THE GRANT FAMILY
The name Grant seems to have appeared after the Norman Conquest, its origins are French and mean grand, great or big in both the French and Gaelic languages. But there is also a consensus of opinion that the name has Viking origins, which is based on recent research. The family motto was originally 'Tenons ferme' which evolved into the current motto STAND FAST.
History states that a 13th century land owner called Le Grand from Nottinghamshire, obtained land in the Strathspey area, which was the start of the famous and powerful clan which spread through the Grampians into Aberdeenshire. The Grant family continued to acquire lands in Glen Urquhart, Glen Moriston and Inverness.
The first fully authenticated chief of the Highland clan was Sir Ian Grant, who was Sheriff of Inverness in 1434. In 1493 the Grant lands became the barony of Freuchie, where Sir James Grant built a castle in 1536 called Castle Freuchie. Eventually the name was changed to Castle Grant by the end of the 17th century.
The Grants have consistently supported royalty, including Robert the Bruce in his efforts to acquire the Scottish crown. In fact James V rewarded them by granting James Grant of Freuchie a charter placing him out of the authority of all royal courts, with the exception of the Supreme Court of Edinburgh. Ludovick Grant, 8th Earl of Freuchie, supported William of Orange and in 1694 the barony of Freuchie was elevated to a regality, which gave him the power of a king within his own Highland Kingdom.
I am afraid that at present I am unable to connect our own branch of the Grant family with any of the above!
My Grant Family
My mother and most of her siblings were baptised with the second name of Grant, this name was bestowed on them in remembrance of their grandmother - Jane Gauld Grant. Jane was born on December 14th 1850 at Blackmill Farm in Logie Coldstone, Aberdeenshire and married Gordon Reid from Rinmore on November 5th 1870 at the Free Kirk Manse in Glenbuchat. Jane was the eldest of 11 children born to George Grant and Mary Fyfe.
Although I am sure these two clans had been united previously, this is the first proof that I have of their so doing.
The furthest back I can trace 'these' Grants is Donald, who would have been born around the early 1700s, he married one Margaret Cameron and they appear to have come from Cromdale and Inverallan. Below is the order of decent to my great grandmother Jane.
Donald
Grant and Margaret Cameron (early 1700s)
My great, great, great, great, great grandparents
Paul
Grant (7.8.1748 - ?) and Jean Milne (1750 - ?)
my great, great, great, great grandparents
(William)
Isaac Grant (1767-1842) married 19 December
1806 Logie
Coldstone Jean Gauld (1782-1860)
my great, great, great grandparents
George
Grant (21.2.1809 - 9.9.1893) married 21 February 1850 Mary Fyfe
(1830 - 22.1.1900)
my great, great grandparents
Jane
Gauld Grant (14.12.1850 - 3.1.1888) married
5th November 1850 Gordon Reid (1842-1923)
my great grandparents
For further line of decent, please see 'History of the Reids in Glenbuchat and Glenkindie' and 'Shannoch' pages
detailed biographies
below -
DONALD
GRANT AND MARGARET CAMERON
I have no additional information on my great, great, great, great, great
grandparents Donald Grant and Margaret Cameron, but assume they were born
around the early 1700s, they came from the Cromdale and Inverallan area.
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PAUL
GRANT AND JEAN MILNE
Paul was born in Cromdale and Inverallan on 7th August 1746 to
Donald Grant and Margaret Cameron. Paul and Jean Milne were to marry
eventually, but not before their son William or Isaac Grant was 'procreated in
fornication' at Sunhoney, Midmar in 1767. Sunhoney is a
lovely name and I am assuming it was a farm. It is also interesting
to note on the Register of Baptisms for 1767, Paul Grant is the only father, on a
page of 14, to have the title 'Mr' appended to his name, he was only 19.
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(WILLIAM)
ISAAC GRANT AND JEAN GAULD
Isaac was born in Midmar to Paul Grant and Jean Milne. The Baptism
Register gives two names - the main name being William, but the name Isaac
has been added afterwards as "William or Isaac". He was
baptised on 27th February 1767 so assume his birth to be around the
beginning of the month. Isaac went on to marry
Jean Gauld on 19th December 1806 in Logie Coldstone. By now
they were farming at Blackmill, Logie Coldstone, where the Grants were to remain for a
further two generations until around 1866.
