Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 6, 1898

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
205
John Gran, ^
Kipkton, Bunehrteux.
KIRKTON, BUN'CHREW, INVERNESSSHIRE,
^^/IjE. CRAN was born at Mains of Lesniur-
^n|®) die, I7th December, 1841, and is the
•='^. eldest son of a large family of sons and
daughters. His parents both belong to Aber-
deenshire, his father, William Cran, being the
younger son of John Cran, farmer, Scurdargue,
Rhynie, and his mother, Anne, daughter of John
Kellas and Elizabeth M'Hardy of Aldivalloch.
In 1841 his parent removed from Scurdargue to
Mains of Lesmurdie, where they resided until
Mr. Cran's death in 1882.
The spirit of agricultural improvement was
very strong in the late Mr. Cran, and notwith-
standing his being educated for a professional
career he chose the life of a farmer, and during
the forty years that he occupied the Home Farm
of Lesmurdie he reclaimed and added some fifty
acres to it, built a new steading and some six
miles of stone dykes ; he also created a second
farm about a mile apart, by reclaiming upwards
of a hundred acres from moorland and bog into
arable land, erected a complete steading and
dwelling houses, and several miles of dykes, and
all at his own expense. The only remuneration
he received from his landloi'd being one of faith
and hope for future generations, viz : a lease on
favourable terms which expires in 1911. The.se
farms are now occupied by the third son, and
the farm of Scurdargue by the second, while the
two youngest sons are prosperous members of
the medical profession in England.
The subject of our sketch received his educa-
tion chiefly at the public schools of Rhynie and
Huntly, and was early taught toj become self
reliant.
At the age of fifteen years he_,began business
in a small way on his own account as a grazier,
and at that age he attended such markets as Muir
of Ord for the purchase of stock, where he
received many rebufls on account of his youth.
He continued trading in cattle, sheep, wool,
grain, etc., and assisting his father until 18C9,
when he took a lease of the farms of Kirkton
and Englishton, and subsequently the adjoining
farm Phopachy. In the spring of 1870 he
erected fertilizing works at Bunchrew, and
began operations upon a small scale, gradually
increasing the business by dint of active and
persevering effort, until in 1885 the concern had
assumed such large dimen.sions that it was found
advisable to convert it into a limited liability
company, Mr. Cran retaining the post of
Man.aging Director. In 1887 the works of the
late Mr. Munro, Invergordon, were acquired,
and have since been considerably extended.
Messrs. John Cran & Co., Ltd., are the only
firm north of Morayshire possessing such works
as Bunchrew and Invergordon, and besides the
very large output of chemical fertilizers they
maintain at these places, they are extensive
importers of all kinds of cakes and feeding stufl's,
and also deal in and export grain, potatoes, hay,