James Grant

James Grant (1 August 1822 – 5 May 1887) was a Scottish novelist and miscellaneous writer.

Grant was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was a distant relation of Sir Walter Scott. He was a prolific author, writing some 90 books, including many yellow-backs. Titles included Adventures of an Aide-De-Camp, One of "The Six Hundred", The Scottish Musketeers and The Scottish Cavalier.

Many of his 56 novels are about important characters and events in Scottish history. In 1853 he founded the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights. Grant is known for his six-volume Old And New Edinburgh, published in 1880 by Cassell.

Biography

Early life Grant was born in Edinburgh on 1 August 1822. He was the eldest son of John Grant, a captain in the 92nd Gordon Highlanders, and his wife, the eldest daughter of Captain Andrew Watson of Overmains. His paternal grandfather was James Grant of Corrimony (1743–1835), an advocate and Jacobite sympathiser. Through his mother he was related to Sir Walter Scott.

His father, Captain John Grant, had served with distinction in the Peninsular War. After his wife's death, he obtained a command in Newfoundland, sailing there in 1833 along with his three sons. After spending six years in American barracks James returned home with his father, who had resigned his command.

In 1840, through the influence of Lord Hill, under whom Captain Grant had served in Spain, James Grant was gazetted to an ensigncy in the 62nd Foot, and joined the provisional battalion at Chatham. He was appointed to command the depot, but in 1843 resigned his commission and entered the office of Mr. Rhind, architect, Edinburgh.

Writing career

Although Grant became a skilled draughtsman, he also developed an interest in writing and went on to devote himself to writing novels. His first novel, The Romance of War (1845), describes adventures of the Gordon Highlanders in the Peninsula War. It was based on anecdotes he heard from his father. Thanks in part to its accurate descriptions of battles, it enjoyed significant sales, although Grant only received £20 for the work.

In 1846 he published a sequel, The Highlanders in Belgium, followed by The Adventures of an Aide-de-Camp in 1848, which equalled that of his first novel in popularity. It was followed by The Yellow Frigate, Bothwell, and Jane Seton. From then on he produced at least one novel per year, with often two and even three novels in varying stages of production at any one time. His last works of fiction were Love's Labour Won (1888), dealing with incidents of Burmese dacoity, and Playing with Fire (1887), a story of the war in the Sudan.

According to M. G. Watkins:

A charge of plagiarism was levelled against Grant owing to his having incorporated (apparently without acknowledgement) several passages verbatim from a book of travels and campaigning in one of his novels. However, Grant seems to have remained within acceptable limits when using historical writers as sources for the settings and details in his novels.

Grant also produced a substantial body of historical writing, with a primary focus on Scottish military achievements abroad.

Other activities In 1852 Grant founded the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights. The Cameronians (1881) Lady Glendonwyn (1881) Derval Hampton (1881) Violet Jermyn (1882) The "Scots Brigade" and Other Stories (1882) Miss Cheyne of Essilmont (1883) Jack Chaloner (1883) The Dead Tryst (1883) A Haunted Life (1883) The Master of Aberfeldie (1884) Colville of the Guards (1885) The Royal Highlanders (1885) History of the War in the Soudan, 6 volumes, (1885-6) The Tartans of the Clans of Scotland (1886) Dulcie Carlyon (1886) Playing with Fire (1887) Love's Labour Won (1888) Scottish Soldiers of Fortune, 1889 (posthumous).