Clan Grant

Clan Grant
Grannd (Surname), Granndach (Singular), Na Granndaich (Collective).
Crest: An image of a burning hill. (The burning hill represents "Craig Elachie", the rallying point for the Grants. When signal fires were lit upon the summit of Craig Elachie, or "The Rock of Alarm", members of the clan would gather there in order to organize for an attack or defense.)
Motto	Stand Fast
Slogan	"Stand Fast Craig Elachie!"
Profile
District	Badenoch and Strathspey
Plant badge	Scots fir
Pipe music	"Craigelachie"
Chief
The Rt. Hon. Sir James Grant of Grant
The 6th Lord Strathspey
Historic seat	Castle Grant
Septs of Clan Grant More of Drumcork, Allans of Rhynagairn, The Siol Lewis
Allied clans Clan Gordon Clan Gregor
Rival clans Clan Cameron

Clan Grant is a Highland Scottish clan.

History

Origins

It is almost certain that the ancestors of the chiefs of Clan Grant came to Scotland with the Normans to England where the name is found soon after the conquest of that country.^[1] Although some historians have asserted that the Grants were part of the Siol Alpin group of families who descend from Alpin, father of Kenneth MacAlpin, first king of Scots.^[1] The first Grants to appear in Scotland are recorded in the 13th century when they acquired the lands of Stratherrick.^[1] One of the family married Mary, daughter of Sir John Bisset and from this marriage came at least two sons.^[1] One of these sons was Sir Laurence le Grand who became Sheriff of Inverness.^[1]

Wars of Scottish Independence

During the Wars of Scottish Independence Clan Grant were supporters of William Wallace and John and Randolph Grant were captured at the Battle of Dunbar (1296).^[1] The Clan Grant later supported Robert the Bruce in competition for the Scottish Crown.^[1] The victory of Robert the Bruce confirmed the Grants in their lands of Strathspey and despite their southern origins they became established Highland chiefs.^[1]

The taking of Castle Grant, 14th century; Originally a Comyn Clan stronghold, Clan traditions tell us that the castle was taken from the Comyns by a combined force of the Grants and MacGregors.

15th and 16th centuries

The next available reference is of Duncan le Grant in 1434, and later, Sir Duncan Grant of Freuchie (Castle Grant), who inherited land in Dulnain valley in upper Speyside from his mother, Matilda of Glencarnie. Her family had partially owned it since 1180, when Richard I of England ^{[citation needed]} gave Kinveachy (approximately ten miles southwest of Castle Grant) to Gille Brigte, Earl of Strathearn.

By the 16th century the clan and its chief had become powerful enough to play a part in national politics. Their main allies being the Clan Gordon, whose chief was the powerful Earl of Huntly.^[2]

In 1535 James Grant, 3rd Laird of Freuchie was made responsible for the policing of Strathspey.^[3]

In 1580 a Robert Grant defeated an English champion at a jousting tournament while on an embassy in the south.^[3] Towards the end of the 16th century the Grants began to quarrel with their old allies the Gordons, over religion. The Grants being Protestant and the Gordons being Catholic.^[4]

In 1586 the Earl of Huntly allied with the Clan MacDonald and Clan Cameron who both had a history of raiding the Grants lands. The Grants responded by bringing in the Clan Gregor but they came off worse in a clash at Ballindalloch.^[4] By the late 16th century, Clan Grant became an important clan in the Scottish Highlands. During this period, the clan's actions resulted in the murder of the Earl of Moray and the defeat of the Earl of Argyll at the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594. The Chief of Clan Grant ordered his men to retreat as soon as the action began. This treacherous move led to the defeat of Clan Campbell of Argyll.

17th century and Civil War

In 1613 King James VII of Scotland wrote to the chief of Clan Grant complaining that he was sheltering outlaws from the Clan MacGregor. The chief responded by sending the notorious Alistair MacAllister MacGregor to Edinburgh. However, the King was not satisfied and in 1615 fined Grant 16,000 merks for protecting the MacGregors.^[5]

During the Civil War Captain David Grant led his forces in support of the Covenanter forces against the Royalist forces at the Battle of Tippermuir in 1644.

In October 1645 the Clan Cameron raided the lands of the Clan Grant. The Grants gave chase catching the Camerons in the Braes of Strathdearn, where the Cameron men were defeated and many clansmen were slain.^[6]

By 1651 the Scottish Covenantor Government was no longer in agreement with the English Parliament of Oliver Cromwell. Sir James Grant of Grant, 16th Chief, led the clan to fight for Charles I and the Royalists at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Also, an alliance between Sir James Grant and the Earl of Huntly led to the annihilation of the Clan Farquharson.

After the Civil War the Clan Grant supported the British government. A force of over 600 Grants joined Colonel Livingstone who fought in support of William of Orange and defeated the Jacobites at the Battle of Cromdale in 1690. These same Grants fought against the Jacobite Grants of Glenmoriston who had fought at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689.^[7]

18th century and Jacobite uprisings

1715 - 1716 rising

During the Jacobite rising of 1715 the main part of the Clan Grant supported the British Government. In 1715 the Laird of Grant withdrew his forces which led to the defeat of government forces at the Skirmish of Alness. However soon after the Clan Grant helped retake Inverness from the Jacobites during Siege of Inverness (1715).^[8] In 1715 the fighting force of the Clan Grant was given as 850 men by General George Wade.^[9] At the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715, Grants fought on both sides. The British government forces won the battle with many of the Jacobites surrendering to General Grant.

