Lesly in the Garioch married the daughter and heiress (it is said) of Watson of Rothes, and from that time, the Barony continued to be the property of the family of Lesly, 'till in the beginning of this Century, Captain John Grant of Easter Elchies made a purchase of it. And his grandson, John Grant Baron of Exchequer, sold the Barony of Rothes, and the baronies of Easter Elchies and Edinvillie, anno 1758, to James Earl of Findlater. The east side of the Glen of Rothes pertaineth in feu-holding to Robert Innes of Blackhills, and the west side is the feu property of Robert Cumming of Loggie. Near the church, stood the castle or Fortalice of Rothes, which carries the marks of an ancient building. It stood on a green mount, surrounded by a dry ditch or Fosse, and is now in ruins. The whole of this parish is in the county of Elgin or Moray. * S. W. from Rothes is,

THE PARISH OF KNOCKANDO.

The parish of Knockando, in Erse, Knoc-canach, i. e. the Merkat hill, is bounded by the river to the S. and E. by the hills on the N.

The state of these parishes was so greatly changed in 1782 by the annexation of Dundurcos, partly. to Rothes, and in part to Boharm, that continuing the account of the state of these parishes, as in the age of our Author, it has been deemed only necessary, without farther reference, to note their state here as it is now.

The Parish of Rothes, in its present extent along the western bank of the Spey, measures nearly ten miles from the lower Craigelachy to the boundary of the parish of Spey-mouth, upon the Duke of Gordon's Estate of Dipple. The mountain receding in its bendings from the River, has shaped the parish into the four beautiful extensive plains of Dunnaleith, Rothes, Dundurcos, and Ortown. Many Farms also streatch backward on the more gentle declivities of the mountain; and in the vallies along the sundry brooks sent forth from the mountain through those Plains into the River. Rothes comprehends also the Peninsula of Akaunwall, part of the Estate of Arndilly, projected in a promontory from the bottom of the mountain of Beneggin, insulated on all its other sides by the winding of the river.--There is the defile also of the Glen of Rothes, opening northward quite through the mountain into the broad champaign of Moray, containing the Estate of Auchnaroth, the property of William Robertson, Esq. and the Glens with Pitcraiggy, appertaining to the family of Cumming of Loggie. Auchnaroth exhibits a handsome Dwelling, with the requisite embellishments of groves, gardens, and extensive plantations, with a large extent of the mountain backward for the production of Grouse, and the maintainance of sheep.

Ortown House, the property of Richard Wharton Duff, Esq. is the only Family Seat.---An extensive

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and W. And extends by the side of the river, about six miles in length, and generally one mile in breadth, and in some parts two miles. The church standeth a quarter of a mile from the river, about two miles below the S. W. end of the parish, two miles N. of Inviravon, five miles S. W. of Rothes, and about three miles S. W. of Aberlaur. In the lower end of the parish, on the borders of Rothes, is a rocky hill called, Craig Elachie, i. e. The Echoing or Sounding Craig And from it to another craig called Elachie, on the borders of Badenoch, stretcheth the country of Strathspey, commonly said to be between the two craig Elachies, extending about twenty two miles in length, but unequal in breadth: A country inferior to few, if to any, in the north of Scotland, for the conveniences of life. Besides abundance of grain for the inhabitants, it is beautified and enriched with much wood and timber, watered by many

:

plain of fertile corn-field spreads backward more than a mile from the river, a wood clothed bank sweeps circular along the other side, presenting near its margin above, an inviting elevated situation for the House, a modern large elegant Building of four stories, with appropriate wings, containing a suit of magnificent Public Rooms.---The Paintings though pretty numerous, are in general, Family and other Portraits, there are a few specimens of the Polygraphic art, Landscapes little distinguishable from common Paintings. The Library is a lofty and spacious Room fitted up in an elegant and commodious style. The Approach is judiciously opened through a sheltering Grove, with its ornamental Shrubbery continued along the green Lawn which spreads around the House. Within the recess of a grove, on the plain under the wood-clothed Bank, is the spacious Orchard in contiguity with an extensive Garden with a long range of Hot-house, rearing the Pine-Apple and the Grape; besides a large extent of Brick-lined wall for the more delicate kinds of European fruitage. The Bank presents an inviting walk with its flowery shrubbery. The Groves are judiciously disposed, the circling Zones afford their shade and shelter to the circumjacent Fields, and an indefinite extent of Forest, Fir, Larix, and all the Variety of deciduous trees, clothe the face of the mountain behind. On one prominent intermediate height, a neat modern Watch Tower commands the Landscape; the winding course of the broad rolling River, Gordon Castle and its decorated domain, the whole of the varied plain on the north, and a great extent of the sea.

In the year 1766 a village was begun by the Earl of Seafield, on the plain of Rothes, upon Leases of 38 years, and the life rent thereafter of the possessor, after which the building might be purchased by the Land-lord: Each tenement is the 8th part of an acre of scots measure, at the rent of 10s. yearly, from one half to two acres of Land, at an adequate rent is occupied with each tenement,without the security of a Lease: This village accommodates nearly 400 inhabitants. The establishment of no manufactory has been yet proposed, though a considerable stream working a corn mill, a carding mill, and a fulling mill, runs behind the Gardens. The exigencies of the country are supplied by the requisite artizans.

rivulets, and well stored with cattle, great and small: And as the most considerable inhabitants of it are Gentlemen of the name of GRANT, I shall, before I describe this parish, give a succinct account of this Family.

