| Description | Correspondence, 1806-c.1994 including correspondence of John Grigor, 1829-1886; Correspondence of Robert Grigor, 1806-1838
Papers relating to John Grigor and family, 1809-1890 including papers realting to Robert Grigor, c.1835; Papers relating to John Grigor, 1844-1877; Papers relating to Jane Grigor, 1853-1887; Papers relating to other family members, 1784-1890
Transcripts and notes of lectures and antiquarian research of John Grigor, c.1850-1893 including complete documents, c.1850-c.1884; Incomplete documents, c.1850-c.1880
Papers re medical education of John Grigor, 1831-1838 including papers re Edinburgh University, 1831-1834; Papers re apprenticeship, 1838; Library and Museum tickets, 1831-1833
Papers re Antiquarian, scientific and literary societies, 1888-1915 including Northern Association of Literary & Scientific Societies, 1888-1899; The Scottish Antiquary or Northern Notes and Queries, 1897; The Banffshire Field Club, 1909-1915
Newspapers extracts, 1842-1890 including original items, 1844-1886; Photocopies of extracts, 1842-1890
Miscellaneous Papers, 1801-1890 including original papers, 1801-1890; Photocopies of documents, 1820-1990
Papers of Isobel Rae and John Lawson, c.1978-c.1994 including John Grigor manuscript, 1978-c.1994; Research Notes, 1970s-c.1992 |
| Administrative History | This collection derives from Miss Isobel Rae's research for and writing of a biography of John Grigor; her manuscript was carried through to publication by Mr John Lawson under the title 'Doctor Grigor of Nairn'. The material listed here comprises original correspondence to Grigor and transcripts thereof, and some printed letters; correspondence to and from his brother Robert; other papers of John Grigor's and material relating to his family and ancestors; notes for and transcripts of Grigor's lectures, mostly on antiquarian topics; lecture cards issued by Edinburgh Medical School; Isobel Rae's manuscripts and related papers; Transactions of scientific societies; copies of newspapers; and a few miscellaneous papers. Miss Rae searched widely for more of Grigor's papers, and for more information about him but to little or no avail.
Grigor (1814-1886) is known as the Father of Nairn; born in Elgin, he was one of five children of Robert and Clementina Grigor. He attended Aberdeen University briefly then Edinburgh Medical School, after which he served as Assistant Ship's Surgeon on the 'Lord Lowther' in India and China from 1835 to 1837. Grigor took up the appointment of General Practitioner in Nairn in 1838, a post he held until 1867. He married Jane McInnes in 1845; she died childless in 1887. Grigor served as a Town Councillor from 1853 to about 1862 and as Provost of the Royal Burgh of Nairn (1860-1862); he was appointed Public Vaccinator and Medical Officer of the Parochial Board in 1863, and was granted the Freedom of the Burgh, and became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in the same year. Grigor invested enormous energy in many projects for the improvement of Nairn, including the swimming baths, a new hospital and the water supply. A statue of him was unveiled in Leopold Street in 1890 and moved to Viewfield House in 1950.
Apart from the biography, more details of his work can be found in his obituary, printed in the Nairnshire Telegraph of 20th October 1886 (see HCA/D281/7/2/5 below). |