In Search of the Grants in Scotland

This is a really long post with lots of pictures by Anne (Oostyen Burgess) Thomas, daughter of Sue Grant. My husband, Tony, and I recently returned from a big trip to the United Kingdom. We saw a number of places in London and around England and then continued to Wales where we visited the last area that the Thomases lived before moving to Malad, Idaho. Our last couple of days were spent in Scotland - Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and Arbroath: home of our last Scottish Grant ancestors. For most of us, Robert Grant was our great-great-great-great grandfather. He lived in Arbroath and was buried at the abbey there.


The abbey was founded as a monastery by King William I in 1178. There were storms that damaged the abbey in the 1200s, and the abbey has been in ruins since the 1700s.


Arbroath is on the eastern coast of Scotland and is known as a fishing port. It lies northeast of Dundee, where we stayed. Arbroath Abbey is a Historic Scotland site and has a fantastic visitor's center.


After going through the visitor's center to learn about the abbey, you can go outside to explore the grounds.


King William, the Lion, was buried here in the abbey that he founded.


The big hole where a stained glass window once was is referred to as the Round O. After the abbey fell into ruins, the Round O was used as a shipping landmark.


The man in the visitor's center was so helpful. He let us look at a book with a listing of all of the graves in the cemetery. With his assistance it was really easy to find what we were looking for. This stone says "Erected by Robert Grant Taylor (meaning that he was a tailor) and his spouse Mary Mair in memory of their children, viz. Margaret, Alexander, William, Duncan Grant." Mary Mair was Robert's first wife. They were married at nearby St. Vigeans in 1801, and she died in 1813. I thought that Tom and Melissa would be interested in knowing that he had a son named Duncan. From what I've found, he also had a brother named Duncan.


To the right was this stone. It refers to Ann Stuart and William Grant - the information that I have is not conclusive about who these people might be. William may be a brother of Robert. It next refers to James Grant, Tailor, died 12th April 1852, aged 29 years - this is the son of Robert and his second wife, Isabella Milne, who he married in 1815. Next is Robert Grant, died 21st March 1864, aged 85 years. Then Isabella Milne, died 19th June 1868, aged 82 years. The last reference is to Peter M. Grant, died at New York 1st April 1888, aged 84 years. I thought it was interesting that he would be mentioned here when he died in New York. He was one of Robert and Isabella's sons.


Here are the stones together.


They are near the back of the cemetery. It had been a burial place for the monks, but after the abbey fell into ruin it began being used as a graveyard for the townspeople. Having died in the 1800s, they were some of the last to be buried there.


Here I am next to the markers with the view back toward the abbey.


Another shot of the Round O.


One of the things that Arbroath Abbey is famous for is the Declaration of Arbroath that was signed there. It was, in part, a letter in defence of Scotland as a nation independent of England. (This is a replica, with the seals of the signers attached to the fringe at the bottom.)


As we left Arbroath, we saw this monument to the Declaration of Arbroath. The flower beds throughout Scotland were so vibrant. August was especially beautiful in the UK.


I really loved Scotland. We went from Arbroath down the coast to St. Andrews. The countryside was so pretty. I tried to take pictures out the window, but they just don't do it justice.


There were tons of green fields and low clouds and lots of wheat growing everywhere. I'm in the process of documenting our whole trip on our family blog. You can read it here. Leave a comment if you'd like more information or copies of any of my photos. (Thanks for letting me post, JaLesha!)