Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Grant, James (1743?-1835)

by Gordon Goodwin

GRANT, JAMES (1743?–1835), Scotch advocate, born about 1743, was the son of James Grant of Corrimony in Urquhart, Inverness-shire, a Jacobite of 1745, by his wife Jean, daughter of James Ogilvy of Kempcairn. He was admitted advocate in 1767. Being early distinguished for his liberal politics, he numbered among his friends Henry Erskine, Sir James Mackintosh, Francis Jeffrey, Leonard Horner, and other eminent men. He died father of the Scottish bar in 1835 at Lakefield, Glen Urquhart, Inverness-shire, having attained the patriarchal age of ninety-two (Gent. Mag. new ser. iv. 558-9). He was author of:

1. ‘Essays on the Origin of Society, Language, Property, Government, Jurisdiction, Contracts, and Marriage. Interspersed with Illustrations from the Greek and Gaelic Languages,’ 4to, London, 1785.
2. 'A Letter addressed to the Heritors or Landed Proprietors of Scotland, holding their lands of subject superiors or mediately of the Crown,’ 8vo, Edinburgh, 1790, published anonymously under the pseudonym of ‘Scoto-Britannus.’
3. ‘Thoughts on the Origin and Descent of the Gael; with an Account of the Picts, Caledonians, and Scots; and observations relative to the authenticity of the poems of Ossian,’ 8vo, Edinburgh, 1814; another edition, 8vo, London, 1828.

[Private information; Cat. of Printed Books in Library of Faculty of Advocates, iii. 482; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Anderson's Scottish Nation, ii. 366.]

G. G.