"STAND FAST CRAIGELLACHIE"
THE FIRST WORLD WAR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER, 1914 STAR AND BAR TRIO AND 19937 CORONATION MEDAL AWARDED TO MAJOR (LATER LIEUTENANT-COLONEL) J.P. GRANT, SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS, WHO IN 1902 WAS DEPICTED BY LADY BUTLER AS THE CENTRAL FIGURE IN HER FAMOUS PAINTING "STAND FAST CRAIGELLACHIE", GRANT BEING PORTRAYED, CLAYMORE IN HAND, DEFIANTLY FACING THE ENEMY IN THE MIDST OF AN ENGAGEMENT DURING THE RELIEF OF CHITRAL IN 1895.
PRIOR TO THE FIRST WORLD WAR GRANT HAD SEEN SERVICE WITH THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS IN INDIA DURING THE CHITRAL RELIEF OPERATIONS IN 1895 AND IN SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902.
IN JUNE 1920 GRANT ASSUMED THE ADDITIONAL SURNAME OF NISBET-HAMILTON, ON SUCCEEDING TO THE ESTATES OF HIS KINSWOMAN, MARY GEORGINA CONSTANCE CHRISTOPHER NISBET-HAMILTON OF BIEL AND DIRLETON, BECOMING JOHN PATRICK NISBET-HAMILTON-GRANT.
LADY BUTLER'S "STAND FAST CRAIGELLACHIE" IS CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY IN THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM, EDINBURGH CASTLE, ALONGSIDE A DESCRIPTIVE LABEL, WHICH READS AS FOLLOWS:
"‘Stand Fast Craigellachie’ by Lady Elizabeth Butler, 1902, depicting an incident involving the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders on the North West Frontier of India in 1895. It is a typically romantic image of highland heroism by one of the best-known military artists of the Victorian period. The title ‘Stand Fast Craigellachie’ is the traditional motto of Clan Grant. The central figure is believed to be Lieutenant John Patrick Grant and the action is thought to have taken place during the Chitral campaign."
Four: Distinguished Service Order, George V 1914 Star and bar (officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: CAPT: J.P. GRANT. SEA: HIGHRS); British War and Victory Medals (officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: MAJOR J.P. GRANT); Coronation Medal, George VI, 1937 (unnamed, as issued). British War Medal with attractive rainbow toning, otherwise generally virtually as struck, and mounted court style for display.
Group accompanied by an extensive file of research, including biographical details, a copy of the portrait photograph of Lieutenant-Colonel Grant in uniform, from the National Portrait Gallery collection, a printed detail from Lady Butler's "Stand Fast Craigellachie", 30 pages copied extract "Official Account of the Chitral Expedition 1895", copied extracts from London Gazettes and Army Lists of the period 1892-1920, medal roll extracts for the Indian General Service Medal 1895 and Queen's and King's South Africa Medals, WW1 Medal Index card, extracts from Burke's Landed Gentry re. the Grant family of Kilgraston and Pitkeathly and the Hamilton-Grant family of Biel and Dirleton, along with an illustrated description of Kilgraston House.
Born 13/7/1872, John Patrick Grant (1872-1950) was the son of Charles Thomas Constantine Grant of Kilgraston and Pitkeathly and the great-nephew of Lieutenant-General Sir James Hope Grant, G.C.B. He was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Seaforth Highlanders 13/7/1892 and promoted Lieutenant 12/6/1895 and Captain 12/12/1899. Grant retired to the Reserve of Officers 13/4/1904, being appointed Captain, 3rd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, on the same day. He was recalled for service during WW1 (attached Gordon Highlanders) and was promoted Major 12/12/1914 and Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, 30/8/1918.
