The chiefs of Grant - Electric Scotland

1710.] MAKIUAGE OF MAUGAlIl.T GKANT TO LUIil) hOVAT. 351
and Nairn, several ^Members of Parliament, and a number of clerg-ymen
and local Lairds, append their signatures to tl:e address.
Brigadier Grant at a later date gave a marked })roof of liis sentiments
towards Lovat, by giving in marriage to the latter liis yiungest sister,
Margaret Grant. The Avedding t .;k plaec ajipio-eutly in i '.-eember 17 1 G,
and great prej>arations WL-re mad- i'or the event. The accoiMt for groceries
and vnices, including " IG pound :.'
) unces wheat shu'^arat 12s. the Tound,"
hops, raisins, cinnamon, " 8 pountl rjce, at Gd. per pound," etc.. amounted
to .£69, 9s. Gd. Scots. Among other additional items, wei'e a lialf hogshead
of wine, at .£7, 10s. sterling, 17 bolls and a half of malt, and eleven bolls,
for "brewing aquavite," " 12 stones 3 pound butter, at .£3, Gs. Sd. (Scots)
the stone." The f illowing entry in the account evidently refers to tlie
bride's trousseau :— " Cash sent to Aberdeen to buy nee-essary for ]\Iiss
Margret at the time of her marriage, as per Miss Wilson's accompt
£385, 12s." (Scots).' The tradition still in Stralhs]icy is that the fes-
tivities on the celebration of tins marriage were more than ordinarily
characteristic of a great Hioldand wedding.
The secret history of this marriage is somewhat romantic, and Brigadier
Grant had strong intluence brought to bear upon him in regard to it. Luvat,
who, as will lie seen from his letters at a later date, considered it greatly
for his own interest that he should be connected with a family so powerful
in the north, and so much respected as was the family of Grant, was
extremely anxious to bring aliout this alliance. But there were difHculties
in the wav, and Lovat's manner of getting over tljcm was characteristic.
Writing from London to ^Ir. Uuncan Forbes of Culluden, Lovat,
after referring to some petition about the Jacobite Magistrates of
Inverness, proceeds thus :— " I spoke to the Duke and my Lord Hay
about my marriage, and told them that one of my greatest motifs to that
design was to secure them the joint interest of the north. They are both
fully for it, and the Duke is to speak of it and propose it to the King."
Notwithstanding this, however, Lovat is afraid of consequences from his
former attempt at matrimony [with the Duwager Lady Lovat]. He him-
self is assured that there can be no cause for anxiety, but Lord Islay had
' Account at Castle Graut.