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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1997-02 > 0854851885


From: William Addams Reitwiesner <>
Subject: Re: ERSKINE---Scotland
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 02:51:25 GMT


(James Bianco) wrote:

>I want to thank everyone for the possible descents from James I
>of Scotland to the Sinclair family, obviously the wives of George Gordon
>of Huntley were not clearly identified in terms of which one was the
>mother of which child, on to the next question---ERSKINE
>
>I have a marriage contract written in Paris in 1594 of which I have
>obtained the original (at an expense of more than $100) which provides
>me with a very curious dilemma.
>The contract was for John Menteith, Seigneur de Argentenay, who calls
>himself a native of Scotland and also of the "House" of the Menteith's
>of Kerse and Alva(Alveth in the notaries hand) in the same document it
>is stated that John was "assisted" by John GORDON (Jean de Gordon)
>whom John calls his cousin germain "A cause de leur grand meres, filles
>du Comte de Montrose, en Ecosse". I have established this man (the great
>grandfather) to be William GRAHAM, 2nd Earl of Montrose. I have also
>discovered John GORDON to be the son of Alexander GORDON and his wife
>Barbara SINCLAIR.

Are you sure? This John Gordon was Earl of Sutherland (b. 1576, d.
1615, 12th Earl according to the *Scots Peerage*, 13th Earl according
to Cokayne's *Complete Peerage*). Yes, he went abroad, and could have
witnessed a marriage contract in Paris, but he didn't leave Scotland
for Europe until July 1598, some four years after your contract was
dated. For that matter, at the date of the contract this John Gordon
was eighteen years old, and may not have been old enough to act as a
witness for a marriage contract.

> Barbara's mother was the daughter of the Earl of
>Montrose aforementioned. However it leaves me to identify how my John
>Menteith is a great grandson of William Graham. I think I just today
>made the connection. I found a document in which William Menteith of
>Kerse serves as a witness in the deed of Robert, Master of Erskine.
>Robert's wife was Margaret Graham (daughter of William, 2nd Earl of
>Montrose). If William Menteith of Kerse was married to the daughter
>of Robert ERSKINE, and had MY John Menteith (Already established to be
>of the house of the Menteiths of Kerse) then that would correctly
>complete the line, as that would make John Menteith's maternal
>grandmother Margaret GRAHAM, daughter of William Graham. Thus John
>Gordon and John Menteith would be second cousins, great grandsons of
>William Graham. Does anyone know the names of the children of
>Robert, Master of ERSKINE (married 17 feb 1534) and his wife Margaret
>Graham of Montrose??

See the *Scots Peerage*, edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, vol. VI, p.
230, and vol. V, pp. 610-611. Robert was killed at the battle of
Pinkie on 10 Sept. 1547. He and Margaret had no children.

> I would be willing to pay for anyone's time and
>effort if they would be able to find this information. I am praying that
>one of the daughters married William Menteith of Kerse.
>Thank You, James Bianco

See the *Scots Peerage*, vol. V, p. 608, where there's an Agnes
Erskine married to a William Menteith of Kerse. She could have been a
daughter of Alexander, 3rd Lord Erskine (d. by 1509), but there is no
direct evidence of her parentage.

William Addams Reitwiesner

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