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JAMES GRANGER and
spouse Christian Fletcher, saviours of the Scottish Regalia.
Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, H Scott (1915) rev 1917, 1920
vol 5 p 473 Kinneff, 1640
JAMES GRANGER,M.A. (StAndrews 1626); became a preacher in Montrose in 1635 ; the Assembly passed an Act under which the Presb. were to take him on trials and to ordain him 6th Oct. 1640. In 1651 the “Honours” or Regalia of Scotland were committed for safe custody by the Earl Marischal to his own castle of Dunnottar, and George Ogilvie of Barras was placed in command. The castle was besieged by the English Parliamentary troops. When it ultimately surrendered in May 1652, the English general found that the Regalia were no longer there.They had been conveyed out of he castle in March by the minister’s wife, and buried by her husband under the floor of Kinneff Church close to the pulpit. In 166Q they were dug up and restored to the King. According to all the evidence it was the Grangers who played the most prominent part in this patriotic act. On 11th Jan. 1661,an Act of Parliament granted to Mrs Granger a sum of 2000 merks Scots,” because she was most active in conveying the royall honnours . . . out of the castle . . . and that by her care the same was hid and preserved.” It would appear, however, that she never received more than a fraction of the amount voted to her. G.died between 14th Jan. and 20th May 1663, aged about 57. His gravestone has the following commendatory lines : — “Scotia Grangericui Insignia Regia debet Servata hic cineres reliquiacq ‘jacent. Abstulit obsesso paene haec captiva Dunotro, Condidit et Sacra qua tuniulator humo. Promia dant superi ; patrii servator honoris Sceptra rotat superos inter athleta chor . . .”
He marr. Christian Fletcher (who survived him and marr. (2)James Sandilands, first Lord Abercrombie),
and had issue John.
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