See Memoir and Correspondence of Mrs Grant of Laggan, edited by her son J. P. Grant, 3 vols., 1844.

GRANT, Sir Francis (1803-1878), an English portrait painter, and president of the Royal Academy in London, was the fourth son of Francis Grant of Kilgraston, Perthshire, and was born at Edinburgh in 1803. He was educated for the bar, and, according to the testimony of Sir Walter Scott in his diary, it was originally his intention after spending his small patrimony in field sports to make his fortune by the law. By the time, however, that the first part of his purpose had been accomplished, he had resolved to adopt painting in preference to law as his profession, and at the age of twenty-four he began at Edinburgh systematically to study the practice of art. On completing a course of instruction he removed to London, and as early as 1843 exhibited at the Royal Academy. At the beginning of his career he utilized his sporting experiences by painting groups of huntsmen, horses, and hounds, such as the Meet of H.M. Staghounds and the Melton Hunt; and doubtless if he had chosen to devote himself to the careful treatment of this class of subjects his success might have been more thorough and permanent, if less brilliant and lucrative, than it was. If, however, the reputation he acquired as a fashionable portrait-painter was aided by his social position and gentlemanly manners, it rested also on certain special artistic qualifications. The first and chief of these was his power of thoroughly reproducing the outward tone and manner of fashionable life, or, as Sir Walter Scott called it, his “sense of beauty derived from the best source, that is, the observation of really good society.” If also his execution was superficial and thin, it was bright, clear, facile, and unconstrained. In drapery he had the taste of a connoisseur, and rendered the minutest details of costume with felicitous accuracy. In female portraiture he achieved considerable success, although rather in depicting the highborn graces and external characteristics than the true and individual personality. Among his portraits of this class may be mentioned Lady Glenlyon, the marchioness of Waterford, Lady Rodney, and Mrs Beauclerk. In his protraits of generals and sportsmen he proved himself more equal to his subjects than in those of statesmen and men of letters. He painted many of the principal celebrities of the time— especially those occupying high social position—including Scott, Macaulay, Lockhart, Disraeli, Hardinge, Gough, Derby, Palmerston, and Russell, his brother Sir J. Hope Grant, and his friend Sir Edwin Landseer. From the first his career was rapidly prosperous, and his recognition by the Academy fully kept pace with his reputation as an artist. In 1842 he was elected an associate, and in 1851 an Academician; and in 1866 he was chosen to succeed Sir C. Eastlake in the post of president, for which his chief recommendations were his social distinction, tact, urbanity, and·friendly and liberal consideration of his brother artists; and its difficult and often invidious duties he performed so as both to increase the harmony and influence of the institution and to enhance its efficiency. Shortly after his election as president he received the honour of knighthood, and in 1870 the degree of D.C.L. was conferred upon him by the university of Oxford. He died October 5, 1878.

GRANT, Sir James Hope (1808-1875), an English general, brother of the preceding, and fifth and youngest son of Francis Grant of Kilgraston, Perthshire, was born July 22, 1808. He entered the army in 1826 as cornet in the 9th Lancers, and became lieutenant in 1828 and captain in 1835. In 1842 he acted as brigade-major to Lord Saltoun in the Chinese War, and specially distinguished himself at the capture of Chin-Keang, after which he received the rank of major and was nominated companion of the bath. In the first Sikh War of 1845—46 he took part in the battle of Sobraon; and in the Punjab campaign of 1848-49 he held command of his old regiment the 9th Lancers, and won high reputation in the battles of Chillianwalla and Gujrat. In 1854 he became brevet-colonel, and in 1856 brigadier of cavalry. He took a leading part in the suppression of the Indian mutiny of 1857, holding for some time the command of the cavalry division, and afterwards of a movable column of horse and foot. After rendering valuable service in the operations before Delhi and in the final assault on the city, he directed the victorious march of the cavalry and horse artillery despatched in the direction of Cawnpore to open up communication with the commander-in-chief Sir Colin Campbell, whom he met near the Alumbagh, and who raised him to the rank of brigadier-general, and placed the whole force under his command during what remained of the perilous march to Lucknow for the relief of the residency. After the retirement towards Cawnpore he greatly aided in effecting there the total rout of the rebel troops, by making a detour which threatened their rear; and following in pursuit with a flying column, he defeated them with the loss of nearly all their guns at Serai Ghat. He also took part in the operations connected with the recapture of Lucknow, shortly after which he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and appointed to the command of the force employed for the final pacification of India, a position in which his unwearied energy, and his vigilance and caution united to high personal daring, rendered very valuable service. Before the work of pacification was quite completed he was created K.C.B. In 1859 he was appointed to the command of the British land forces in the united French and British expedition against China, whose object was accomplished three months subsequent to the landing of the forces at Peh-tang, 1st August 1860, Pekin having surrendered at discretion after the Chinese army had thrice suffered defeat in the open and the Taku forts had been carried by assault. For his conduct in this, which has been called “most successful and the best carried out of England’s little wars,” he received the thanks of parliament, and was gazetted G.C.B. In 1861 he was made lieutenant-general and appointed commander-in-chief of the army of Madras; on liis return to England in 1865 he was made quartermaster-general at headquarters; and in 1872 he was transferred to the command of the camp at Aldershot. In the same year he was gazetted general. He died at London, March 7, 1875.

Incidents in the Sepoy War of 1857-58, compiled from the Private Journal of General Sir Rope Grant, K.C.B., together with some explanatory chapters by Capt. H. Knollys, Royal Artillery, was published in 1873, and Incidents in the China War o∕1860 appeared posthumously under the same editorship in 1875.