Grant is the name of a Scottish clan which inhabited land in Northern Scotland since 1316, although the clan is known to have existed farther back than that. During the various times of personal financial hardship in Scotland, many Grants moved elsewhere, mostly across the former British Empire, including Canada, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. In the present, Grants live in a large number of nations in most parts of the world.

Tartan

The official tartan for the Grant clan is the "1860 sett", which was declared official by Lord Strathspey, chief of the clan. The 1860 sett is used to define both the Ancient and the Modern colours, the Ancient colours being lighter and less sharp (for example, the red of the modern colours is more orange for the ancient colours). Modifications of the official tartan are recognized for Grants of specific regions: the Grants of Ballindalloch and the Grants of Rothiemurchus.

There is also a Hunting tartan for the Grant clan, which is common with the Black Watch's tartan. In 1725 the government called up the Grants among three other clans to form six regiments of non-Jacobite highlanders. These regiments were given a tartan to wear. This tartan had a green and black sett was used in the military (and still is today by the Black Watch) and for hunting, as the name implies. Due to the green and black colours of the hunting tartan, one wearing a kilt with such a design would be able to blend in with his surroundings. The green and black sett was adopted by some clans as their official tartan. Others, such as the Grants, adopted it purely as a hunting tartan, opting for a brighter and more colourful official tartan.

Grant Badge and Stand Fast

All Scottish clans have a badge/crest (a coat of arms of sorts), featuring a belt twisting around an image. The Grant clan's belt has its motto, Stand Fast, on it. Within the belt is an image of a burning hill. The burning hill signifies the call to battle. When signal fires were lit upon the Craigellachie, or "Rock of Alarm", members of the clan would gather around it in order to organize for an attack or defense.

The motto, Stand Fast, is said to come from either the motto of the Norman family Le Grand (Hold Firm) or from the Norse King Haaken , who in lore tore a tree from the earth and defeated his attackers. "Stand Fast" then became a motto of Haaken's family. Haaken is said to be a distant descendant of the Grant family.

Septs

A sept is a split in a Scottish clan. Due to either peaceful splits or conflicts of various types and degrees, a member of a clan would leave to form their own family or clan. The known and accepted septs of the Grant clan are:

• Allan
• Allen
• Bisset or Bissett
• Bowie
• Buie
• Gilroy
• MacAllan
• MacGilroy or McGilroy
• MacIlroy or McIlroy
• MacKerran or McKerran
• MacKiaran or McKiaran
• MacKessock or McKessock
• Pratt
• Suttie

Notable Grants

Grant as a Surname:

• Amy Grant an American singer-songwriter.
• Bud Grant an American football coach.
• Cuthbert Grant a Canadian leader in the early 19th century.
• Cary Grant a film actor.
• Duncan Grant a Scottish painter.
• Hugh Grant an English film actor.
• James Augustus Grant a Scottish explorer of Africa in the 19th century.
• Lou Grant (a fictional character in two shows on CBS)
• Peter Grant a rock and roll manager.
• Peter and Rosemary Grant, biologists.
• Ulysses S. Grant a general in the American civil war and the 18th president.
• William Grant the founder of William Grant & Sons Scotch Whisky company.

Grant as a First/Middle Name:

• J. W. Grant MacEwan a former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Canada.
• E. L. Grant Watson a writer, anthropologist and biologist.

Grant as a Place Name

• Grant, South Australia , Australia
• Grant, Alabama, US
• Grant, Florida , US
• Grant, Iowa, US
• Grant, Michigan, US
• Grant, Minnesota, US
• Grant, Nebraska, US
• Grant, Wisconsin, US (six towns)
• Grant City, Missouri, US
• Grant Park, Illinois, US
• Grant Town, West Virginia, US
• Grant Township, Michigan, US (eleven townships)
• Grant Township, Pennsylvania, US
• Grantown or Grantown-on-Spey, Strathspey, Scotland
• Castle Grant , 1.5 miles North of Grantown-on-Spey, Scotland
• Grants, New Mexico, US

There are also fifteen Grant Counties in the US.

Other Uses of the Name Grant

• USS Albert W. Grant, a ship in the U.S. navy which served during World War Two
• US Grant Bridge over Ohio River and Scioto River Completed 2004
• A Tank of the Second World War.

Other Meanings of Grant

• For the Federal grant program, see the appropriate article.
• Grant is also a video game character. See Grant (video game character) .

External links

• Official site of the Clan Grant, UK
• Official site of the Clan Grant, USA