James Grahme

James Grahme (his own spelling) or Graham (1649–1730) was an English army officer, courtier and politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1685 and 1727. After the Glorious Revolution he was involved for ten years in Jacobite schemes and plots.

Early life Grahme was born at Norton Conyers in Yorkshire in March 1649, the second son of Sir George Graham, bart., of Netherby, Cumberland, and his wife, Lady Mary Johnston, second daughter of James Johnstone, 1st Earl of Hartfell. He was educated under Richard Busby at Westminster School,

Military man Grahme received a commission from Louis XIV on 15 May 1671 to be captain of the regiment of Scottish infantry of Douglas. On 29 March 1673 he was appointed by Charles II to the captaincy of a company of foot commanded by the Earl of Carlisle, and on 15 November of the same year he became captain of a company of the royal regiment of English infantry, his commission bearing the signature of Louis.

On 1 February 1674 Grahme was promoted to the captaincy of twelve companies composing two battalions of the royal regiment of English infantry commanded by the Duke of Monmouth, but on 3 November that year, while in camp at Dettweiler, he obtained leave from Turenne to return to England. From Charles he received, on 1 January 1675, the captaincy of Sir Charles Littleton's company of foot, and on 30 October following a captaincy in the Earl of Craven's company of foot. On 23 February 1678 Grahme became lieutenant-colonel of the regiment of foot commanded by Lord Morpeth, and also the captaincy of a company.

Courtier

Grahme's looks and manner made him a favourite at court. There he fell in love with Dorothy Howard, one of the maids of honour to the queen, and daughter of William Howard, fourth son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire. After overcoming her mother's opposition, through the good offices of John Evelyn, Grahme was married to her at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, London, by licence dated 22 November 1675. By December 1679 he was keeper of the privy purse to the Duchess of York, and soon after was acting in the same capacity to James, Duke of York, with apartments in St. James's Palace. In about 1687, he purchased the manor of Levens, near Kendal, Westmorland from Allan Bellingham . After the death of his eldest son, Henry (in 1707, he took over the representation of Westmorland at the 1708 British general election. His voting in 1710 in favour of Henry Sacheverell made him popular in Westmorland and Cumberland and he was returned again at the 1710 British general election. He was returned again in 1713, 1715, and 1722. At the 1727 general election he retired from public life.

In 1717 Grahme was elected mayor of Appleby by a large majority. In 1722 he was a deputy-lieutenant for Westmorland. For many years before his death Grahme had a house in Stratton Street, near Devonshire House, London. In the later part of his life he was often at Charlton Park, Wiltshire, the seat of his son-in-law Lord Berkshire. He died there on 26 January 1730, and was buried there on 2 February. His epitaph in the church describes him as "servant to King Charles and King James the Second" and "faithful to both".

Horace Walpole wrote that Grahme was a fashionable man in his day, and noted for his dry humour. The manuscripts at Levens Hall belonging to Josceline Fitzroy Bagot were described in the Historical Manuscripts Commission's 10th Report. Grahme seems to have destroyed all letters from his brother, Lord Preston, and from his close friend Lord Sunderland. He kept only two letters from James II.

Family By his first wife Dorothy Howard, Grahme had three sons and two daughters. Of the sons, Henry Graham was M.P. for Westmoreland, William (d. 1716) rose to be a captain in the navy, and Richard died prematurely in 1697 as a commoner of University College, Oxford. A series of letters from him and his tutor, Hugh Todd, describing his college life and last illness, was, with altered names of persons and places, published by Francis Edward Paget in 1875, with the title A Student Penitent of 1695. Grahme's eldest daughter, Catherine (d. 1762), was married on 8 March 1709 to her first cousin, Henry Bowes Howard, 4th Earl of Berkshire, who succeeded, in right of his wife, to the Levens estate; the youngest daughter, Mary, married John Michell of Richmond, Surrey, from whom she was separated, and lived until her death about 1718 with her father. He had no children by his second wife who died in September 1709.