John Ogilvy-Grant, 7th Earl of Seafield facts for kids
John Charles Ogilvy-Grant, 7th Earl of Seafield (born September 4, 1815 – died February 18, 1881) was a Scottish nobleman. He was also known as the 26th Chief of Clan Grant, a historic Scottish clan. From 1840 to 1853, he was called Viscount Reidhaven. Later, he was honored as a Knight of the Thistle, which is a very special award in Scotland.
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Family History
John Charles was the third son of Francis William Ogilvy-Grant, 6th Earl of Seafield. His mother was Mary Ann Dunn. When he was young, he joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman, which is a junior officer.
His two older brothers sadly passed away. This meant that when his father died in 1853, John Charles became the new Earl of Seafield.
He tried to become a member of the House of Commons in 1841 but wasn't successful. However, from 1853 to 1858, he served in the House of Lords. He was a Scottish Representative Peer, meaning he was chosen by other Scottish nobles to represent them.
In 1858, he received a new title: Baron Strathspey. This title was part of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This new title meant he automatically had a seat in the House of Lords, so he didn't need to be elected anymore. In 1879, he was given the high honor of being made a Knight of the Thistle.
Lord Seafield married Caroline Henrietta Stuart in 1850. He passed away in February 1881 at the age of 65. He was buried next to his father in a special tomb at Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard in Inverness-shire. His son, Ian Charles Ogilvy-Grant, took over his titles. Lady Seafield lived until 1911.
Public Life and Interests
Lord Seafield's friend, Sir William Fraser, noted that he wasn't very active in Parliament. He didn't enjoy the busy world of politics. Records show he appeared in the House of Lords but didn't make any speeches.
Even so, he was known as a strong supporter of the Conservative party in northern Scotland. He was also an elder in the Church of Scotland. The Prime Minister, Lord Derby, even asked him to represent the King or Queen at the Church's main meeting. But Lord Seafield politely turned down this honor.
Lord Seafield owned large estates and had three main homes:
- Cullen House was the biggest. He made many improvements to it, making it look grand and impressive.
- Castle Grant was his home in Strathspey.
- Balmacaan was the family home in Glen Urquhart.
Lord Seafield made a big decision about his estates. He changed the legal rules for how his property would be passed down. This meant the land wouldn't automatically go to the closest male relative. Instead, it would be given based on his will. This decision meant his brothers would not inherit the land. This led to a split between who held the family titles and who owned the traditional family lands. This separation lasted for many years, from 1884 to 1946.
Improving the Estates
Lord Seafield continued the work his father started to improve their large estates. He focused on:
- Building new houses and farm buildings.
- Creating new roads.
- Turning unused land into useful areas.
- Expanding the large forests his father had planted.
He was especially known for developing pine forests, especially around Grantown and in the Abernethy and Duthil areas. By 1884, these forests covered about 40,000 acres. There was even a tree nursery at Abernethy that was said to have three million young trees.
Lord Seafield also supported the Strathspey Farmers Society. He would show his cattle at their annual event in Grantown. However, he didn't compete for prizes. This was because his tenants felt it was unfair to compete against him.
He hired the Honorable Thomas Charles Bruce to help make the estates more profitable. This plan, carried out from 1864 to 1866, involved:
- Dividing shared land into smaller farms.
- Developing hill areas for hunting and other sports.
- Growing the commercial forestry business.
- Supporting new railway lines for better transportation.
- Renting out land for houses in small villages.
These changes greatly increased the income from the estates. Bruce stated that Lord Seafield wanted to make sure that none of his tenants were forced to leave their homes because of these improvements. Sir William Fraser also said that Lord Seafield cared deeply about his tenants' well-being and didn't like big changes on his lands. This meant the Seafield Estates generally avoided large-scale evictions, though some people, like the local minister Rev. James Bain, disagreed with this view.
Both Lord Seafield and Thomas C. Bruce were involved with the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway, which later became part of The Highland Railway.
Chief of Clan Grant
Lord Seafield was very interested in his role as Chief of Clan Grant. He personally supported and attended the annual Highland Games held at Castle Grant. He and his family always wore full Highland dress to these events.
He often reminded his clan members how much he preferred them to wear traditional Highland clothing instead of modern clothes. He and his son always set an example by wearing full Highland costume.
When he was buried at the Seafield Mausoleum, pipers played music. It was a sad moment for the clan, mourning their lost chief. One saying described him as a "loyal, true-hearted Highlandman of noblest ancestry."
Some people believe that with the death of the 7th Earl, the time when the "Laird's ruling hand" guided his family and clan came to an end. However, others, like Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart, felt that Lord Seafield's wife, the Countess Dowager, was "The last of the great feudal chiefs."
About the Names Grant and Ogilvie
The family of Grant of Grant added the surname Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) when they became Earls of Seafield in 1811. At first, they used Grant-Ogilvie. Later, the order was switched to Ogilvie-Grant.
For example, a history book from 1911 calls the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Earls Grant-Ogilvie. But all the Earls after the 8th are called Ogilvie-Grant. Another book from 1884 used different styles for the names. To keep things clear, historical writings often use the same spelling and order for the family names throughout.
Today, the Seafield Estates confirm that the family name of the Earl of Seafield is Ogilvie-Grant.
