The chiefs of Grant - Electric Scotland

36G SIR JAMi;,S UHAXX OF GKANT, liAllO.NET. [1719-
It may 1k_' of' iiit(M-c'.si to note liere a letter dated !Uli Jaimary 1747,
but wliit-li ivl'ers to a ])re\ii)us date, tslimvlii^' that Sir James toaiit and liis
family ^vele the patrons oi' a bursary ju tlie ("olIeL^e ot" St. Andrews. 'J'he
v/ritev of the letter was the Itev. Thomas Tullidej'i, Prlrieijial of St.
]\lary's Colle-v, St. Audi'ews. It is a^Mressed to tin- ,
-v.
ra^i.-k Ciraut,
minister etween Sir .lames
Gi'ant and the < 'olle^e, in 17' i. to some provisions in wliieh Sir James's
agent timk exei'[iti(>n, but, on iinding they were similai' t(i these a^ieed to
by the patron of the AVilkie bursaries, he eonsenteil to forward the contract
to Sir James Grant to l)e completed. Throu-h some iiiadvertence the
deed was not signed, and the rj'ineipal desires that it nn"ght now be
arranged that the amnial income nn'ght be )vgularlv paid. It is not clear
whether the sum named was the regular yearly ])a^•ment or not, but the
Princijial owns recei[it (if .{.'lO, 4s. sterling, and discharges Mr. Grant's
bond fr(.im IMartinmas t744 to ]\[artlnnias ]745.
The I'rincijial relates a curious ei)isode about the bursars. " Untill
(he writes) 1 received your last it had quite escaped me that you had
formerly complained of the ill usage of the Cirant bursars. Upon reccijit of
that I have cast en uj) yours of the itUh Jamiary 174G, and therein I lind
you mention that they were apparently ill used at otu- table last session,
but as they were not here to explain that ill usage to me, it had quite
escaped mi'. ... It is very true that, since they came up this time, they
complained to me that their beef at table was coarse ; but upon examining
the undertaker (ct.mtractor), and the porter who then served them, I found
it was of the ^ery same carcass that we were eating, and I assure you that
I Jiave the tmdertaker's piromise that all the bursars shall eat of the same
meat with the ^Masters, and v,'e reckon we never had better beef than we
liave this year."'
^Vhen J'rince Charles k^dward landed in Scotland. Sir James Grant
was in ]\bii-ayshire during one of his brief residences in the north. On
learning the news, he at once went to Castle Grant and concerted with his
son Lud(j\ ick what should lie done. Sir James himself, however, was
ol.iliged to go to London to attend to his Parliamentary duties. Shortly
' Original Letter at Castle Grant.