This article written and copyright 2013 by Will Johnson, wjhonson@aol.com, Professional Genealogist
John Monteith comes to our attention for the first time in 1594, when, in he appears in a marriage contract, to marry Suzanne Hotman, daughter of the famous jurist Francois Hotman, who had died 12 Feb 1590 in Basel, Switzerland. Suzanne had been put under the guardianship of her eldest brother Jean Hotman, and it was likely through his influence that this marriage was arranged.
In this contract John is referred to as "esquire", "Seigneur d'Argentenay", "Born in Scotland in the Province of Stirlingshire, of the house of the Counts of Menteith and Barons of Kerse", "assisted by his cousin by virtue of their grandmothers being daughters of the Count of Montrose in Scotland"
Although it would seem this is a fairly clear identification, it has baffled those who have looked at it so far, to find the relevant intervening documentation to put him in the correct place within the family of the Counts of Montrose.
His father appears to be John Menteith, 9th of Kerse, who was living in 1565 and dead by 1590. He may have been illegitimate or by a wife other than John's known wife Helen Menteith.
John, 9th of Kerse was the son of Sir Robert Menteith of Alva and Kerse, who was heir in his issue of his nephew William Menteith who d.s.p.m. after 1541, and Robert was still living in 1552 when he resigned in favor of his son John
Robert's parents are one of two possibilities, either John Menteith of West Kerse and Alva; Sheriff of Clackmannan -~1470; OR it could be William Menteith of Kerse (West Ker) and Alva (Alveth) ~1509- and his wife Helen Bruce of Airth
If his father was John Menteith of West Kerse, then 16-19 in his tree would be
16 John /Menteith/ of West Kerse and Alva 1357- j.u.; Sheriff of Clackmannan 1359-1367-
17 Marjory /Stirling/ of Kerse (as heiress)
18 Patrick, Lord of /Graham/
19 Matilda //
Regardless of how he descends in detail, he must descend in some way from the marriage of this John Menteith to Marjory Stirling as Kerse was her inheritance.