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Graham

The patriotic Scottish race of Graham claims traditional descent from Grame, a Caledonian chief who expelled the Romans by demolishing one of their defensive walls, the ruins of which became known as Graeme's Dike.
The first authentic ancestor, with a record back to 1128, seems to be William of Graham, one of the witnesses of David I's Holyrood Charter in 1143-47. He afterwards obtained the lands of Abercorn and Dalkeith.

His great grandson, Sir David Graham, acquired Dundaff from Patrick, Earl of Dunbar; and Strathblane and Mugdock from the Earl of Lennox. He had three sons: Sir Patrick, Sir David, and Sir John. Sir John Graham was termed the 'right hand' of the great Scottish patriot Wallace, who fell at the battle of Falkirk in 1298. Sir Patrick, John's heir, a 'goodly knight' fell in defense of Scotland at Dunbar in 1296.

Sir Patrick's son, Sir David, signed the letter to the Pope in 1320 and got from Bruce a charter for old Montrose in 1325. His descendent, Sir William, Dominus de Graham et Kincardine, obtained from Robert, Duke of Albany, a charter of entail of Old Montrose.

Thus, the Graham clan started. It is an old and distinguished family who took the laurel (Buaidhchraobh, na Labhras) as their symbol.

The principal first name used by Grahams was and is John, and its Gaelic version, Iain, coming from the older Eoin. John means 'The Lord's Grace'. Hence, also MacIain, MacKain, and Johnston, all of which mean the son of John.'

On the web in 2008, a search for Graham' brings 95.3 million hits, 8.9 million of which are for John Graham'. The closest first name in popularity is James at 5.7 million.

Thus, there are many John Grahams, both famous and infamous.

For example, John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount of Dundee, greatest of the Jacobite commanders and known as 'Bloody Clavers of Bonny Dundee', fell at Killiecrankie in command of the army of James VII in 1689.
In more modern times, John Graham represented the Boston Athletic Association at the recommencement of the Olympics in Greece in 1896 and was impressed by the running of the marathon. He came back to his club in Boston to recreate the event in the new world. Thus, the first Boston Marathon took place on Patriot's Day in 1897. John Graham noted as "trainer and manager" started the race as he did for many years thereafter.

At the oldest golf course, St. Andrews, in Scotland, there is a history wing where one can see the evolution of the golf ball. The oldest golf ball shown is a stitched leather ball packed with feathers. It bears the name ... of course ... John Graham.

The first Graham recorded in the New World, was, apparently, according to a commercial firm that records different families, Anton Graham who came to Virginia in 1651. One will have to take that 'fact' with a pinch of salt. Who ever heard of a Graham being called Anton - especially in 1651?

Many later Grahams arrived in the new world by way of Ireland, having been evicted from the Scottish highlands by the English and then were forced to move onwards by the great potato famine. Most of the Irish Grahams settled in the southern states.

In recent years, parents have named their offspring Graham, using the name as a first name. However, that is tantamount to a woman wearing a pseudo kilt: ambitious but mistaken.'

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