Effingham Howard Grant (97th Reg) of Carron born 1776, Elginshire

[samgrant42]

EHG is son of Captain James Grant of Carron who died penniless at Abbey of Holyrood in 1790.  After a brief stint as as a pharmacist mate with 97th Regiment, he moved to London.  He is my grandfather four times removed but I cannot find any birth records or any other info on him.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[larkspur3]

His Mother:

GRANT, ELIZABETH (1745?–1814?) song-writer, of Carron, is vaguely known as the writer of one song, 'Roy's Wife of Aldivalloch.' She was the daughter of 'Lieutenant Joseph Grant, late of Colonel Montgomerie's regiment of highlanders,' and was probably born about 1745, near Aberlour, on the Spey, Banffshire. She was married about 1763 to her cousin, Captain James Grant of Carron, near Elchies, on the Spey. Grant being unfortunate, sold Carron in 1786 or 1787 to Robert Grant of Wester Elchies, and in 1790 he died within Holyrood. Mrs. Grant was afterwards married to Dr. Murray, a Bath physician, and she died at Bath about 1814. A portrait of her is at Castle Grant, where, however, little is known of herself.

'Roy's Wife,' Mrs. Grant's only known production, instantly became popular, and it remains a favourite among standard Scottish songs. Its allusions bear upon persons and places on the Aberdeen border of Mrs. Grant's native county.

Information kindly supplied by the Rev. W. M- Birch, vicar of Ashburton; Fraser's Chiefs of Grant

[larkspur3]

Here is the family pedigree, from the book Chiefs of Grant, page 1

[larkspur3]

Here is page 2. Effingham is the last name in the chart.

[GR2]

Just in case you are not aware of the fact, if debtors resided within the sanctuary of Holyrood, their creditors could not arrest them. You could even leave the sanctuary on Sundays as arrests could not be made then. The area most of the debtors stayed in was a little to the west of the palace. "Died at Holyrood" is a euphemistic way of saying he died penniless.

[samgrant42]

While I have a copy of the Chiefs of Grant, I can definitely use the information on EHG's mother.  Here, however, lies my real problem.  My DNA results definitively establish that I am of the House of Gordon with the surname change occurring late 1600s-early 1700s so even using C of G, I am not sure how far back I can go.  Captain James Grant based on the above is surely EHGs father as the surname change probably occurred two generations prior.  Due to some health issues, I have put genealogy on the back shelf, but am ready to begin again.

[samgrant42]

To GR2...that certainly makes sense!  I have a copy of his will and he had nothing.

[larkspur3]

I have quite a bit of information on the Clan Allan, particularly the Auchterblair line which is his Mother Elizabeth's line. She is the daughter of Lt Joseph Grant but I've never found a mention of Joseph's wife. Perhaps that is where the Gordon comes in? Just about everyone on the tree seems to have married another Grant!

[samgrant42]

Since DNA is passed down via the father, using the above literature, I can go back one more generation to Captain Lewis Grant of Auchterblair.  He married an Elizabeth Grant, daughter of Colonel John Grant of Carron and assumed the title.  You are correct about Grants marrying Grants, but in a generation or two prior to Lewis a Gordon snuck in there somewhere!