Sir Alexander Grant, 1st Baronet
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Sir Alexander Grant, 1st Baronet (1 October 1864 – 21 May 1937) was a Scottish businessman, biscuit manufacturer and philanthropist. He was managing director of McVitie and Price Ltd., developed the recipe of the
McVitie's McVitie's () is a British snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name is derived from the original Economy of Scotland, Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Private company limited by shares, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street ...
digestive biscuit A digestive biscuit, sometimes described as a sweet-meal biscuit, is a semi- sweet biscuit that originated in Scotland. The digestive was first developed in 1839 by two doctors to aid digestion. The term ''digestive'' is derived from the belief ...
, and gave an endowment of £200,000 to help establish the
National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...
.


Early life

Grant was born on 1 October 1864 in
Forres Forres (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the County of Moray, Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin, Moray, Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several ...
, the eldest son of Elizabeth Grant (''née'' Norrie) and Peter Grant (1838–1882), a guard with the
Highland Railway The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, operating north of Perth railway station, Scotland, Perth railway station in Scotland and serving the farthest north o ...
service. He attended school at
Forres Academy Forres Academy is a comprehensive community school serving the town of Forres, Scotland, and its rural catchment area in west Moray. As in other Scottish schools, pupils are able to leave after the fourth year of schooling; therefore, the fifth an ...
, and after his father's death he began training in a legal office, however unhappy in this work he changed profession and became an apprentice with a baker in Forres.


Career at McVitie's

On completing his apprenticeship in Forres, Grant moved to Edinburgh in 1888 taking employment as an assistant at Robert McVitie's basement bakery at 23 to 25 Queensferry Street. In 1892 Grant developed the original recipe for the famous McVitie's
digestive biscuit A digestive biscuit, sometimes described as a sweet-meal biscuit, is a semi- sweet biscuit that originated in Scotland. The digestive was first developed in 1839 by two doctors to aid digestion. The term ''digestive'' is derived from the belief ...
- the recipe remains a secret to this day. When the company expanded the business to Merchant Street and then on Robertson Avenue, as the St Andrew Biscuit Works factory, Grant was made foreman of the cake department. When that factory burned down in 1894, Grant was sent to Malton in Yorkshire to organise and carry on production at a temporary factory while the premises in Edinburgh were being rebuilt. On returning to Edinburgh later that year, Grant was made manager of the new operation. In 1902 the business expanded further and Grant oversaw the building of a new factory in
Harlesden Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, north-west London. Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west towar ...
in north London. When
Charles Edward Price Charles Edward Price (1857 – 7 July 1934) was a Scottish biscuit manufacturer who served as a politician in later life. He served as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh Central from 1906 to 1918. Price began his career as a sale ...
retired Grant became the general manager, and on McVitie's death in 1910 he purchased a controlling interest in the business. Grant became managing director in 1911 when the business was registered as
limited company In a limited company, the Legal liability, liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a c ...
. In 1914 Grant opened a third factory in
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which went on to supply the government with ''iron ration'' biscuits for the army.