Black Watch

In 1725 six Independent Highland Companies (Black Watch) were formed to support the Government. One from Clan Grant, one from Clan Fraser, one from Clan Munro and three from Clan Campbell. In 1739 ten Independent Highland Companies were formed into the 43rd Highlanders (Black Watch) regiment.^[10]

1745 - 1746 rising

During the Jacobite rising of 1745 the chief of Clan Grant again supported the British Government. However once again he withdrew his troops which again led to the defeat of government forces, this time at the Battle of Inverurie (1745).

One branch of the Clan Grant, the Grants of Glenmoriston sided with the Jacobites and fought at the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745 and are credited with winning the day due to their timely reinforcement. The Grants of Glenmoriston branch also fought as Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Eighty-four Grants of Glenmoriston were captured at Culloden and were transported to Barbados, in violation of their terms of surrender, where they were sold as slaves.^[9]

Highland clearances

Clan Grant was one of the few clans not to be affected by the Highland Clearances. The "Good Sir James" Grant (Clan Chief from 1773–1811) built the town of Grantown-on-Spey for the express purpose of providing for his clansmen to keep them from having to emigrate. While other Highlanders were emigrating in the face of the changes that were sweeping away the old Highland way of life, Sir James Grant was busy building an entire town, building schools, mills, factories, a hospital, an orphanage, etc. to provide for his Clan. Grantown-on-Spey is a monument to Sir James's loyalty to his clansmen.

Castle Grant, former seat of the clan

British Army Regiments

During the later part of the 18th century two regiments were raised from the Clan Grant. Firstly the "Grant or Strathspey Fencibles" in 1793 and the "97th" or "Strathspey Regiment" in 1794. The first was disbanded in 1799 and the second, was used as marines on bord Lord Howe's fleet and later drafted into other regiments in 1795.^[9]

21st century

During a visit to Winnipeg, Canada in July 2012, the chief of Clan Grant declared that Métis leader Cuthbert Grant was a member of the clan. This created a new sept of Clan Grant in Canada.^[11]

Visitors came from as far away as Scotland as well as from Yukon,Montana and Manitoba where Grant descendants settled, to take part in events arranged for Lord Strathspey’s time in Canada. Anita Grant Steele arrived with other descendants of William Grant of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, who was one of the originators of the North West Company and the senior partner of Grant, Campion and Company.

Steele organized a reunion tea with Lord Strathspey at Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel and was named the first steward of the branch now known as the MacRobbie Grants of Trois-Rivières. The reunion included Donald L Grant, Emerald Grant and Roy Grant, who were responsible for the Y-DNA test results that positively determined the MacRobbie Grants of Trois-Rivières are from the same genetic line as the chiefs of Grant. GrantReunion

Castles

• Castle Grant was the seat of the Chief of Clan Grant.
• Urquhart Castle owned by the Clan Grant between 1509 and 1912.
• Ballindalloch Castle was owned by the Macpherson-Grants from the middle of the 16th century.

Chief

The current Chief of Clan Grant is the Rt. Hon The Lord Strathspey, Sir James Patrick Trevor Grant of Grant, Bt, 6th Baron Strathspey, 33rd hereditary Clan chief of Clan Grant.

The arms of Baron Strathspey as matriculated by the 32nd Chief in 1950 are shown above : Gules three antique crowns Or in the dexter canton Argent a saltire Azure surmounted of an inescutcheon Or charged with a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter flory being the addition of a Nova Scotia as a baronet.

Tartans

The official tartan for the Grant clan is the "1860 sett", and taken directly from the sett of Grant of Dalvey, which was declared official by Lord Strathspey, chief of the clan. The 1860 sett is used to define both the Ancient and the Modern colours, the Ancient colours being lighter and less sharp (for example, the red of the modern colours is more orange for the ancient colours). The Chief's sett is a smaller stitch count of the same sett.

Modifications of the official tartan are recognized for Grants of specific regions: the Grants of Ballindalloch and the Grants of Rothiemurchus. There is also a hunting tartan for the Grant clan, which was adapted by the Black Watch. The original tartan, with a green and blue sett was used in the military (and still is today by the Black Watch). Due to the green and black colours of the hunting tartan, one wearing a kilt with such a design would be able to blend in with his surroundings. The green and black sett was adopted by some clans as their official tartan.

Sir James Grant of Grant does not recognise the white so called 'dress' Grant tartan, and therefore it should not be counted amongst the many acknowledged Grant tartans.

• Grant (Modern)
• Grant (Ancient)
• Grant (Hunting)

See also

• Siol Alpin.
• Scottish clan

References

• The Rulers of Strathspey, a history of the lairds of Grant and the Earls of Seafield, 1911, by the Earl of Cassilis

GrantReunion

External links

• Clan Grant, Australia
• Clan Grant, UK
• Clan Grant, USA
• Grant Heraldry
• Clan Grant Canada