Looking for the arms of Graham Menteith

[anguilla1980]

Well I can't even seem to find online what the requirements would be, genealogically speaking, for such a claim. Nor can I find how to even initiate and proceed with a claim. I'm not sure if I would need a sponsor (like the current Duke of Montrose, the current Clan Graham chief), or what the fees and legal proceedings would even shape up to be. Then I would be worried about the political windfall of such a claim (would the Duke completely frown upon such a thing?). Heck even for that matter, another descendant standing up and countering my claim it for himself. I could just see all kinds of things like that coming out of the wood work. Not to mention that starting with the 7th Earl of Menteith they were also made the Earl of Airth, do I go after that as well to properly have both titles? It all seems overwhelmingly difficult and ridiculously selfish of such an endevour to even embark upon on the face of it. Lastly there is no small matter of how the peerage was phased out in the first place when the 8th Earl died......

"The end of Menteith and Airth:

His creditors compelled him to take the earldom, and in 1670, they enforced their claims. In about 1679, the Earl of Airth entered into an agreement with the Marquess of Montrose, whereby the Earldom of Menteith was to be granted to him provided that he should marry Helen or Elanor Graham, the Earl's cousins.

The Marquess of Montrose chose not to marry one of the Earl's cousins, and instead gained the right to the earldom through Charles II, and this transfer all but extinguished the Earldom of Menteith. He divorced his wife Anna in 1685, who accused him of bigamy and adultery.[3] Although he had been dispossessed of the majority of rights to earldom over Menteith, William Graham continued as the Earl of Airth until his death in 1694, and he died without leaving any issue."

...and then you have this fellow who just misappropriated the title later on: "The title of Earl of Menteith was later assumed in 1744, by a William Graham, who was the great-grandson of Elizabeth Graham, the Earl's sister." Who's to say that he may not have descendants alive today, and if he did, I would think they have a better claim than I do. I'd think my claim would only even have a chance if that entire line died out, then would it it revert back to my line from the 1st Earl?

Bottom line, I would like to just keep it simple for now. Learn what I can doing research, find out if the Clan genealogist knows about anyone from that line still being alive, etc.

If anything I would be interested in a matriculation of arms, which seems a simpler process since as mentioned I am a U.K. citizen by birth which is one of the requirements listed on the Lord Lyon's web site. I don't mind the cost of £1,547, it seems rather trivial considering the scheme of things such as family history.