resided, and the people who brought the fight to Kelwode were the young earl and John Graham of Fintry, along with members of the MacFarland Clan. He would have to be between 11 and 16 years old at the time of the invasion, depending on his correct date of birth. It was later written down as history that the young earl was aware of his mother being in Kelwode, and therefore "was required to find caution that she should suffer no injury". In 1587, the same year of his marriage, and possibly the same year as the attack on Kelwode, he is repeatedly referred to as "scarcely 15 years old", highlighting a further discrepancy in his possible birthdate. In 1593 he was said to be around 20 years old, and planned to travel to England to see Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Oxford, who he considered a relative. On 6 March 1597, Earl John Graham entered into a rare legal agreement called a mutual bond of maintenance, with Malcom MacFarlane, Feuar of Gartavertane. Mutual bonds of maintenance can be for a multitude of purposes, but are usually extended when one particular clan needed protection from the other, either from famine, or intruders, or to defend and supply one another in a small wars, battles, or sieges. John Graham died shortly thereafter in December 1598. He had a son and daughter that survived him: William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith, and Christian Graham, who married Sir John Blackadder of Tulliallan, Bt. References Earls or mormaers of Menteith 16th-century Scottish peers Year of birth uncertain