Mary Ann Grant (24) was listed in the 1881 England Census for Abernethy Parish, living at the Dorback Schoolhouse with her niece Elsie Grant (10); see copy in multimedia for Mary Ann Grant.2877

In 1911, Mary Ann Grant was listed as head of household in the Census of Tomintoul, Kirkmichael Parish, Banffshire, Scotland.2877 At the time of this census, Alexander was a baker, Ewen was a hotel coachman, and James P. was a carpenter. John Grant was absent on census night, but is was recorded that Mary Ann had been married 23 years and had six children, all living.

As recorded on page 2 of the 1888 Register of Marriages in the Parish of Abernethy and Kincardine, County of Inverness, Scotland, John Grant and Mary Ann Grant were married at Glenlochy on 13 March 1888. John Grant (34) was at that time a gamekeeper at Brucklay Castle, New Deer, Aberdeenshire. Parents of the groom were Alexander Grant farmer & Barbara Grant nee Smith (deceased). Mary Ann Grant (32) was a former teacher. Parents of the bride were John Grant, farmer & Elsie McDonald.2877

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The foregoing information is somewhat at odds with information on the February 25, 1940 death record of John Grant, widower of Mary Ann Grant. This death record shows the parents of John Grant to have been John Grant, Farmer (deceased) and Barbara Grant, nee Smith (deceased). The information was provided by Alexander John Grant, son of the deceased John Grant. It is likely that the father of the John Grant who was married in March 1888 and died in February 1940 was fully named Alexander John Grant.

In the 1891 Census of the Parish of New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Brucklay Gamekeeper’s House, John and Mary Ann Grant were enumerated with their younger children.

Name Age
John Grant 38 gamekeeper
Mary Ann Grant 34 gamekeeper’s wife
Alexr John Grant 2
Ewan George Grant 10 Mo

In the 1901 Census of Parish Knockando, Invernesshire, Abernethy, Scotland, the family lived in a house on Main Street, Archiestown, in a house that had three rooms with one or more windows.

Name Age
John Grant 49
Mary Ann Grant 47
Alexander J Grant 12
Ewan George Grant 10
James Peter Grant 7
Barbara Grant 6

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The following summary was provided in June 2012 by Evelyn Grant Shaw, great granddaughter of of John Grant:

1882 Jessie Ann born Glenlochy
1886 Elsie Jane Glenlochy
1889 Alexander John New Deer
1890 Ewan George New Deer
1892 James Peter Castleknowe
1894 Barbara Archiestown

Glenlochy is a farm near Tomintoul, it sits on Crown Estate land and due to its remote location has fallen into disrepair, I last visited it around 10 years ago and remember thinking what a beautiful spot it would be for a holiday home for someone wanting perfect solitude and peace. I remember Jessie ( daughter of Ewan) telling me that her and her brother Ian used to walk to school in Tomintoul on a Sunday, spend the week with my Granny Barbara then walk back to Glenlochy on a Friday. (I think the distance would be around 10 miles). They both lived into their 80s and I can see why, the winters up there are the worst in Scotland (Tomintoul is the highest village in the Highlands) so they would have built lots of inner strength during their childhood. I am not sure why they were living in Glenlochy but can only assume they too lived with the grandparents there.

John Grant worked as a gamekeeper hence estates at New Deer Aberdeenshire and Castleknowe. It seems he then changed to a grocer in Archiestown then retired to Tomintoul.

The family grave in Tomintoul has both John and Mary Ann, Barbara (my grandmother) and James (my father) It also mentions Alexander John who died in the 1st world war and is buried in France.

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One puzzle in this family is that Jessie Ann Grant and Elsie Jane Grant were born years before the 1888 marriage of John Grant and Mary Ann Grant. However, Jessie Ann’s birth was recorded on Page 2 of the 1882 Register of Births in the Parish of Abernethy and Kincardine, County of Inverness, Scotland.2877 Her father was listed as John Grant (farmer) and Mary Ann Grant (nee Grant, lately a school teacher). A copy of this record is found in the multimedia page for Mary Ann Grant.

The 1891 Census of Abernethy shows Jessie Ann and Elsie living with their grandparents, John & Elizabeth Grant.

Name Age
John Grant 80
Elizabeth Grant 67
Allan McDonald 48 boarder
Jessie Ann Grant 9 grand-dau
Elsie Grant 5 grand-dau
John McGilvray 26 farm servant
Robert Barron 17 farm servant
Barbra Ross 18 domestic

These grandparents would be the father and mother of Mary Ann Grant, John Grant and “Elsie” Macdonald Grant.

This makes it appear that John Grant and Mary Ann Grant had been intimate and borne two daughters for many years prior to their marriage in 1888.