Summer at the Lake of Monteith

Decline of the Earldom. 29
The Earldom became extinct in the year 1694. The last
Earl, William, dying without issue, bequeathed his estates
to the family of Montrose. The first cadet of the Menteith
family was Sir John Graham of Kilbride, ancestor of the
Grahams of Gartmore; and the last of any note was the
ancestor of the Grahams of Gartur.
Local tradition assigns the decline of the Earldom to the
cruelty of its last possessor, and among current stories the
undernoted is believed to be the most authentic, while
it illustrates, in a remarkable degree, the character of the
times. A man of the name of Graham having stolen a
horse in the neighbourhood, exposed the animal for sale at
St. Michael's fair, then held on Miling farm, on the shores
of the lake. Some of Graham's friends being present at the
fair, told him the owner of the horse was on his track, and
advised the thief instantly to leave the market. Graham,
acting on the advice, asked a young lad of the name of
Blair, who was standing by, to hold his horse till he trans-
acted some trivial business, and immediately took to the
hills. Meantime the owner of the horse arrived, and find-
ing the unsuspecting Blair in possession, had him handed
over to the tender mercies of the Earl, who was present at
the fair j and in those " good old times" the Earl, who had
the power of life and death in his own hands, the execu-
tioners 'in his own household, and the gallows on his own
domains, ordered the lad to be instantly hanged. The
Blairs at this time were a numerous party, both in Monteith
and Aberfoyle, and many of the lad's friends being present
at the fair, they made a strong remonstrance, but in vain.
The sentence was instantly carried into effect on the Gal-