Note 18 — INTRODUCTION

James Urquhart was the only son of Jonathan Urquhart of Cromarty and his wife Lady Jean Graham, daughter of the second Marquis of Montrose. Jonathan was the last of the Urquharts who owned the estate of Cromarty, famous owing to its possession by Sir Thomas Urquhart, the translator of Rabelais. Jonathan’s affairs having got into disorder, he sold his ancestral property to George Mackenzie, Viscount Tarbat, who was created Earl of Cromartie in 1703. James Urquhart married Anne Rollo, daughter of Robert Rollo of Powhouse, and had an only child, Grizel, who died unmarried. Colonel Urquhart ‘was a man of noble spirit, great honour, and integrity; he served in the wars both in Spain and Flanders with great reputation, but left the Army, and lived a retired life.... In him ended the whole male line of John, only son of the first marriage of John, tutor of Cromarty ... the representation devolved upon William Urquhart of Meldrum’ (Douglas, Baronage). Colonel Urquhart was born in 1691, and died on January 3rd, 1741 (Family papers). His appointment as Jacobite Agent for Scotland is dated May 28th, 1736 (Ruvigny, Jacobite Peerage, p. 234).