Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 22.djvu/369

 ployed, and is known as ‘Graham's tube.’ His experiments on the passage of gases through small openings and through films of caoutchouc, &c., greatly extended our knowledge of the motions of molecules. He also studied the manner in which liquids permeate membranes (dialysis), and named those substances which had a high diffusibility crystalloids, and substances of a low diffusibility colloids; this research has an important bearing upon the phenomena of osmosis, and explains many facts connected with animal and vegetable life. The striking features of Graham's work are its originality and the simplicity of his methods, leading nevertheless to important and indeed fundamental results. In his later work Graham was ably assisted by Mr. W. C. Roberts-Austen, the present head of the Mint.

A bronze statue of Graham was placed in George Square, Glasgow, in 1872. His papers, &c., were collected by Dr. James Young, and printed (privately) in 1876, the volume having a preface by Dr. Angus Smith on ‘Graham and other Atomists.’ Altogether sixty-three papers by Graham on various scientific subjects appeared in different periodicals. The first, ‘On the Absorption of Gases by Liquids,’ in Thomson's ‘Annals of Philosophy’ for 1826; and the last, ‘Additional Observations on Hydrogenium,’ in ‘Proceedings of the Royal Society for 1869.’

[Nature, 1869, i. 20 (portrait), and biography by Prof. A. W. Williamson; Timbs's Year-Book of Facts for 1857 (portrait); Memoir by Prof. Hofmann, Gedächtnissrede auf Thomas Graham, Berlin, 1870; Proc. Royal Society, 1870, p. xviii; Proc. Royal Soc. of Edinb. 1872; Proc. Royal Institution, 1872; American Journal of Science, 1871, p. 115; Smithsonian Report for 1871; Photographic Portraits of Living Celebrities, by Maull and Polyblank, with memoir by E. Walford; Encycl. Brit., 9th edit.; Deutsch. Chem. Gesell. Ber., II. 1869, 753–80; München, Akad. Sitzungsb. 1870, i. 408–12; Amer. Acad. Proc. 1873, viii. 230–9; Royal Society's Cat. of Scientific Papers, 1868 and 1877; information furnished by friends.] 

GRAHAM, WILLIAM, seventh and first  (1591–1661), born in 1591, was the son of John Graham, sixth earl of Menteith, and his countess, Mary, daughter of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy. His father died in December 1598. His curators, on 14 July 1610, obtained letters of dispensation of his not being of the full age of twenty-one years, and served him heir to his father in the earldom. Two years later he married Lady Agnes, daughter of Patrick, lord Gray. The family was of the same stock as the earls of Montrose, though it had not been hitherto conspicuous. The seventh earl was a man of great vigour. He cleared many of his estates from encumbrances, and became an early favourite of Charles I. In December 1626 he was appointed a member of the privy council of Scotland and a commissioner of exchequer. On the death of his kinsman, John, earl of Montrose and president of the council, the office was immediately conferred by the king on Menteith (January 1628), and on 16 May 1631 confirmed to him for life. In July 1628 he was created justice-general of Scotland, and the king, consulting Menteith on everything relating to Scottish affairs, obliged him frequently to travel up to his court at London, and made him a member of the privy council of England. He gave him an annual pension for life of 500l., and promised him a further gift of 5,000l. sterling as soon as the condition of the royal treasury permitted its payment. But this was never paid.

Something like a genealogical craze took possession of the Scottish nobility at this period. Menteith shared in the rivalry, and having ascertained his descent from Eufamia, countess palatine of Strathearn, and granddaughter of Robert II, by the advice of Sir Thomas Hope, king's advocate, he resolved to pursue his claim to that earldom. Menteith proposed to renounce formally his claim to some of the lands of the earldom which were annexed to the crown, but sought to recover others in possession of subjects. The king not only consented to what was proposed, but gave Menteith 3,000l. sterling for the renunciation. He also granted him a patent, on 31 July 1631, creating him and his heirs earls of Strathearn, and ratified in his favour the old charters which had been granted to his ancestor, David, earl of Strathearn.

Menteith, however, had enemies, especially Sir John Scot of Scotstarvet, author of ‘The Staggering State of Scots Statesmen.’ He had been the means, he said, of Menteith's rapid advance to power, but had been ungratefully cast off at the bidding of Sir Thomas Hope (Sir John Scot's ‘True Narration,’ printed by Sir Harris Nicolas in his History of the Earldoms of Strathern and Monteith, App. p. xxiv). Scot and others hostile to Menteith made a complaint to the king. Scot's brother-in-law, William Drummond of Hawthornden [q. v.], drew up a tractate in December 1632 against the earl's claims. Charles took legal advice, which, as it was taken from the parties hostile to Menteith, was utterly condemnatory of his action. Charles seems to have considered Menteith to have been only imprudent, and, while stripping him of his new title of Earl of Strathearn, gave