Jean Gauld was born in Tarland and Migvie on 19th December 1782 to George Gauld (1755-1822) and Mary Moir (1752-?) and died at Blackmill on 26th August 1860 aged 77.
Isaac and Jean had seven
children, who were all born at Blackmill in Logie Coldstone, but I believe
Isaac to have had an earlier wife and two older children, as there is a
gravestone with the following inscription - "Erected by ISAAC GRANT farmer Blackmill in memory of his children Elizabeth died 29 April 1807 aged
16, John died 13 July 1807 aged 18". Later, very sadly added to it is
"also Hellen died 24 November 1841 in 25th year." His third
daughter with Jean Gauld. It appears that his son John with Jean
Gauld was born just a few months after the death of his first son with
that name, on September 28th 1807. He also calls his firstborn
daughter with Jean Gauld, Elizabeth, after his earlier, now deceased
daughter.
Born to Isaac Grant and
unknown
Born to Isaac Grant and Jean Gauld
John 1789 -
1807
John 1807-
Elizabeth 1790 -
1807
George 1809 - 1893 my
great, great grandfather (see below)
William 1811 - ? married Margaret Anderson 1835, 6 children
Elizabeth 1813 -
Ann 1814 - ? married Alexander Dawson 1844, 5 children
Hellen 1817 - 1841
Mary 1821 - 1906 married Charles Sim 1846, one child (Charles died
early)
Isaac (aged 75) and Jean (55)
are still at Blackmill by the time of the first census in 1841 with five
of their seven children. John and Elizabeth, named after his two deceased
first born children, appear to have also died early, as they do not
feature in Isaac's will, made a year later. This is indeed a very
odd coincidence and something I need to do much more research on.
Isaac died 24th August 1842
aged 73. He left a very informative Extract Inventory dated 5th December
1842, in which all his assets are listed, to include monies deposited in
The North of Scotland Banking Company, Aberdeen Town and County Bank, The
Harbour Trustees of Aberdeen and the Town Treasurer of Aberdeen to name
but four. In all, his estate was worth the sum of £1,506.18.8d a
princely amount in those days. He also left a Last Will and Testament in
which he names his wife Jean Gauld or Grant the sole executrix. He leaves
the sum of £300 sterling to each of his surviving sons George and William
and to his two surviving daughters there is also a bequest; viz to eldest
daughter Anne the sum of £200 sterling and 'a cow at the time of her
marriage whenever that may happen'. To his youngest daughter Mary,
he leaves the sum of £205 sterling, she also gets a cow upon her
marriage. "The
remaining part of my property of every description and all sums of money
that may be found due unto me, I leave and bequeath to Jane Grant or Gauld
my Executrix with full power to her to enjoy the same during her life and
to dispose of at her pleasure".
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GEORGE
GRANT AND MARY FYFE
George was the 2nd son of Isaac and Jean and was born on 21st February
1809 at Blackmill. He married Mary Fyfe, daughter of Thomas Fyfe (master
mason) and Jane
Wilson from Leochel-Cushnie on 21st February 1850 in Logie Coldstone.
George farmed at Blackmill, which covered an area of 95 acres in Logie
Coldstone, where they employed 3 men, 3 women and 1 boy. The Grant
family remained here until around 1866 when they moved to Ardler Farm in
Glenkindie for a further 20 or so years before retiring to Drumnageek
Cottage, Aboyne, where George, Mary, Alex, Bella and Maggie appear in the
1891 census.
Eleven children were born to George and Mary over twenty years from 1850 until 1870, including a set of twin boys born either side of midnight giving them two separate birthdays.
Jane
Gauld b1850-1888 - my great
grandmother
John b1852-1893
William b1854
Helen b1856
Mary Ann b1858
Isabella S b1860
Margaret Milne b1863-1933
Alexander Leith b1866
Georgina Leith b1868-1926
Robert Milne b1870-1939
James Robb b1870
George died at Drumgesk (or Drumnageek - the name changes depending on which document you are looking at) Aboyne on 9th September 1893 aged 83. Mary moved to Gaudibank Cottage where she too died on 22nd January 1900. In the Extract Inventory of her personal estate she has £422.1.1d deposited in the North of Scotland Bank and National Bank of New Zealand, the latter based in England. The residue after various beneficiaries is divided between her surviving sons and daughters, "namely - William, Alexander, James and Robert, my sons, and Hellen, Mary, Bella, Maggie and Georgina, my daughters".
copy of Mary Fyfe's (Grant) will
I have described this generation in fuller detail below, but as yet it is still a work in progress, so there are quite a few blanks
Jane Gauld Grant
- 1850-1888
(see below - under this generation of Grants)
John
Grant - 1852-1893
John was born on 27th August 1852 at Blackmill Farm, Logie Coldstone
and married Rose Anne Shannon on 13th August 1890 at Braidwood, Carluke.
