Clan Grant is a

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

, with one main branch, Grant of Grant, and several cadet branches, such as Grant of Glenmoriston.

History

Origins

The Chiefs of Clan Grant descended from

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

who arrived in Scotland during the medieval period, bearing the French name ''le Grand'' ('the tall', 'large'). The first Grants to appear in Scotland are recorded in the 13th century when they acquired the lands of Stratherrick. Sir Laurence le Grant, son of Gregory le Grant, was Sheriff of

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

Wars of Scottish Independence

During the

Wars of Scottish Independence The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and 14th centuries. The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of Scotla ...

, Clan Grant were supporters of

William Wallace Sir William Wallace (, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of St ...

, and John and Randolph Grant were captured at the Battle of Dunbar (1296). The Clan Grant later supported

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

in competition for the Scottish Crown. The victory of Robert the Bruce confirmed the Grants in their lands of Strathspey, where they became established Highland chiefs. The acquisition of Castle Grant occurred during the 14th century. Originally a Clan Comyn stronghold, tradition holds that the castle was taken from the Comyns by a combined force of 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 the Crown 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 Clan Gordon is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire ...

, whose chief was the powerful

Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles; only the English ma ...

. In 1535 James Grant, 3rd Laird of Freuchie was made responsible for the policing of Strathspey. In 1580 Robert Grant, champion of the Grants, defeated an English champion at a

jousting Jousting is a medieval and renaissance martial game or hastilude between two combatants either on horse or on foot. The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism. The term is derived from Old French , ultim ...

tournament while on an embassy in England. 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. In 1586 the Earl of Huntly allied with the Clan MacDonald and

Clan Cameron Clan Cameron is a West Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber, and within their lands lies Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isl ...

who both had a history of raiding the Grant's lands. The Grants responded by bringing in the

Clan Gregor Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The clan ...

but they came off worse in a clash at Ballindalloch. By the late 16th century, Clan Grant had become an important clan in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...

. During this period, the clan's actions resulted in the murder of the

Earl of Moray The title Earl of Moray, or Mormaer of Moray (pronounced "Murry"), was originally held by the rulers of the Province of Moray, which existed from the 10th century with varying degrees of independence from the Kingdom of Alba to the south. Until ...

and the defeat of the

Earl of Argyll Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

at the

Battle of Glenlivet The Battle of Glenlivet was a Scottish clan battle fought on 3 October 1594 near Glenlivet, Moray, Scotland. It was fought between Protestant forces loyal to King James VI of Scotland who were commanded by Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Arg ...

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 Clan Campbell ( ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan be ...

of Argyll.

17th century and Civil War

In 1613 King

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

wrote to John Grant of Freuchie 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 Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. However, the King was not satisfied and in 1615 fined Grant 16,000 merks for protecting the MacGregors. During the 1639–1651

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities in a personal union un ...

, Captain David Grant led his forces in support of the Covenanter forces against the Royalist forces at the

Battle of Tippermuir The Battle of Tippermuir (also known as the Battle of Tibbermuir) (1 September 1644) was the first battle James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose, fought for King Charles I in the Scottish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. During t ...

in 1644. In October 1645,

raided the lands of the Clan Grant.Battle of the Braes of Strathdearn
clan-cameron.org. Retrieved 17, March 2013. The Grants gave chase catching the Camerons in the Battle of the Braes of Strathdearn, where the Cameron men were defeated and many clansmen were slain. In 1651 James Grant, 7th of Freuchie, 18th Chief, led the clan as a

Covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...

and suffered much as a result. He later supported the Marquis of Montrose. Also, an alliance between Grant and the

led to the annihilation of the Clan Farquharson.

1689 rising

In 1689 Ludovic Grant, 8th of Freuchie, 19th Chief, referred to as the "Highland King", was a supporter of William of Orange and later also supported the Hanoverian succession. Led by their Chief, the majority of the Clan were steadfast

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

. The Grants of Glenmoriston however were committed Jacobites throughout the period, notably fighting at the

Battle of Killiecrankie The Battle of Killiecrankie, also known as the Battle of Rinrory, took place on 27 July 1689 during the Jacobite rising of 1689, 1689 Scottish Jacobite rising. An outnumbered Jacobitism, Jacobite force under Ewan Cameron of Lochiel, Sir Ewen Ca ...

in July 1689. Clan Grant provided the bulk of the Williamite force under Sir Thomas Livingstone, that defeated the Jacobites at the Battle of Cromdale in May 1690.

18th century and Jacobite uprisings

1715 rising

During the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

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). In 1715 the fighting force of the Clan Grant was given as 850 men by General

George Wade Field Marshal George Wade (1673 – 14 March 1748) was a British Army officer and politician who served in the Nine Years' War, War of the Spanish Succession, Jacobite rising of 1715 and War of the Quadruple Alliance. He went on to be a milit ...

