James Graham, 7th Duke of Montrose
| His Grace The Duke of Montrose ID | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Duke of Montrose ca. 1967 | |
| Minister of External Affairs and Development | |
| In office 1966–1968 | |
| Prime Minister | Ian Douglas Smith |
| Minister of Agriculture and Lands | |
| In office 16 December 1962 – 1963 | |
| Prime Minister | Winston Joseph Field |
| Member of Parliament for Hartley-Gatooma | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 May 1907 |
| Died | 10 February 1992 (aged 84) |
| Spouse(s) | Isabel Veronia Sellar (1930-1950; divorced) Susan Semple (1952-1992; his death) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
James Angus Graham, 7th Duke of Montrose ID (2 May 1907 – 10 February 1992), styled Earl of Kincardine until 1925 and Marquess of Graham between 1925 and 1954, was a British-born Rhodesian politician. Born in Scotland, he maintained a lifelong interest in politics and was a lover of all things Scottish. He lived in southern Africa for fifty-five years, serving as the Minister of Agriculture in Rhodesia under Ian Smith, was a signatory to Unilateral Declaration of Independence and farmed several properties.
Early life
As Marquess of Graham, the Duke was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. He served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He was in HMS Kandahar as part of Lord Louis Mountbatten's flotilla in the North Sea and later served in the Mediterranean and at Aden.
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Life
The Marquess of Graham completed three years at Oxford and graduated Bachelor of Arts. Lord Graham (as he then was) first went to Southern Rhodesia in 1930, taking up a position with A.E. & I., the South African subsidiary of ICI. While he was on holiday in England in 1939, war with Germany was declared and he signed up with the Admiral Commanding Reserves and was appointed Lieutenant in the RNVR, joining HMS Kandahar.
In 1954 he inherited his father's titles and became The 7th Duke of Montrose. He enjoyed hunting trips in Kenya, where he met his second wife, Susan Semple. The family grew up on Derry Farm at Nyabira outside Salisbury, where the crops included maize and tobacco. A pedigree Brahman cattle stud was established after importing bloodstock from Texas. Although, in an article published in Illustrated Life Rhodesia in the mid-1970s, Montrose indicated that he saw his family remaining in Rhodesia for future generations, he and his family moved to South Africa in 1979 and then to Scotland, where he spent his final days. Always a keen Gaelic speaker with a great fondness for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, he lies buried in the family cemetery near Loch Lomond.[1]
Family
Graham was first married to Isabel Veronia Sellar and had issue, both born in Southern Rhodesia:
- Lady Fiona Mary Graham. Married 1966, Peter Alexander O'Brien Hannon and has issue: Catherine Mary (born 1968) and Veronica Maeve (born 1971).
- James Graham, 8th Duke of Montrose. Married 1970, Catherine Elizabeth MacDonell Young and has issue: Lady Hermione Elizabeth Graham (born 1971), James Alexander Norman Graham, Marquess of Graham (born 1973) and Lord Ronald John Christopher Graham (born 1975).
He married secondly Susan Mary Joclyn Semple of Kenya and had issue:
- Lady Cairistiona Anne Graham, born 1955. Married 1982, Philip Patrick Saggers of Australia and has issue: Susanna Mary Saggers (born 1984), Marina Lilias Saggers (born 1986) and Georgina Frances Saggers (born 1989).
- Lord Donald Alasdair Graham, born 1956. Married 1981, Bridie Donalda Elspeth Cameron of the Black Isle and has issue: Caitriana Mary Alice (born 1984), Alasdair John Cameron (1986–1988), Violet Elizabeth Helen (born 1992), Jennie Alexandra Cameron (born 1993) and Finlay Donald Cameron (born 1998).
- Lord Calum Ian Graham, married 1991 Catherine Beatrice Fraser-Mackenzie (died 2008) and has issue: Iain Angus (born 1995), Euan Douglas (born 1996) and Christabel Emily (born 2001). Lord Calum Graham married secondly Estelle Baynes née Parry de Winton on 3 August 2013.[2]
- Lady Lilias Catriona Maighearad Graham, married Jonathan Dillon Bell of Wellington, New Zealand, and has issue: Charles Michael Dillon Bell (born 1993) and Eleanor Caroline Bell (born 1994).
His son and heir, the 8th Duke of Montrose, is currently a Conservative government minister.
Ancestry
Titles from birth
- Earl of Kincardine (1907–1925)
- Marquess of Graham (1925–1954)
- His Grace The Duke of Montrose (1954–1992)
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Graham, 7th Duke of Montrose. |
- ↑ Graham, Angus And Master of None: The Life & Times of Angus Graham, 7th Duke of Montrose (Stuart Titles, 1996)
- ↑ "Lord Calum Graham and Mrs E. Baynes". Daily Telegraph. 10 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
External links
- James Angus Graham, 7th Duke of Montrose, thePeerage.com
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Montrose
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Graham |
Duke of Montrose 1954–1992 |
Succeeded by James Graham |
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