In 1834 Capt Robert Barclay Allardice of Ury and Allardice petitioned the King to be recognised as Earl of Airth as a descendant of William Graham, 1st Earl of Airth, his great-great-great-grandfather, basing his claim on the fact that the Letters Patent of 1633 specified descent to 'heirs general', rather than limiting it to 'heirs male'.