William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith

[1] Born in 1591 or 1592, William Graham was still in his minority in the early part of 1610 when a royal dispensation was granted, and on 7 August that year, he reached the age of majority and was served heir to his father in the earldom of Menteith, the lands of Kilbride, and others.

[2] It is said that in front of witnesses he boasted that he had the reddest blood in Scotland and that the King was obliged to him for his crown, a charge which Earl William denied.

In 1639, 1644, and 1645, and remaining staunch to the royal cause not withstanding the penalty imposed on him by Charles I, he served in the Parliaments, and in 1639 he was reappointed as a Privy Councillor, likely because of his refusal to take the covenants.

During this time, Airth Castle was made a garrison by Cromwell's invading troops, and the Earl was ordered to cut down the woods in Aberfoyle parish.

The losses sustained by the Earl of Airth were never recouped, and overwhelmed, he was forced to part with nearly all of his lands to gain enough money to recover his estate.