William Grant of Aberlour

William Grant of Aberlour held an annuity on the Constitution Hill estate in Antigua until his death c. 1811.

1. Will of Lieut. William Grant in Mains of Carron Aberlour Banffshire proved 17/07/1811. His main legatee was his daughter Mary: to his sons Lewis Grant of Upper Canada and Lachlan Grant he left one guinea each. He had, he said, an annuity of £50 p.a. on the Constitution Hill estate on Antigua, evidence by a bond signed by '____ Dow Esq.' and lodged with Robert L. Appleyard of Lincolns Inn in London, together with a second bond under which £637 10s Antigua currency was payable to him (William Grant) by Dow. He left this bond to his daughter Mary on the proviso that she paid £200 sterling of the proceeds to her sister Elizabeth.

2. '____ Dow Esq.' is identified in a Letter of Attorney from the daughter Mary Grant dated 'at Elgin' 13/05/1812 [transcribed by Vere Langford Oliver] as John William Dow: in this document, Wm Grant is identified as her father, who had sold Mathews, Winthropes, Bodyponds and Walronds & lands formerly of Rowland Ash to John William Dow subject to the said charges [the £50 p.a. annuity and the £637 10s currency in a bond dated 30/04/1803.]

3. The 'Pedigree of Grant' compiled by Vere Langford Oliver is incomplete, but by inference by LBS from family wills: Generation (1) comprised the brothers Patrick Grant, Alexander Grant, Joseph Grant and Lewis Grant (d. 1756), sons of Robert Grant of Cour; Generation (2) included William Grant of Aberlour (q.v.) and Lachlan Grant of Antigua (sons of Alexander Grant), and James Grant of Carron son of Lewis Grant (d. 1756); Generation (3) included Rev. Joseph Grant of Edinburgh (d. 1801) and Charles Grant of St Vincent (sons of James Grant of Carron), and Lewis Grant of Upper Canada, Mary Grant of Gladhill and Lachlan Grant (children of William Grant of Aberlour).

William Grant of Carron is the subject of a genealogical note by Rod Giddens that emphasises the difficulty of reconstructing his family, https://williamgrantofcarron.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/the-family-of-lieutenant-william-grant.pdf [accessed 16/06/2015].

1. PROB 11/1524/237.

2. Vere Langford Oliver, History of Antigua 'Grant Family', Vol. II pp. 29-31.

3. Vere Langford Oliver History of Antigua Vol. II p. 29.