Philanthropy

Grant was a generous benefactor, and it was estimated that over his lifetime he gifted more than £750,000 of his own money, often anonymously. In 1923 he gave a permanent endowment of £100,000 to assist the
British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
in reconstituting The Advocates Library and from it establish the
National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...
.
Lord Macmillan Hugh Pattison Macmillan, Baron Macmillan, (20 February 1873 – 5 September 1952) was a Scottish advocate, judge, parliamentarian and civil servant.Pine, p.187 Life He was born in Glasgow, the son of the Rev Hugh Macmillan DD FRSE (183 ...
, the Chairman of the National Library Committee, said that when Grant's banker handed him the cheque for the endowment it was signed but the amount left blank for Macmillan to complete himself. Grant later made a further contribution of £100,000 to assist with the building of the Library. He made many donations for developments in his home town of Forres including gifting four windows for the baptistry of Forres Parish Church, designed by Scottish stained glass window artist
Douglas Strachan Douglas Strachan Hon. RSA (26 May 1875, Aberdeen, Scotland – 20 November 1950) is considered the most significant Scottish designer of stained glass windows in the 20th century. He is best known for his windows at the Peace Palace in The Hagu ...
, a new motorised fire engine, and the town's park, Grant Park, named in his honour. He made an interest free loan of £26,000 to the town of Nairn for the town's harbour scheme, and a £5,000 gift for the reconstruction of the public baths. He also made contributions towards developments in
Lossiemouth Lossiemouth () is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, Moray, Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over the ...
, in particular in support of Lossiemouth golf course. He supported the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
and gave £50,000 to help clear debts incurred as a result of building development. He gave two gifts of £25,000 to support the building of the University's geology department at Drummond Street. He one was of the main contributors towards the financing of National War Memorial at
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...
, and gave the
Palace of Holyrood The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly known as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood has s ...
a 4,000 piece silver banqueting service, linen, cutlery and glassware estimated at a cost of £10,000. Recognising the burden of debt incurred by the UK as a result of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Grant waived, for 5 years, the interest on the £100,000 of war stock that McVitie's had invested in, netting the Government a saving estimated at £25,000. One of his anonymous donations, revealed in
Lord Macmillan Hugh Pattison Macmillan, Baron Macmillan, (20 February 1873 – 5 September 1952) was a Scottish advocate, judge, parliamentarian and civil servant.Pine, p.187 Life He was born in Glasgow, the son of the Rev Hugh Macmillan DD FRSE (183 ...
's eulogy for him, was his support of the publication of Sir
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
's
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. In supporting retired grocers, he made a donation of £5,000 to the Benevolence Fund of the Scottish Federation of Grocers and Provision Merchants' Association.


Personal life

On 31 July 1887 Grant married Elizabeth Norris (d. 28 April 1940) the daughter of Alexander Norris, and together they had two daughters and a son named Robert, born 1894. He was a lifelong friend of
Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first two of his governments belonged to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, where he led ...
, the first Labour Party
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
of the United Kingdom. MacDonald, without a private income and traveling by public transport to and from
Downing Street Downing Street is a gated street in City of Westminster, Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In a cul-de-sac situated off Whiteh ...
, was given a
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by Grant, and a number of McVitie's shares valued at £40,000 to pay for the upkeep of the car. These gifts caused interest in the media and parliament with suggestions that Grant received his baronetcy in return for his gifts. In June 1924 he was created a
Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
for public services, and in the same year received an honorary
LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
degree from the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
. In 1923 Grant was given the freedom of the city of Edinburgh. On 27 August 1932 he was made a freeman of Forres, and his friend Ramsay MacDonald attended the ceremony. He was made a
freeman Freeman, free men, Freeman's or Freemans may refer to: Places United States * Freeman, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Freeman, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Freeman, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Freeman, South Dako ...
of Nairn in 1932. After receiving his baronetcy, Grant purchased the Logie Estate near Dunphail, on the
River Findhorn The River Findhorn () is one of the longest rivers in Scotland. Located in the north east, it flows into the Moray Firth on the north coast. It has one of the largest non-firth estuary, estuaries in Scotland. The river is c.
. He renovated the estate, adding further buildings. Grant was a keen golfer and played regularly on Nairn Links. Grant was a member of the committee that built and opened London's first public golf courses in Richmond Park, which were opened in 1923 and 1925. After attending the coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth on 12 May 1937 Grant fell ill with a chill which developed in to
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
. He was attended to by Lord Horder, physician to the King. He died at home at 15 Hermitage Drive in Edinburgh on 21 May 1937. On his death Lord Macmillan said of Grant "He liked to live simply himself, but he liked to give magnificently". He is buried in Forres. His estate was calculated at £1,039,976.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Alexander 1864 births 1937 deaths people from Forres Nobility from Moray Scottish philanthropists 19th-century Scottish businesspeople 20th-century Scottish businesspeople Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom