An excellent edition of the latter, with a memoir of the writer and useful notes by General Grant Wilson, appeared at Albany, U.S., in 1876.
[Mrs. Grant's Memoirs of an American Lady and Letters from the Mountains furnish much information regarding her life down to 1804. After her death her son, Mr. J. P. Grant. published the Memoir and Correspondence of Mrs. Grant of Laggan, 3 vols. 1844. The Memoir consists mainly of a fragment of autobiography, breaking off in 1807. The Letters, which are judiciously selected, are intended to form a supplement to the Letters from the Mountains, begin in 1803, and reach to within a few weeks of the writer's death. A number of Mrs. Grant's manuscripts are preserved in the David Laing collection in the library of the university of Edinburgh; but from the account obligingly furnished to the writer of this biography by Mr. Webster, the librarian, they would seem to be of little biographical value.]
GRANT, ANTHONY, D.C.L. (1806–1883), divine, was youngest son of Thomas Grant of Portsea. He was born 31 Jan. 1806, was sent to Winchester College in 1815, and on 17 Feb. 1825 matriculated as a scholar of New College, Oxford, becoming fellow in 1827. As a member of this college Grant did not go out in the university class lists, but he obtained the chancellor's Latin essay in 1830, and the Ellerton theological prize essay in 1832. He proceeded B.C.L. in 1832, and D.C.L. 1842. In 1834 he was ordained, and two years later became curate of Chelmsford; from 1838 to 1862 he was vicar of Romford, Essex, and from 1862 to 1877 vicar of Aylesford, Kent. In 1843 he was Bampton lecturer at Oxford, and delivered a course entitled 'The Past and Prospective Extension of the Gospel by Missions to the Heathen,' London, 1844. These lectures created a powerful impression, and their publication marks an epoch in the history of mission work. In 1846 Grant was made archdeacon of St. Albans, and the archdeaconry of Rochester was annexed to it in 1863; in 1852 and 1861 he was select preacher at Oxford; in 1860 he became canon of Rochester, and in 1877 chaplain to the bishop of St. Albans. In 1882 he resigned his archdeaconry of Rochester, but retained that of St. Albans and his canonry till his death, which took place at Ramsgate 25 Nov. 1883. He married in 1838 Julia, daughter of General Peter Carey.
Grant was remarkable for his administrative capacity, and was a good preacher. Besides his Bampton lectures and a few separate sermons, he published:
- 'The Extension of the Church in the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Empire,' Ramsden sermon for 1852.
- 'An Historical Sketch of the Crimea,' 1855.
- 'The Church in China and Japan,' a sermon with introductory preface, 1858.
- 'Within the Veil, and other Sermons,' edited after his death in 1884 by his son, the Rev. Cyril Fletcher Grant.
[Guardian, 5 Dec. 1883. p. 1833; Times. 27 Nov. 1883, p. 7; Kirby's Winchester Scholars, p. 300; Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Oxford University Hon. Reg.; private information; British Museum Catalogue.]
GRANT, CHARLES (1746–1823), statesman and philanthropist, belonged to a branch of the family of Grant Castle in Inverness-shire. He was born at Aldourie in the parish of Dores, N.E. Inverness-shire, on 16 April 1746, the date of the battle of Culloden. A few hours after his birth his father, Alexander, was killed at Culloden fighting for Charles Edward. Grant was adopted by an uncle, was educated at Elgin, and in 1767 was sent to India in a military capacity. On his arrival, however, he obtained a post in the civil service through the patronage of Richard Becher, a member of the Bengal council. In 1770 he returned to Scotland, and married Jane, daughter of Thomas Fraser, younger son of the family of Balnain in Inverness. He received the promise of an appointment as writer on the Bengal establishment, and again left Scotland in 1772. While the ship was waiting at the Cape a companion, Lieutenant Ferguson, was killed in a duel with Captain Roche. Grant insisted on an investigation. Roche, though released by the Dutch authorities at the Cape, was through Grant's action subsequently seized at Bombay and sent to England, where his case created much excitement. It was in 1775 referred to the king in council. During the voyage Grant began a lifelong friendship with the Danish missionary, Christian Frederick Swartz, on whose death in 1798 the company, on Grant's proposal, erected in St. Mary's Church, Fort St. George, a monument to commemorate his services during the wars with Hyder and Tippoo. Grant arrived at Calcutta in June 1773, and was shortly afterwards made a factor. He was subsequently secretary to the board of trade, and in 1781 became commercial resident in charge of the silk manufactory at Malda. He was promoted in June 1784 to the rank of senior merchant. His position at Malda was very lucrative, and he rapidly acquired a large fortune. His notable integrity gained him the respect of the governor-general, Cornwallis, who in February 1787 made him