. At the

Battle of Sheriffmuir The Battle of Sheriffmuir (, ) was an engagement in 1715 at the height of the Jacobite rising of 1715, Jacobite rising in Scotland. The battlefield has been included in the Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland and protected by Histor ...

in 1715, Grants fought on both sides. The British government forces won the battle with many of the Jacobites surrendering to General Alexander Grant, 2nd of Grant, 20th Chief.

Black Watch

General Wade Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal George Wade (1673 – 14 March 1748) was a British Army officer and politician who served in the Nine Years' War, War of the Spanish Succession, Jacobite rising of 1715 and War of the Quadruple Al ...

's report on the Highlands in 1724, estimated the clan strength at 800 men. In 1725, six Independent Highland Companies (Black Watch) were formed to support the Government. One from Clan Grant, one from

Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Fraser of Lovat ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan and the principal branch of Clan Fraser. The Frasers of Lovat are strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. ...

, one from Clan Munro and three from

. In 1739, ten Independent Highland Companies were formed into the 43rd Highlanders (Black Watch) regiment.

1745 rising

During the Jacobite rising of 1745 the Chief of Clan Grant again supported the British Government, as did most of the Clan. 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 during the '45. They fought at the

Battle of Prestonpans The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Jacobitism, Jacobite forces, led by the Stua ...

in 1745 and are credited with winning the day due to their timely reinforcement. The Grant of Glenmoriston branch also fought as Jacobites at the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby endi ...

in 1746 under the command of the Duke of Perth. Eighty-four Grants of Glenmoriston were captured at Culloden and were transported to

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

, in violation of their terms of surrender, where they were sold as indentured servants. At the Siege of Inverness (1746) the commander of the British-Hanoverian Government forces was Major George Grant, whilst amongst the Jacobite commanders was Colonel James Grant.

Highland clearances

Clan Grant was one of the few clans not to be affected by the

Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulted from Scottish Agricultural R ...

. The "Good Sir James" Grant (Clan Chief from 1773 to 1811) built the town of

Grantown-on-Spey Grantown-on-Spey () is a town in the Highland Council Area, Counties of Scotland, historically within the county of Moray. It is located on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorms, Cairngorm mounta ...

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.

British Army Regiments

During the later part of the 18th century two regiments were raised from the Clan Grant. Firstly the " Strathspey Fencibles" (otherwise known as the "Grant Fencibles") in 1793 and the " 97th Regiment of Foot (Inverness-shire Highlanders)" (or "Strathspey Regiment") in 1794. The first was disbanded in 1799 and the second was used as marines on board Lord Howe's fleet and later drafted into other regiments in 1795.

President Grant

On his world tour in 1877,

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

came to Scotland and he was accepted as a returning member of Clan Grant.

21st century

Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard, which lies just outside the village of

Duthil Duthil () is a small village, bypassed by the A938 road, at the junction with the road B9007, near Carrbridge in Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high el ...

, Inverness-shire, now serves as a ''Clan Grant Centre''. The site includes many memorials to clan members, such as

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Sir Patrick Grant, (1804–1895), as well as a mausoleum of the Earls of Seafield. During a visit to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Canada in July 2012, the chief of Clan Grant declared that

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

leader Cuthbert Grant was a member of the clan. This created a new sept of Clan Grant in Canada. Visitors came from as far away as Scotland as well as from the Yukon, Montana and Manitoba where Grant descendants settled to take part in events arranged for Lord Strathspey's time in Canada.

Castles

* Castle Grant was the seat of the Chief of Clan Grant. * Muckrach Castle was the seat of the Grants of Rothiemurchus. *

Urquhart Castle Urquhart Castle ( ; ) is a ruined castle that sits beside Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The castle is on the A82 road, southwest of Inverness and east of Drumnadrochit. The present ruins date from the 13th to t ...

owned by the Clan Grant from 1509, to 1912. * Ballindalloch Castle was owned by the Grants from 1499 onwards. * Loch an Eilein Castle, near

Aviemore Aviemore (; ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and ...

came into the possession of the Grants in 1567. It was attacked by Jacobites after their defeat at the Battle of Cromdale in 1690, but was successfully defended.

Chief

The current Chief of Clan Grant is the

Rt Hon ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire, and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...

The Lord Strathspey (Sir Michael Grant of Grant, Bt, 7th Baron Strathspey, 34th hereditary

Clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...

of Clan Grant).

Crest and arms

The burning hill crest 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 organise for an attack or defence. 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.

References

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

External links

Clan Grant historyClan Grant, AustraliaClan Grant, UKClan Grant, USAClan Grant CanadaGrant DNA Project