No. 197: James Grant
[There are no known US or Canadian versions of this ballad. Since this ballad is a fragment and supplied originally by Buchan, a collector whose work Child was not particularly fond of, I question why it was included in Child's 305 ballads- certainly it was not popular and had no currency beyond Buchan.
R. Matteson 2012]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (Found at the end of Child's Narrative)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Text A
5. End-Notes
6. Additions and Corrections
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 197. James Grant
A. Roud No. 3918: James Grant (2 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: 197. James Grant (including Bronson's music examples)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: 197. James Grant
A. Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 470, communicated apparently by Buchan; 'The Gordons and the Grants,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 220.
There was an implacable feud between the Grants of Ballindalloch and the Grants of Carron, "for divers ages," Sir Robert Gordon says, certainly for ninety years after 1550. This fragment has to do with the later stage of their enmity. In 1628, John Grant of Ballindalloch killed John Grant of Carron. James Grant of Carron, uncle of the slain man, burnt all the corn, barns, and byres of Ballindalloch young and old, and took to the hills (1630). The Ballindallochs complained to Murray, the lieutenant, and he, " to gar ane devil ding another," set the Clanchattan upon James Grant. They laid siege to a house where he was with a party of his men; he made his way out, was pursued,, and was taken after receiving eleven arrow-wounds. When he was well enough to travel, he was sent to Edinburgh, and, as everybody supposed, to his death; but after a confinement of more than a year he broke ward (October, 1632). Large sums were offered for him, alive or dead; but James Grant was hard to keep and hard to catch, and in November, 1633, he began to kythe again in the north. A gang of the forbidden name of McGregor, who had been brought into the country by Ballindalloch to act against James Grant, beset him in a small house in Carron where he was visiting his wife, having only his son and one other man with him; but he defended him self with the spirit of another Cloudesly, shot the captain, and got off to the bog with his men.[1]
"The year of God one thousand six hundred thirty-six, some of the Marquis of Huntly's followers and servants did invade the rebel James Grant and some of his associates, hard by Strathbogy. They burnt the house wherein he was, but, the night being dark and windy, he and bis brother, Robert Grant, escaped."[2]
This last escapade of James Grant may perhaps be the one to which this fragment has reference, though Ballindalloch was not personally engaged in the assault on the house, and I know of no Douglas having sheltered Grant of Carron. One almost wonders that this mettlesome and shifty outlaw was not celebrated in a string of ballads.
Early in 1639, James Grant got his peace from the king; later in the year, he joined the "barons" at Aberdeen with five hundred men, and in 1640, we are told, "he purchased his remission orderly and went home to his own country peaceably (against all men's expectation, being such a blood-shedder and cruel oppressor) after he had escaped so many dangers."[3]
Footnotes:
1. Gordon's History of Sutherland, p. 414; Spalding's Memorials, I, 11, 21-23, 29 f., 43 f.
2. Gordon's History, pp. 481, 460; Spalding, with details, I, 70.
3. Spalding, I, 141, 188, 244.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
There was an implacable feud between the Grants of Ballindalloch and the Grants of Carron, for as much as ninety years after 1550. This fragment has to do with the later stage of their enmity. In 1628, John Grant of Ballindalloch killed John Grant of Carron. James Grant of Carron, uncle of the slain man, burnt all the corn, barns, and byres of Ballindalloch young and old, and took to the hills (1630). The Ballindallochs complained to Murray, the lieutenant, and be set the Clanchattan upon James Grant. They laid siege to a house where be was with a party of bis men; he made bis way out, was pursued, and was taken after receiving eleven arrow-wounds. When he was well enough to travel, he was sent to Edinburgh, and, as everybody supposed, to his death; but after a confinement of more than a year be broke ward. Large sums were offered for him, alive or dead, but in 1633 he began to appear again in the north. A gang of the McGregors, who had been brought into the country by Ballindalloch to act against James Grant, beset him in a small house in Carron where be was visiting his wife, having only his son and one other man with him; but he defended himself with the spirit of another Cloudesly, shot the captain, and got off to the bog with his men. In 1036 "some of the Marquis of Huntly's followers and servants did invade the rebel James Grant and some of his associates, hard by Stratbbogy. They burnt the house wherein he was, but, the night being dark and windy, be and his brother, Robert Grant, escaped." (Sir Robert Gordon, History of the Earldom of Sutherland, pp. 481, 460.) This last escapade of James Grant may perhaps be the one to which this fragment has reference, though Ballindalloch was not personally engaged in the assault on the house.
Child's Ballad Text
'The Gordons and the Grants'- Version A; Child 197 James Grant
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 470, communicated apparently by Buchan; 'The Gordons and the Grants,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 220.
1 'Away with you, away with you, James de Grant!
And, Douglas, ye'll be slain;
For Baddindalloch's at your gates,
With many brave Highland men.'
2 'Baddindalloch has no feud at me,
And I have none at him;
Cast up my gates baith broad and wide,
Let Baddindalloch in.'
3 'James de Grant has made a vaunt,
And leaped the castle-wa;
But, if he comes this way again,
He'll no win sae well awa.
4 'Take him, take him, brave Gordons,
O take him, fine fellows a'!
If he wins but ae mile to the Highland hills,
He'll defy you Gordons a'.'
End-Notes
As printed by Buchan:
11, 21,4. Balnadallach.
14, man.
24 come in.
34. nae won.
43. on the Highland hill.
Additions and Corrections
These verses occur in a manuscript collection of C.K. Sharpe's ("second collection"), with slight verbal differences. They are written in long lines not divided into stanzas. Sir W. Scott remarks, Sharpe's Ballad Book, 1880, p. 145, "I conceive Ballindalloch, being admitted by Grant, set upon him, and that there should be asterisks between the fourth line [the second stanza] and those which follow."
11. Away, away now, James the Grant.
12. You'll.
13. For Ballendalloch is at your gate.
21,4. Badendalloch.
22. Nor I.
23. Set up my gat both.
24. And let.
31. James the.
34. no get so.
43. he get but one mile in the highland hill.
44. defy the.