Rose was the daughter of Revd. James Wigston Shannon.
In 1891 John is farming at Drumnageek Farm, Aboyne, also in the household
are his wife Rose and brother James, no children are born as yet. But they
had at least one son, as he is mentioned in his grandmother Mary
Fyfe's 1900 will. I have researched John and discovered a
fascinating 8 page document. After his death, on 10th February 1893
at his home Mains of Drumgesh in the Parish of Aboyne, the 'Extract
Inventory' states that he leaves a gross amount of £343.9.6d, but his
debts amount to £294.1. 3½, these are listed in great detail and include
the amount of £12 owed to his brother-in-law Gordon Reid from West
Rinmore. Unfortunately after all the debts are settled, it leaves
the grand sum of £49.8.2½ for his widow Rose Anne.
NB - the name of the farm
is slightly confusing as it is spelled as Drumgesh in the Inventory and
Drumnageek in the 1891 census.
William Grant was born 7th July 1854 at Blackmill Farm. In 1871, William is still living at home, but the family have moved to Ardler Farm in Glenkindie. he is described as a farmer's son. But by 1881 William (26) is married and living at Merchant's House, Brodiesord, Fordyce, Banff, he is a general merchant and is married, but no wife is staying under the same roof on that night; there is another inhabitant of the house - one Elizabeth Simpson (28) she is unmarried and described as a visitor with the occupation of dressmaker - what would the family think!
I have tried hard to trace his
marriage and his whereabouts in the next two censuses, without any luck,
but I do know he is alive in 1900, as he is a beneficiary in his mother
Mary's will.
Helen Grant was born on 14th April 1856 at Blackmill Farm. By the time of the 1871 census, she is to be found aged 14 and living as a general servant to Alexander and Ann Dawson at 7 Parkside in Towie.
But she appears to have had a baby born the year before, on November 24th 1870 at Kinbattoch Cottage, Towie, when she was 14. She registered the birth, but no father's name was entered. It is believed that she gave the child away to be brought up by Alexander and Margaret Troup, who lived at Stoneyford, Coull, Aberdeenshire. Poor Helen, what a transgression, she would have been brought before the church 'Elders' to decide her punishment and what to do with the child.
Eventually, she married widower Alexander Hepburn on 19th December 1876 at Tipperty, Logie Buchan when she was 20 and Alex 34. They had five children - William M (probably Milne) born 1878, Mary Fyfe born 1880, George 1883, James 1885 and Alfred John 1892.
In 1891 Helen is aged 34 and living with her husband Alexander (47), where she is described as a farmer's wife, at Middleton, Premnay, Aberdeen, her brother Robert is also in residence, along with her children William, Mary, George and James. By the next census in 1901 they have moved to Burnside, Fetteresso, Cookney, Kincardineshire. Helen is now 44 and Alexander 58, two of her sisters are also in residence, namely Georgina (30) and Isabella (40) described as 'living on own means'; also still at home are three of her children, Mary (21), James (16) and the youngest Alfred John (9).
It is quite possible that Helen appears in the 1904 wedding photograph of my grandparents William Reid and Elizabeth Nicol, standing in the back row next to her brother in law Gordon Reid, as she would have been the groom's aunt, possibly replacing her deceased sister Jane.
Helen (50) and her son Alfred
(17) have been found on an incoming passenger list on the SS Caledonia
arriving in New York City on 8th August 1908; they were en route to Reno,
Nevada: Why - I have no idea, perhaps one of her other children had
already emigrated and they were visiting............... who knows!
More to find out on this
interesting lady.
Mary Ann Grant was born 6th June 1858 at Blackmill Farm. On the night of the 1881 census she is described as a servant and living in the home of her eldest sister Jane at West Rinmore.