GRANT OF GRANT.

The sirname of Grant is of great antiquity in Scotland: but historians do not exactly agree about their origin, some alleging that they are of the ancient Scots, denominated Caledonians when the Picts inhabited the south of Scotland; others that they came from Denmark; others from England; and others again from France.

Although we cannot with certainty fix the precise time of their settlement in Scotland, or whether they were of the Aborigines of the Country, yet we have incontestible proof from our Histories and Records that they were a powerful Family, and made a considerable figure in that Kingdom about 600 years ago.

We shall therefore pass over the traditional part of their history, and proceed to deduce their descent from

I. Gregorius, or Gregory De Grant, Sheriff Principal of Inverness in the reign of King Alexander II. who succeeded to the crown of Scotland in the year 1214, and died in 1249. At that time, and indeed till the year 1583, the shire of Inverness comprehended, besides what is now so called, all Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness. This one consideration is a convincing proof that Gregory was a man of no small influence and power; for on such only would our Kings of old confer the important office of Sheriff over so extensive a territory, as such only could with success discharge the duty. He married Mary Bizet a daughter of the Family of Lovat, with whom he got the lands of Stratherrick &c, and by her he had several sons. (1) Sir Lawrence his heir. (2) Robert. (3) Lucas, of whom Dellachapple. (4) Allan, of whom Achernack: whether Lucas or Allan

was the eldest is disputed. Gregorius De Grant died in the reign of King Alexander the III. and was succeeded by his eldest son,

II. Sir Lawrence De Grant. In a competition in 1258 between Archibald Bishop of Moray, and John Bizet, father of Walter Bizet, mentioned in" Rymer's Federa" this Dominus Laurentius de Grant is particularly mentioned as a friend and kinsman of the said Bizet, and to which deed Robert de Grant, brother to the said Lawrence is a witness. These Grants resided in Stratherrick, a part at that period of the Province of Moray.

Sir Lawrence had two sons (1) Sir John his heir. (2) Rudulphus de Grant, who being firmly attached to the Bruce interest against Baliol, was, with his eldest brother Sir John, and his uncle Robert de Grant, taken prisoner by King Edward the I. of England in 1296. Robert as possessing less influence and weight, obtained his freedom at Berwick; but Sir John and his brother were carried to London, whence they were liberated on bail in 1297. Sir Lawrence was succeeded by his heir,

III. Sir John Grant the first. He was a great hero and patriot and joined the brave Sir William Wallace in defence of the liberties of his country. He was succeeded by his eldest son,

IV. Sir John Grant the second. This Gentleman is frequently mentioned upon very honourable occasions: First as a commander in the right wing of the army in the battle of Hallidown-hill, 19th July 1333, in which he commanded a Battalion of his own name and followers. He received the honour of knighthood from King David the II. after the return of that Monarch from England in spring 1359, and in the same year he, with Sir Robert Erskine progenitor of the Earl of Mar; and Norman Leslie ancestor of the Earls of Rothes, were appointed ambassadors extraordinary to the court of France, to renew the ancient league betwixt Scotland and that kingdom, and to negociate other affairs of state, which embassy they discharged honourably. The Earldom of Moray,

after the death of Earl John Randolph in the battle of Durham in 1346 fell to the gift of the Crown, as did many of the lands belonging to the Cummings; and considering the esteem in which Sir John Grant stood with the King, there is a strong probability that at this time he received a royal gift of part of their Lands on Speyside, as soon after his Family are denominated of Freuchy, now called Castle Grant, which is situated within a short distance of the river Spey. There is a safe Conduct from King Edward the III. of England Domino Johanni Grant militi et Elizabeth, his spouse &c. to travel into that kingdom with ten servants to attend them anno 1363. He afterwards got another safe Conduct to repair to the court of England upon affairs of state anno 1366. He died in the end of the reign of King David the II.; and by Elizabeth his wife left a son, Sir Robert, his heir, and a daughter, Agnes, married to Sir Richard Cumming Progenitor of Altyre &c.

V. Sir Robert.-As Sir John had been much in favour with King David the II. so this Robert was respected by his successor King Robert the II. In the year 1385, on a war breaking out betwixt France and England, the King of France remitted 40,000 Francs to be divided amongst the Nobility and principal Gentry of Scotland, for the purpose of animating the Scots to make an irruption into England, and thereby a diversion in favour of France, of which sum Sir Robert had a proportion as chief of the Family. He was a man much esteemed for his conduct and fortitude. He died in the reign of King Robert the III. and was succeeded by his son, VI. Malcolm de Grant, who began to make a figure as head of the Clan soon after Sir Robert's death, though then but a young He was one of those Gentlemen of rank and distinction mentioned in a Convention for settling certain differences between Thomas Dunbar Earl of Moray. and Alexander de Insulis Dominus de Lochaber. He died about the beginning of the reign of King James the I. and was succeeded by his son,

man.

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