The abduction of the daughter of Colin Campbell of Blairnarne in 1609 by George Graham of Rednock and his sons.

The Scots Peerage makes reference to a violent abduction in 1609 that may have taken place not far from the McAusland farmstead of Inverlaurin by Glen Fruin.

John, 4th Earl of Menteith and his wife Marion Seton had at least two sons and a daughter. The second son was:

“George, who, in 1560, was one of the hostages given to the English Admiral Winter for observing the treaty with England, and was then only five years old. His father was very desirous that he should be kept near the Border that he might frequently hear of him. He seems to have been placed in the charge of the Dean of Durham, and was apparently still in England in December 1561. He became, after his brother’s death, tutor-at-law to his nephew, Earl John, and he was still tutor on 20 January 1585-86, when summoned to confer with the Privy Council as to the repression of crime in Menteith. He and his wife, his son and apparent heir, James, and his sons Dougall and Archibald are named in a writ of 18 November 1601, a promise to give them the lands of Rednock in feu farm. 
George Graham of Rednock, and his sons Dougall, Walter, John, and Hew were all charged with violent abduction of the daughter of Colin Campbell of Blairnarne in 1609, and he was alive in 1610.
He married Agnes Macdougall, and had issue:

(1) James, who had Crown charters of the lands of Easter Rednock on 12 February 1584-85 and 12 June 1598. He died without issue, after 1601, when he was apparent heir.

(2) Dougall, named with his father and mother in a writ of 1601, already cited. He is called son and apparent heir in 1609.

(3) John, who, on 10 March 1619, was served heir to his brother James in Easter Rednock, and also in Mondowie, co. Stirling, which latter lands were sold to William, Earl of Airth in 1635. He married Jean Kinross, and had issue :

i. Marion, married to John Graham of Duchray, known as the “Highland Hector,” son of Thomas Graham of Inchrie, as on p. 148, ante, and had issue.^

ii. Anna, married (contract dated 19 July 1045) to Alexander Colquhoun of Camstradden, and had issue.

iii. Elizabeth, married to John Macfarlane.

iv. Mary, unmarried in 1650.

(4) Walter, named in 1609.
(5) Archibald, styled brother of Dougall in writ of 1601.

George Graham had also a natural son Hew, named in 1609.

From: The Scots Peerage. Founded on Wood’s Edition of Sir Robert Douglas’s Peerage of Scotland, containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom, Edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, Lord Lyon King of Arms with Armorial Illustrations. Edinburgh 1904. Volume 6 Marchmont, Hume, Earl of, through to Oxfuird, Makgill, Viscount of. p 160-161.

Blairnairn in Glen Fruin.

The McAusland farmstead of Inverlauren was located close to the entrance of Glen Fruin, site of a battle on  7 February 1603 between the Clan Gregor and its allies on one side, and the Clan Colquhoun and its allies (including the McAuslands) on the other. There is a Blairnairn in Glen Fruin to the north east of Inverlauren, and if this is the same place as that mentioned in the Scots Peerage, then Glen Fruin saw further violence, albeit on a much smaller scale, in 1609.

Colin Campbell of Blairnairn was a younger son of Sir James Campbell, 6th of Glenkinglas and his wife Elizabeth Campbell. Although himself only a minor laird, Colin Campbell was not unusual in having royal descent in multiple lines of his ancestry.
His paternal grandfather was Dougal Campbell, a great (x4) grandson of King Robert III.
His paternal grandmother was Janet Graham, whose maternal grandmother was an illegitimate daughter of King James IV.
Janet Graham’s maternal grandfather was Alexander Stewart, Bishop of Moray, whose paternal grandfather was King James II and whose maternal great (x2) grandfather was King Robert II.
Colin Campbell’s great grandfather on his paternal side, Patrick Graham, 1st of Inchbrakie & Aberruthven counted King Robert III amongst his great (x2) grandparents and King Robert II appeared three times amongst his great (x3) grandparents.