James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
(1612-1650), SoldierSitter associated with 36 portraits
A Royalist general 'of most resolute and undaunted spirit', Montrose actually began his military career fighting against Charles I. In 1640 he led the Scottish Covenanting armies across the Tweed and occupied the Northeast of England. At the onset of the Civil War, he changed allegiance and raised a Royalist army in Scotland. He won a series of tactically brilliant victories, 1644 -5, but was eventually forced to join Charles II in exile. Five years later, a final attempt to defeat the Covenanters ended with his capture and execution.
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Laurie Pettitt
23 March 2017, 09:55
If you were to put the true story of Montrose against the Film Braveheart, you would say that the true story was 'A bit far fetched'. John Buchan wrote a splendid biography of Montrose that reads like a Thriller.
In the Bishop's Wars, Montrose, like Essex and Manchester thought they could fight the King into an agreement. Once he saw where people like Argylle were taking things ie. The destruction of the King, he sided with the King. Thomas Wentworth was a leader of the opposition to the King in the English Parliament and he too realised that Pimm and his fellows were after the same destruction. Montrose became a Martyr to Charles II just as Wentworth (Strafford) had been for Charles I.
THey made a silly film about Wallace (not Wallace and Gromit) but the true Blockbuster would have been Montrose.... There you are. I gave them a title.