Account of Lady Jane Grant of Monymusk(ref: GRA/1)

This account, dated 2nd June 1788, was by Lady Jane Grant with her apothecary, Kenneth McKenzie.

Lady Jane was the fourth wife of Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk, the controversial Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire who had been expelled in 1732 for his part in defrauding the Charitable Corporation. Lady Jane died in 1788 so this account, for ‘stomache elixir, a box of laxative pills and genuine china musk’, amounting to £1 12s 1½d, may have been incurred during her final illness. China musk, incidentally, was used at the time as an antispasmodic.

Her death may also have accounted for the delay in payment. On his behalf, Dr Gregory Grant, the eminent Edinburgh physician, had added a note to the account on 7th February 1791, certifying that McKenzie had attended Lady Jane’s servants and some poor people at her request for ten or twelve years without payment and the amount should be £12 2s 1½d. McKenzie finally received payment on 15th March 1791.

• A larger version of the letter is available here