Lieutenant-Colonel Grant first saw active service in India, during the Relief of Chitral, 1895 (awarded India General Service Medal 1895 with Relief of Chitral 1895 clasp). During the Boer War he took part in the Relief of Kimberley, including the battle of Magersfontein, the operations in the Orange Free State, February - May 1900, including the battle of Paardeberg, 17-26 February, where he was severely wounded, and the operations in the Orange River Colony, May to 29 November 1900, afterwards commanding the troops at Dordrecht. Later he took part in the operations in the Transvaal, March - August 1901, and March to 31st May 1902, the operations in the Orange River Colony, 30th November 1900 - January 1901 and January - March 1902, and the operations in Cape Colony, February - March 1901 and August 1901 - January 1902 (mentioned in dispatches, awarded Queen's Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Paardeberg and Transvaal and King's Medal with 2 clasps).
Grant was mentioned in Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen's dispatch following the action at Magersfontein, 11/12/1899 (London Gazette 16/3/1900)
"Lieutenant Grant did good service taking messages to the front from Colonel Huges-Hallett under a heavy fire"
and in Lord Roberts' dispatch of 4/9/1901 (London Gazette 10/9/1901)
Captain J.P. Grant for "special and meritorious service".
WW1 Medal Index card records the then Captain Grant as having first seen active service in France during WW1, attached Gordon Highlanders, entering that theater of operations on 19/10/1914. Lieutenant-Colonel Grant ended the war commanding the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, 30/8/1918 to the armistice on 11/11/1918, and continued to command that battalion after the end of hostilities (for his services during WW1 Grant was awarded the D.S.O., mentioned in dispatches, Lord French's dispatch of 14/1/1915 "For gallant and distinguished service in the field", London Gazette 17/2/1915 page 1667, and awarded the 1914 Star and bar, British War and Victory Medals).
Lieutenant Colonel Grant's DSO was announced in the London Gazette of 18/2/1915, page 1696 "For services rendered in connection with operations in the field".
The address recorded for Lieutenant-Colonel Grant on his Medal Index card is Drummonie House, Bridge of Earn, North Britain (Perthshire).
In the years following the 1895 Relief of Chitral the then Lieutenant Grant was evidently held in high regard by the other officers of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. When that battalion was presented with new Colours by Queen Victoria in September 1899, replacing those previously presented in 1868, the new Colours were presented to Lieutenant Grant and a Lieutenant Lindsay. When presenting the new Colours Queen Victoria remarked "I rejoice to be able once more to present new Colours to this distinguished regiment, in which I take an especial interest, from its being associated with my dear son, the Duke of Albany. Further gallant deeds are recorded on the Colours since I gave them fifteen years ago to the 1st Battalion and I feel confident that in entrusting these new ones to your keeping, you will maintain the loyal devotion to Sovereign and Country, which the Seaforth Highlanders have ever displayed.".
The then 2nd Lieutenant Grant was the model for the lone Seaforth Highlander 2nd Lieutenant depicted standing, claymore in hand, defiantly facing the enemy, in the midst of an engagement during the 1895 relief of Chitral. That portrait, "Stand Fast Craigellachie", was intended as a tribute to the gallantry of Scottish soldiers during the Chitral campaign of 1895, the painting's title being based on the war cry of the Clan Grant.
The badge of the Clan Grant comprises an image of a burning hill, with a garter around bearing the clan motto "Craig Elachie". The burning hill depicted, Craig Elachie, was historically the rallying point for the Clan Grant in times of turmoil, signal fires being lit on the summit of the hill as a call to arms. That clan motto, "Craig Elachie" eventually evolving into the clan war cry, Stand Fast Craigelachie".
The then 2nd Lieutenant Grant is believed to have been chosen by Lady Butler as the model for her portrait because she had met him on numerous occasions, and was familiar with his military bearing and reputation as a soldier. As both a soldier and published writer, Grant moved freely between both military and literary-artistic circles. In that regard, Grant was continuing a family tradition, his great-uncle, Sir Francis Grant (1803-1878) having been president of the Royal Academy.
