cunninghame, in addition to those of Graham, on the death in 1796 of Maj. Gen. John Cunninghame, 15th Earl of Glencairn and last in line. From him Robert inherited the Finlaystone estate, so that he is often known as Robert Cunninghame Graham of Gartmore and Finlaystone. At his death, his estates stretched from Perthshire (Gartmore & Kippen), through Dunbartonshire (Galingad & Ardoch) and across the Clyde to Renfrewshire (Finlaystone); in addition he held the lands of Lochwood in Lanarkshire and his Jamaican plantation at Roaring River.
He was elected a Member of Parliament
, representing Stirlingshire, in 1794. He was a pro-Jacobin
of that time, and identified as a Radical. During his time in the House he attempted to introduce a Bill of Rights which foreshadowed the Reform Bill of 1832.
He was a close friend of Thomas Sheridan, Charles James Fox
, Sir Thomas Dundas
(later 1st Baron Dundas) and the poet Hector McNeil
.
Graham was appointed Rector of the University of Glasgow, holding the position from 1785 to 1787, in which year he instituted the Gartmore Gold Medal (awarded biennially) for the best discourse by a student on political liberty.
In later life he suffered from frequent bouts of gout in the organs. He died at Gartmore on 4 December 1797 and was interred in the Gartmore family burial ground.
Robert Burns – whose patron James, 14th Earl of Glencairn, was Graham's first cousin – writing to the Edinburgh bookseller, Mr Hill, describes Graham as: "...the noblest instance of great talents, great fortune and great worth that ever I saw in conjunction."
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
politician and poet. He is now remembered for a poem If doughty deeds my lady please, which was later set to music by his great-great-grandson, Rev. Malise Cunninghame Graham and also by Sir Arthur Sullivan.
Robert, who was the second son of Nicol Graham of Gartmore by his wife, Lady Margaret Cunningham, was born at Gartmore
Gartmore
Gartmore is a village in the Stirling council area, Scotland. It is a picturesque little village with an excellent view of the Wallace Monument in Stirling, almost 25 miles away....
, Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, and educated, along with his elder brother William, at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
(matriculating under Professor Andrew Rosse). He spent much of his early life in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, where he was a planter and merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, and became Receiver-General for Taxes in 1753. He also represented the district of St Davids (1765–67). He married Anne, sister of Sir John Taylor Bt of Lyssons Hall, in 1764 (as recorded in the Cunninghame Graham Family Bible) and he built the current Ardoch House (near Dumbarton) in colonial style for her. She died in December, 1780, leaving two daughters and two sons. He secondly married Elizabeth Buchanan circa 1783, by whom he had a further son and daughter; they separated in 1787 and divorced in 1789.
He changed name twice; firstly, under the terms of an entail
Entail
Entail may refer to:* Fee tail, a term of art in common law describing a limited form of succession....
by which he inherited the Ardoch estate from William Bontine, he took the surname Bontine until his father died. Secondly, in line with the 1709 entail
Entail
Entail may refer to:* Fee tail, a term of art in common law describing a limited form of succession....
of William 12th Earl of Glencairn
Earl of Glencairn
The title of Earl of Glencairn was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1488 for the first Lord Kilmaurs .On the death of the fifteenth earl in 1796, there existing no original Letters Patent of the creation nor a given remainder in the various confirmations in title of previous earls the title...
, he assumed the name and arms of Cunninghame, in addition to those of Graham, on the death in 1796 of Maj. Gen. John Cunninghame, 15th Earl of Glencairn and last in line. From him Robert inherited the Finlaystone estate, so that he is often known as Robert Cunninghame Graham of Gartmore and Finlaystone. At his death, his estates stretched from Perthshire (Gartmore & Kippen), through Dunbartonshire (Galingad & Ardoch) and across the Clyde to Renfrewshire (Finlaystone); in addition he held the lands of Lochwood in Lanarkshire and his Jamaican plantation at Roaring River.
He was elected a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, representing Stirlingshire, in 1794. He was a pro-Jacobin
Jacobin (politics)
A Jacobin , in the context of the French Revolution, was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary far-left political movement. The Jacobin Club was the most famous political club of the French Revolution. So called from the Dominican convent where they originally met, in the Rue St. Jacques ,...
of that time, and identified as a Radical. During his time in the House he attempted to introduce a Bill of Rights which foreshadowed the Reform Bill of 1832.
He was a close friend of Thomas Sheridan, Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
, Sir Thomas Dundas
Thomas Dundas
Thomas Dundas may refer to:* Thomas Dundas , MP for Orkney and Shetland* Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas , 18th Century British politician...
(later 1st Baron Dundas) and the poet Hector McNeil
Hector McNeil
Hector McNeil PC was a Scottish Labour politician.McNeil was educated at Woodside School and the University of Glasgow, trained as an engineer and worked as a journalist on a Scottish national newspaper. He was a member of Glasgow Town Council 1932-8...
.
Graham was appointed Rector of the University of Glasgow, holding the position from 1785 to 1787, in which year he instituted the Gartmore Gold Medal (awarded biennially) for the best discourse by a student on political liberty.
In later life he suffered from frequent bouts of gout in the organs. He died at Gartmore on 4 December 1797 and was interred in the Gartmore family burial ground.
Robert Burns – whose patron James, 14th Earl of Glencairn, was Graham's first cousin – writing to the Edinburgh bookseller, Mr Hill, describes Graham as: "...the noblest instance of great talents, great fortune and great worth that ever I saw in conjunction."