A much loved family hypothesis about our Grant ancestors was “they were probably from Scotland like the Frazers. The ancestors of the two families may even have known each other back in Scotland. The Fraser clan area and the Grant clan area are right near each other on the map. Some members of the Grant family created a Scotch whisky industry - that sounds just like our mob.”

Understandably with this as a foundational myth I set about tracing Grandma Bernadine’s paternal line with the expectation that it would lead me back to Scotland. The first ‘bump’ on my journey was the fact that Thomas Henry Grant’s death certificate stated his father was Frederick, and his mother was Charlotte Gorman. - I couldn’t find any marriage, birth or immigration records to match these names.

I decided to check the details of the Frederick Grant who had been listed on the Electoral Rolls as also living in Watson St  Cunnamulla at the same time as Thomas. I found that this Frederick Grant’s father was also named as Fred Grant, and his mother was named Ellen Gorman.

When I then searched for a marriage of a Frederick Grant and an Ellen Gorman I quickly found a NSW record.

 I was unable to locate any Tasmanian birth records for a Frederick Adolphus Grant but there was a record of a Frederick Adolphus Holt. This record cites a birth date that matches the birth date 28/12/37 that was given by Frederick Grant at a hospital admission.

Frederick Grant also stated that his mother was Mary Peters. The parents of Frederick Adolphus Holt are recorded as Mary Ann Peters and William Holt.

This change of surname was something that I had never expected to discover. Holt certainly didn’t sound like a surname that would lead me back to Scotland!