Mary
Ann is proving elusive, I cannot trace her in any censuses or death
records, but she is definitely still alive in 1900, as she features in her
mother's will.
Isabella Grant, known as Bella, was born 2nd July 1860 at Blackmill Farm. In the census for 1881, she is living with her parents at Ardler Farm.
At the time of her mother's death on 22nd January 1990, Bella and her mother were living at Gaudybank Cottage, Premnay, Insch and Bella was joint executor of the will with her brother Alexander. She was the recipient of an interesting bequest in said will, namely "the house with carpets, grates and cooking utensils at Gaudy Bank Cottage, Premnay, Insch, with School and Garden". I am not sure what she did with the school, perhaps she was a teacher:
In
the 1901
census she is staying as a visitor with her sister Helen Hepburn at
Burnside, Fetteresso, Cookney, Kincardine: She is aged 40 and
described as 'living on own means', she also shared one ninth of the
residue of her mother's estate, in addition to the house at Gaudybank left
to her the previous year.
Margaret Milne Grant
- 1863-1933
Margaret was born 2nd March 1863 at Blackmill Farm, the last of George and Mary's
children to be born there. She married Alexander Findlater when she
was 28 and he 32 on 18th July 1891 in what looks like on the certificate,
Cafe Buildings, in the parish of St Nicholas, Aberdeen. The address
for Alexander is Brodiesord Farm, Fordyce and Maggie's is her parents home
of Drumnagesk, Aboyne.
Maggie and Alexander have four children that I can trace - Margaret Grant born in 1893, Bella (I assume Isabella) born in 1895, their first son Alexander J born in 1897 and finally another son William T born in 1900. The birth dates may vary slightly, as I have pulled them from the 1901 census records.
She
was also the informant for her mother
Mary's death in 1900. On her own death, 28th December 1933, she was
still living at Brodiesord
Farm, Fordyce, Banff. I need to do a lot more research on this lady. My
cousin Jack remembers staying with the Findlaters on holiday sometime in
the 1950s, so I assume that these would be either Maggie's son Alexander
or William's family.
Alexander Leith Grant was born 15th November 1866 at Ardler Farm, Glenkindie the first of George and Mary's children to be born here. He was a witness at his brother John's marriage in 1890 and was also a student of theology in the 1891 census. After his mother's death in 1900, Alexander was named as executor along with sister Bella and, in addition to sharing one ninth of the residue of his mother's estate, he was left the sum of £100 "for his use, until he get a church and be able to repay it, when it shall be deposited in a bank and the interest given to any one of my family the Executors may think in need thereof; or if no one be in need, it shall be given to some charitable object". I don't know whether he found a charitable object, or indeed finally got his church, but I hope that he did.
So
far Alexander too is proving elusive, I have tried to find him in the 1901
census, also tried tracing ministers of both the Church of Scotland and
the Free Church of Scotland, to no avail.
Georgina Leith Grant
- 1868-1925
Georgina was born
3rd April 1868 at Ardler Farm. In the 1881 census she was a visitor
at her sister Jane's home of West Rinmore. Georgina never married
but became a housekeeper, although I am not sure where that was.
In the census for 1901, Georgina is to be found aged 30, and a visitor along with her sister Isabella, staying with her older sister Helen and family at Burnside, Fetteresso, Kincardine and described as 'living on her own means'.
Again, another short life like her siblings Jane and John, dying aged only
56 on December 16th 1925 at another sister, Maggie Findlater's, home at Brodiesord Farm, of rheumatoid arthritis, the informant being her
brother-in-law Alexander Findlater. It is also noted on the death
certificate that she was an 'invalid, I am not surprised if she suffered
from rheumatoid arthritis.
Twins Robert and James
-
Robert Milne Grant - 1870-1939
born
25th September 1870 at Ardler Farm. In the census for 1881, he is
still at Ardler with his parents, but by 1891, he is living with his older
sister Helen and her family at Middleton, Premnay, Aberdeenshire.
