Joseph Grant - Governor Dumbarton Prison

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi folks

I've been trying for some time now to work out quite how my mother was given the (seemingly) non-family Christian names of LILY JANE GRANT and was in the SP Research Centre yesterday trying (yet again) to find the answer ... AND DID!  It transpires that my maternal Granny's brother married a Lily Jane Grant.

Lily's father was Joseph Grant, and he had a rather 'colourful' career - variously described in Census, Birth, Marriage and Death Records as a Farm Servant (1860 his Marriage to Margaret Robertson), General Labourer (1861 Census), Prison Officer (1863 Birth of their son John, 1868 Birth of their daughter Margaret and 1868 Birth of their daughter Catherine), Prison Officer Gate Keeper (1871 Census), Governor of Prison (1871 Birth of their son William, 1874 daughter Elizabeth and 1876 daughter Isabella), Private Detective (1880 Birth of their daughter Lily Jane), Private Detective (1881 Census), Sanitary Inspector (1890 Marriage of their daughter Catherine), General Labourer (1891 Census), Scavenger Inspector (1896 on the Register of his Death), Late Governor of Dumbarton Prison (1902 on the Marriage Register for their daughter Lily Jane), Detective Constable (1926 on the Death Register for his Widow Margaret).

My quest is ... to find out how he became the Governor of Dumbarton Prison - which exists only as ruins nowadays - and I'm hoping someone on RootsChat can point me in the right direction for an answer, or may even have the answer.

I'm at your mercy!

Regards

Chiad Fhear

[george Grant]

Hi Chiad,

Just joined this site and saw your post re Joseph Grant and Dumbarton Prison. Joseph was my great great grandfather. His daughter Isabella (she was known to us as Bella or granny bell) was my grandfather's mother. I cannot through any light on why he became Governor of Dumbarton prison, however I can say that my grandfather was born in the hospital of Calton Jail in Edinburgh. Isabella never married the father , although she took him to court and paternity was established . I assume that as Joseph was a prison officer in Calton jail his family were probably entitled to some sort of medical needs in an emergency. I agree with you that Joseph certainly had a colourful career however it seemed to go in a downward manner. I suspect also that relations with Bella were a bit strained because my grandfather was brought up Joseph and Margaret In East Adam Street in Edinburgh while Bella was consorting with a married man (not the father of George John Grant) When Joseph died two things happened Margaret moved to GIbson Crescent in Edinburgh and remained there till her death and Bella married her now widowed man friend. I have researched my grandfather (Military etc.) and he always gave his grandmothers address as his residence so I suspect relations with his mother were strained. I met Bella when I was very young 4 or 5 and i remember her as shocking white hair  dressed completely in black. Sorry to rabbit on this does not even answer your post sorry.
George Kilburn Grant

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi George

Welcome to RootsChat and please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

My maternal granny was the sister-in-law of Lily Jane Grant, d/o Joseph and Margaret (Robertson) which explains my late mother's Christian names.

I will send you a PM with my email address so we can continue corresponding.

Regards

Chiad Fhear

[Chiad Fhear]

George

I have tried to send you another PM but the system says your box is full.

Please email me on the address I sent.

Chiad Fhear

[MonicaL]

Hi 

New members need a couple of postings on the main boards before their Private Message service (PMs) is activated.

Welcome to RootsChat, George 

Monica