Lady Elizabeth Butler (1846-1933) was particularly famous for her military paintings which, in addition to "Stand Fast Craigellachie" (1902), included "Calling the Roll Call After an Engagement, Crimea" (1874), "The 28th Regiment at Quatre Bras" (1875), "The Defence of Rorke's Drift" (1880) and a depiction of the Scots Greys at Waterloo "Scotand Forever" (1881).
Lieutenant-Colonel Grant had close ties of marriage and kinship to the Brooke family, Rajahs of Sarawak. His uncle, Lieutenant Francis Augustus Grant (1829-1854) was the brother in law of John Brooke Johnson-Brooke (1823-1868), one-time Crown Prince of Sarawak and the elder brother of Charles Brooke, the second white Rajah of Sarawak. When Lieutenant-Colonel Grant died in 1950 he was succeeded by his cousing, Vice-Admiral Basil Charles Barrington Brooke, a cousin of Charles Viner Brooke, the Third and last Rajah of Sarawak. The following is a brief account of the relationship between the Grants of Kilgraston and the Brooke family, the White Rajahs of Sarawak.The Grants of Kilgraston had close ties of marriage and kinship to the Brooke family, Rajahs of Sarawak. Lieutenant Francis Augustus Grant was a brother in law of John Brooke Johnson-Brooke (1823-1868), one-time Crown Prince of Sarawak and the elder brother of Charles Brooke, the second white Rajah of Sarawak. John Brooke Johnson-Brooke, who married Francis Augustus Grant's sister, Anne, in 1855, was then the heir-apparent to the throne of Sarawak. A dispute with his uncle, Sir James Brooke (1803-1868), the first white Rajah of Sarawak, regarding the ability of Sarawak to maintain its independence unsupported, led to Sir James Brooke disinheriting his nephew and banishing him from Sarawak. The Grants of Kilgraston and the Brookes, Rajahs of Sarawak, had established close ties some time prior to the marriage of Anne Grant and John Brooke Johnson-Brooke in 1855. Sir James Brooke, who went on to become the first white Rajah, saw service during the First Burmees War, 1824-1826, with the East India Company's 18th Bengal Native Infantry. Severely wounded, he resigned his commission and subsequently established himself as a merchant adventurer at Singapore, which had been a British colonial naval base and commercial centre since 1819. Brooke went on to play a leading role in establishing friendly links between Singapore and Sarawak, which at that time was a subject territory of the Kingdom of Brunei. In 1840 Brooke assisted the Sultan of Brunei in putting down an insurrection, and as a reward was granted the sovereignty and trade of Sarawak, being proclaimed Rajah of Sarawak in 1841. During the late 1840's Brooke befriended Charles Thomas Constantine Grant of Kilgraston (1831-1891), an elder brother of Anne and Augustus Grant, who was then serving as a midshipman aboard the Royal Navy's HMS Agincourt. Resigning his commission, Grant was appointed Aide de Camp to Brooke and later rose to become the Rajah's private secretary. When he took up his post with the future Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Grant became a member of a tight-knit circle of Scotsmen who had entered the service of the Rajahs of Sarawak, chiefly from the families of Brooke, Johnson and Grant, who strengthened their ties both with the white rajans and mutually through intermarriage, the marriage in 1855 of Anne Grant and John Brooke Johnson-Brooke being an early example of the many ties that were forged during the ensuing decades. The connection between the Brooke family and the Grants of Kilgraston was to come full circle in 1950, when August Grant's great-nephew, Lieutenant-Colonel John Patrick Grant of Kilgraston (who assumed the additional title of Nisbet-Hamilton of Biel in 1920 to become John Patrick Nisbet-Hamilton-Grant of Biel) died without an heir, wherupon he was succeeded by his cousin, Vice-Admiral Basil Charles Barrington Brooke C.B., C.B.E. (1895-1983), the grandson of Anne Grant and John Brooke Johnson-Brooke, and a cousin of Charles Vyner Brooke, the 3rd and last White Rajah of Sarawak.