In 1900 Robert has moved to 6 Stonefield Terrace, Glasgow, where he is a 28 year old commercial traveller. On April 4th of that year he marries Gertrude Maud Johnson, aged 19 from 83 Easter Road, Edinburgh, daughter of George and Henrietta Johnson, at the bride's home. I have been able to trace two sons born to them, so far - Ronald and Alexander George Allan. The latter was born in 1901 and unfortunately died at only 15 years in WWI. He appears to have been an assistant steward in the Merchant Navy on SS Brantingham (Leith) and his death occurred on 4th October 1816. His parents are listed as next of kin with an address at 69 Iona Street, Leith. There is a memorial to him at Tower Hill (not sure where that is).
Robert died at 60 Iona Street
Leith, Edinburgh on 24th April 1939 and the informant for his death was
his other son Ronald
James Robb Grant born 26th September 1870 at Ardler Farm, the last child of George and Mary and twin to Robert. In 1891 he is living with his oldest brother John and wife Rose Ann at Drumgesh Farm in Aboyne.
On June 9th 1898, when he is 28 years of age, James marries spinster Jane Johnstone Smith, who is 41, James is a missionary and his address is given as 19 Roslea Drive, Dennistown, Glasgow. The marriage takes place at 95 Renfield Street, Glasgow, according to forms of the United Presbyterian Church (I am not sure if the address is actually that of the church).
The next time we find James is
in 1901 and he is living at 142 Ingleby Drive, Dennistown, Glasgow with
his wife Jane and mother in law Elizabeth Johnstone (77).
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JANE GAULD
GRANT AND GORDON REID
Jane was my great grandmother, but
unfortunately she
had a short life, she died of septicemia within a month of her 37th
birthday on January 3rd 1888 after suffering for a period of 3 days. One
has to assume that before the invention of antibiotics, even a small cut,
when infected, could prove fatal. This would have been disastrous
for her large and still young brood of 9 children, the youngest Georgina,
only 7 months. The eldest daughter Mary Jane, (I am making an assumption
here) took over her mother's role, she would have been 14, that being the
age when one was considered fully educated unless the 'scholar' was
destined for university.
Jane married Gordon Reid from Rinmore when she was just 20 year's old and the groom 28, the ceremony took place at the free church manse of Glenbuchat on 5th November 1870: Unfortunately no photos exist, as far as I am aware.
After the wedding, they moved into West Rinmore Farm in Glenkindie, where Gordon farmed until 1895 and where all 9 children were born, starting in July 1872 with the birth of my grandfather William Gordon and ending 15 years later in June 1887, with the birth of Georgina Grant. The farm is now a ruin, but one can see that it would not have been very large, there would have been 2 bedrooms upstairs with possibly a large space on the 'landing' which would have served as another bedroom. Downstairs there would have been a kitchen/living room and another 'best' room or parlour. Life would have been very crowded inside with beds shared, with the rate of procreation, there would always have been a baby in a crib in the parents' bedroom.
Children of Jane and Gordon -
William
Gordon 1872-1960 - my grandfather
Mary-Jane 1873-1894
James 1875-1910
Helen Ann 1878-1946
Isabella Grant 1880-1944
John Grant 1882-(research needed)
Margaret Grant 1883-1968
Alexander Grant 1885-1974
Georgina Grant 1887-1979
fuller information on this generation can be found
under chapter 'History of
the Reids in
Glenbuchat and Glenkindie.
Jane's mother Mary Fyfe writes in her will 'to each of my late daughter Jane's girls there be given the sum of £1 sterling'; so £4 is distributed between Helen, Isabella, Margaret and Georgina.
I wish I could write more about Jane, but I find it very hard to get under her skin. She was born virtually 100 years before me, but our lives could not be more disparate. I was born and brought up an only child in one of the largest metropolises in the world with all comfort and convenience. She was one of 11 children with not even a bed to herself, let alone running water or indoor sanitation, living in a small, remote farming community with no first-hand knowledge of the world whatsoever. Her life was short and hard with many privations, but I hope it was happy. Jane's husband was, according to my mother, a good, kindly and religious man and Jane herself appears to have come from a stable, close knit religious family, with her parents and most of her siblings living a stone's throw away, so help was always on hand. I am sure that in her short life she enjoyed much love and support from her husband, family, friends and neighbours, at least I like to hope so.
I am not in possession of any of the Grant family's letters, documents or photos, if indeed there are any. If anyone reading this has any more information on this branch of the Grant family, I would be very grateful if they would contact me.
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