Note 28 — Chapter IV · NOTICES RESPECTING SIR JOHN GRAHAM AND SIR JOHN STEWART.—CONDUCT OF CUMYN.—WALLACE RESIGNS THE GUARDIANSHIP.—EDWARD RETURNS HOME.—TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION OF THE LONDONERS IN HONOUR OF HIS VICTORY AT FALKIRK.—REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN.

“His Grace the Duke of Montrose (one of whose titles is Viscount Dundaff), possesses an antique sword, on which is the following inscription:—

“The Duke is also proprietor of Dundaff, where Sir John Graham of Dundaff’s castle is seen in ruins.

“The grave-stone of Sir John de Graham is in the churchyard of Falkirk, having the following Latin motto, with a translation:—

“While some of Cromwell’s troops were stationed in Falkirk, an officer desired the parochial schoolmaster to translate the Latin. This he did as follows:—

“There are now three stones upon the grave. When the inscription on the first had begun to wear out by the influence of the weather, a second was put above it, with the same inscription; and a third was lately added by William Graham of Airth, Esq. At a little distance, upon the left, is an unpolished stone, said to cover the remains of the gallant knight of Bonkill.”—Nimmo’s History of Stirlingshire.

With regard to Stewart of Bonkill being buried in Falkirk, we are inclined to be a little sceptical, not so much from the silence of the Minstrel, as from the great probability of his having been conveyed to Bute by the surviving tenantry of that island. In a small ruined chapel, about half a mile west of Rothesay, there is still to be seen all that remains of “the auld Stewarts of Bute,” where, amidst a number of dilapidated monuments, well worth the attention of the antiquary, appears a stone figure, said to represent the gallant knight of Bonkill, in complete armour of the 13th century. In a recess in the opposite wall, there is also to be seen another figure, representing Jean M’Rudrie, heiress of Bute. This lady appears to have been descended from a sea-officer, or pirate, named Rudrie, who is thus noticed in the Norwegian account of the expedition of King Haco:—“The wind was not favourable; King Haco, however, made Andreas Pott go before him, south to Bute, with some small vessels, to join those he had already sent thither. News was soon received, that they had won a fortress, the garrison of which had capitulated, and accepted terms of the Norwegians. There was with the Norwegians a sea-officer called Rudri; he considered Bute as his birth-right; and because he had not received the island of the Scots, he committed many ravages, and killed many people, and for that he was outlawed by the Scottish King. He came to Haco and took the oaths to him, and, with two of his brothers, became his subjects. As soon as the garrison, after having delivered up the stronghold, were gone away from the Norwegians, Rudri killed nine of them, because he thought he owed them no good will.” After the treaty between Alexander and the Norwegians, it would seem that Rudrie had been allowed to hold the island of Bute as a vassal of the Scottish crown; and there is every reason to believe that the Janet M’Rudrie above mentioned was either his daughter or grand-daughter, who, by her marrying Alexander Stewart, became the mother of Sir John Stewart of Bonkill.

The present noble proprietor, whose family came to the possession of Bute in the reign of Robert II., has made some slight repairs about the walls where these figures are reclining. It is, however, to be regretted, that a little more attention is not paid to the preservation of such valuable antiques.