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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Inverness => Topic started by: The Mountie on Friday 27 October 23 12:35 BST (UK)

Title: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: The Mountie on Friday 27 October 23 12:35 BST (UK)
Does anyone on here have any knowledge of a James Grant, shown as a writer, Inverness, 1808?

The reason I ask is my 3x grand uncle, David Macdonald at the age of 12 years entered a period of 5 years indentured servitude with him in that year.

David Macdonald thereafter disappears from records, and I can find no trace of him.
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: CaroleW on Friday 27 October 23 12:48 BST (UK)
You have posted on the  How to Use RootsChat (Please don't post requests here) board so I have asked the moderator to move your post to the Inverness board

Quote
David Macdonald thereafter disappears from records, and I can find no trace of him.

Was he born in Inverness?
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: The Mountie on Friday 27 October 23 12:50 BST (UK)
Oops, apologies, I’ve never done that before.
Thank you
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: The Mountie on Friday 27 October 23 13:38 BST (UK)
Quote from: CaroleW on Friday 27 October 23 12:48 BST (UK)
You have posted on the  How to Use RootsChat (Please don't post requests here) board so I have asked the moderator to move your post to the Inverness board

Quote
David Macdonald thereafter disappears from records, and I can find no trace of him.

Was he born in Inverness?

Parish of Kirkhill, 1796
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: The Mountie on Friday 27 October 23 13:40 BST (UK)
See pic
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: GrahamSimons on Friday 27 October 23 15:23 BST (UK)
James Grant will have been a Writer to the Signet, i.e. a lawyer.
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: Watson on Friday 27 October 23 17:00 BST (UK)
WikiTree has some biographical notes about a James Grant who was a Writer to the Signet.  See here:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Grant-15598 (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Grant-15598)
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: Forfarian on Friday 27 October 23 17:39 BST (UK)
Quote from: GrahamSimons on Friday 27 October 23 15:23 BST (UK)
James Grant will have been a Writer to the Signet, i.e. a lawyer.
He could have been a Writer to the Signet, but he may not have been. A writer is a lawyer or a solicitor, but only a small minority of lawyers/solicitors were members of the Society of Writers to H M Signet.

So he may be the one found on Wikitree, but it's always possible that he wasn't.

The attached screenshot shows that there was at least one James Grant involved with transacting legal business in Inverness in 1802 who was not a WS.
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: The Mountie on Friday 27 October 23 17:45 BST (UK)
That’s brilliant. Thank you. That’s definitely correct time
Title: Re: James Grant, Writer in Inverness 1808
Post by: maddys52 on Saturday 28 October 23 03:31 BST (UK)
There are a number of advertisements around the time which include "James Grant, writer, Inverness". In the same ads they note eg "Alexander Grant, writer to the signet, Edinburgh". So I think that would suggest James GRANT was not a writer to the signet.
eg Monday,  June 8, 1801
Publication: Caledonian Mercury