Highland Scots - Inverness & area:
Patrick Grant

Patrick Grant [1778-1806] was the eldest son of Captain Alpin Grant of Inverness. He studied at the University of St Andrews from 1791-94 and then joined the army, as a lieutenant in the 133rd and 21st Regiments. He sold his commission in 1797 and went to Guyana where, according to his fellow Invernessian, Donald Mackay [NAS GD23/6/391] he manged 'Mr Gordon's property' for 12 months in 1801/02. This was probably Robert Gordon of Drakies plantation Huntly.

Donald entrusted his two recently purchased slaves to him, referring to ‘having experience of his [Patrick's]  humane treatment and knowledge of Negroes beyond what one can hardly belief for so young a Planter’. Patrick then went to Essequebo 'with his ten Negroes and mine' to join in a partnership in a wood cutting business, with a brother of William Fraser of Inchberry.

Patrick Grant died in Guyana in 1806. His father, Alpin Grant, was manager of the Inverness hemp factory which provided sacking for trade with the West Indies and was sold in Guyana as 'Inverness bagging'.

Patrick’s sister Isabella (1780-1869) was married to Alexander Grant (Dundreggan). Their sons Alpin (1806-64), Patrick (1812-84) and William (1814-47] were all in Demerara. In 1839 John Ross of Berbice Cottage, Inverness wrote to T. & W. Earle & Co., Liverpool recommending Mr. Alpin Grant to run the sugar plantation of Hanover (D/EARLE/5/6/5 16 Sept 1839). In 1841 he was manager and attorney on Hope & Experiment on the west coast of Berbice (1841 census, British Guiana). He died unmarried in Nairn in November 1864 having made his will in Berbice earlier in the year in which he left two thirds of his estate to his four children born by Johannah McCammon: William Grant, Patrick Alexander James Grant, Agnes Shaw Grant, and Isabella Margaret Grant.

His sister Margaret (1781-1858) married (1799) Rev James Fowler (minister of Glenurquhart, born Black Isle) and their son Alpin Grant Fowler (1802-61) was a planter, first in British Guiana, after emancipation, and then in India.

His sister Marjorie (b.1777) married Duncan Grant, Dulshangie, and three of their daughters (Isabella, Jane Duff and Duncana) married planters in Guyana (Robert Craig Wotherspoon, John Simson and Charles Archibald Corstorphan).

Principal source: Major Alpin's Ancestors and Descendants (Aberdeen, 1904)