The chiefs of Grant - Electric Scotland

3iS Binr.ADlKH-GF.NI-r.AI. Al-KXANI>Ki; GRANT OF GllANT. [1710-
mon in tlic county represent ii in; the ap;ricnltural interest, requesting- tliat
he would lay Ix' fore Parlianu-nt "the o-roat loss the kiiijjdom in general,
and this shire in particular, doe sustain l)y the importation oi" Ireish
p-rain ever since the Union. You ku'iw (the writers .-•y) tliat our Scots
I'arlianicnt, when in •'oing, .';id, liy i-iaiiy repeated Ac and Statutes, for
the profite and good of the kingdom, discliarge the i.nportalion of such
grain under severe penalties ; and the rents of this shire and many others
being iiaved in grain, were usewally consumed by transporting the samen
to the southern and westren parts of the nation, which now, because of
the importation of the said Treish grain, is become altogether inetrectuall
ever since the Union, and unles the wisedome of this insueing Parliament
doe prevent sucli liurtfuU {practises in time coming, our rents, whicli you
know is payed in grain, will sutler verie much." This document is signed
by Sir Ihuay Innes, Sir Itoliert Gordon, Alexander Gumming of Altyre,
and eleven other prominent landed proprietors in the shire of Elgin.
Brio-adier Grant at this period also held the oflice of Sheritf of Inver-
ness. As such he joined in a petition to King George the First, on behalf
of Simon Fraser of Beaufort, who, after the failure of his mission on l)ehalf
of the Stewarts m 1704, had resided in France. The Clan Fraser, incited
by the attempts made by jNIackenzie of Fraserdale, who married the
Honourable Amelia Fraser, daughter and heii-ess of Hugh, eleventh Lord
Lovat, to change the name of the chief of the clan to Mackenzie instead of
Fraser, and having learned that their true chief was alive, had sent to
ascertain his intentions regarding the party to which adherence should be
given at the critical period of King George's accession."
The messenger and his chief left France together on the 14th
November 1714, and proceeded straight to London.^ But it would appear
that Lovat had before that date established some communication with
those in Scotland whom he deemed his friends. This is shown by a letter
dated at Saumur on 29th September 1714, addressed, not improbably, to
Brigadier Grant.'' In this epistle, and also in one of 24th September (place
' Original Address at Castle Grant.
- Life of Simou Lord Lovat, by John Hill I'.urtoD, p. 108.
^ Ibid. \K 113. * Vol. ii of this work, ]>. 282.