GeneFrog Family Historyry
      The great chase

Some of his family history was reasonably easy to track.  He was born c 1825 in Edinburgh, Scotland according to the details on the birth certificates of a number of his children.

James Grant married Janet Farmer on 21 June 1846 in the Parish of Glasgow, County of Lanark, Scotland.

Agnes was shown as their firstborn (c 1847) on a later child's birth certificate, and presumably died in Scotland because she did not emigrate with the family.

The 1851 Census for Scotland shows James, Janet and children Catherine and James as visitors of the Bruce family at 21/52 Milton St (Cowcaddens ?).

Child number 3 was James, who presumably died in Scotland also, because he did not emigrate to Australia.  His birth certificate showed him as the second lawful child, witnesses were James Grant snr and Robert Grant (either an uncle of the baby or a brother of James Snr).  So we know that Baby James had the same name as his father and his grandfather.  BUT how can he be child number 3 if his birth certificate says he is the second child??  He must have been the second living child.

John's birth certificate shows him as child four; witnesses Robert Grant and William Farmer; address 54 Maitland Street Cowcaddens 10 April 1852, Barony, Lanark, Scotland

James and Janet, together with Catherine and John, emigrated to Australia aboard the Conway, leaving Birkenhead in Jan 1854, then Greenock 18 March and eventually arrived in Geelong 17 Jun 1854.  James kept a brief but fascinating diary of their voyage out.  Short of being shipwrecked (which they almost were) they had almost every problem possible on the journey, from colera, replacement crews, drunken surgeons and even a mutiny.  We had this diary on loan briefly and have a scanned copy.  Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about the diary is that it was kept over a period of almost five months, yet not once is there a mention of his wife and children.

However, back to the great chase.  Given the naming patterns, James' parents should have been James and Catherine.  We have a few 'maybes' which are really 'probably nots'.  Do you have any idea of how many people went by the name of James Grant? 

If you have met our James, would you please contact us on info@GeneFrog.com

EUREKA!!!!!  We think we've found him - but we'd still love to hear from any of you Grants.  Check out the additional details we found by going to the menu item on the left called       Grant tree

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