held from Moray, and Grant was threatened by the king with deprivation of these lands for having paid the feu duties to Moray instead of to the king. But the matter was satisfactorily arranged, though it delayed the feudal investiture of Grant in his lands for a number of years after his father's death.
In 1528 the clan Chattan rendered itself obnoxious to government. The neighbouring clans were empowered to extirpate it, saving alive only the priests, the women, and the children. The women and children were to be shipped off to Norway (Miscellany of the Spalding Club, ii. 83). The clans recoiled from this atrocity, and Grant protected some of the clan Chattan, to whom he was related by marriage (A. M. Shaw, The Mackintoshes and Clan Chattan, p. 197). For this he was processed before the council and condemned to pay a fine of 1,000l. Scots.
Grant took part in 1544 in an expedition under the Earl of Huntly against the Clanranald and the Mackenzies of Kintail, during which the Frasers of Lovat fought the celebrated battle of Blarnan-leine, or field of shirts, with the Macdonalds. The combatants, on account of the excessive heat, stripped to their shirts, and both parties were all but exterminated (Diurnal of Occurrents in Scotland, p. 34).
From James V in 1535 Grant obtained the privilege of exemption from appearing in any court, save the court of session in civil causes, and the high court of justiciary in criminal causes. This extended to all his servants, dependents, and tenants, and was to endure during his lifetime. Several years later, when the advance of the Reformation was alarming churchmen, Grant was appointed bailie of the abbey of Kinloss by Robert Reid, bishop of Orkney. The Bishop of Moray about the same time feued out the church lands in Strathspey to Grant on the understanding that they would be divided by the laird between himself and seven of his friends of the same name. The Clanranald, in revenge for his raid of 1544, aided by the Camerons, ravaged Grant's lands of Urquhart, and took his castle of Urquhart. Grant sought redress by the law. His assailants made no appearance, and he was legally placed in possession of a large tract of his now outlawed enemies' lands in Ross-shire (Registrum Magni Sigilli, lib. xxx. No. 314). On their giving assurance that they would respect his Urquhart estates and tenants he allowed them to repossess their lands under his own superiority.
Grant died at his castle of Freuchie on 26 Aug. 1553, and was buried at the church of Duthil. He was twice married: first to Elizabeth, daughter of John, sixth lord Forbes, and secondly to Christian Barclay, and had four sons and several daughters. His sons were John Grant of Freuchie, who succeeded him, and William, Duncan, and Archibald, all of whom obtained portions of the church lands of Strathspey. Archibald became the ancestor of the Grants of Monymusk, from whom descended Sir Francis, lord Cullen [q. v.], and William Grant, lord Preston-grange [q. v.]
[Fraser's The Chiefs of Grant. i. 96-122; Gregory's Highlands and Islands of Scotland, pp. 159-79.]
GRANT, JAMES (1706–1778), Scotch catholic prelate, born at Wester Boggs, in the Enzie, Banffshire, in July 1706, was admitted into the Scotch College at Rome 16 Jan. 1725-6, and ordained priest in 1733. On his return to Scotland in 1734 he was appointed to the mission at Brae-Lochaber, to assist the Rev. John Macdonald. Afterwards he was removed to the Isle of Barra. In the spring of 1746 some ships of war landed some men there who threatened to desolate the whole island if the priest were not delivered up to them. Grant surrendered himself and was carried prisoner to Mingarry Castle, on the western coast, where he was detained for some weeks. He was then conveyed to the prison at Inverness, and for several weeks was chained by the leg to an Irish officer in the service of Spain, who had come over to help the Pretender. In 1747 he was liberated on bail, and in the following year he was stationed at Rathven, Banffshire. Afterwards he was appointed coadjutor to Bishop Alexander Smith, vicar-apostolic of the lowland district; papal briefs nominating him bishop of Sinita in partibus were issued 21 Feb. 1755, and he was consecrated at Edinburgh on 13 Nov. in that year. On the death of Bishop Smith in 1766, he became, jure successionis, vicar-apostolic of the lowland district. He died at Aberdeen on 3 Dec. 1778.
[Brady's Episcopal Succession, iii. 460; Gordon's Catholic Mission in Scotland, p. 11; London and Dublin Orthodox Journal, 1837, iv. 84.]
GRANT, JAMES (1720–1806), of Ballindalloch, Banffshire, general, brother of Colonel William Grant, laird of that ilk, who raised one of the original companies of the Black Watch, was born in 1720, and after studying the law obtained a commission in the army in 1741, and became captain in the 1st battalion 1st royal Scots 24 Oct. 1744. The battalion in question joined the army In Flanders soon after Dettingen; it fought at Fontenoy and at Culloden, was again in Flanders in the campaigns of 1747-8, and
