McManus 168

Early Life.

Alexander Dick Grimond was the son of David Grimond and Isabella Robertson^[2] and brother of Joseph, David and Margaret^[3].

Career and character.

Grimond, along with his brother Joseph, manufactured jute carpet, including tapestry, Brussels carpets and jute plushes^[6]. Messrs J & A D Grimond was established about 1840[12] and had a patent for a type of carpet called ‘Kidder’ (presumably short for ‘Kidderminster’, one of the leading carpet manufacturing towns in Victorian England) ^[10]. In 1862 they exhibited pieces of jute carpet, hessian yarns and pieces of brightly coloured patterned ‘Kiddiminster’ which could easily have been mistaken for woollen carpet, in the Great Exhibition of Flax and Jute Manufacturing.^[10]

In the International Exhibition held in London in 1862, the firm was also awarded Silver Medals and for carpets in the Exposition Universelle International held in Paris in 1878.^[5]

Grimond seems to have been a quiet, highly respected man who had regard for the comfort of his workers. The Dundee Evening Post described the factory in Bowbridgeworks as “one of the best equipped, providing toilet facilities and ventilation and also a dining hall which was also used in the evenings for winter concerts and lectures.”^[6]

Properties.

Grimond’s city residence was Dunmore in Dundee’s Perth Road. It seems to have been a considerable size, with twenty three windows. His sister Margaret Mackie lived with him and they had four servants^[4]. He had a country home in Blairgowrie at Glenericht Estate and owned several other properties, some with tenants as listed below^[11]:

• Estate of Glen Erichts.
• Mains Mause.
• Farm of Morganstone.
• Farm of Tomnamoon.
• Mill Lands of Mause.
• Easter Milton of Mause.
• Farm of Dykeside.
• Estate of Rochallie.
• Farm of Milltown of Rochallie.
• Farm of Milltown Mains of Rochallie.
• House and grounds of Milltown of Rochallie.
• Farm House Mains of Mause^[11].

The following properties were tenanted:

• Five Houses and Gardens (Old lodge House) Mains of Mause.
• House and Garden, Morganstone.
• House and Garden, Tomnamoon.
• House and Garden, Dykeside.
• House and Garden, Rochallie.
• The Temperance Hotel and Land at Bridge of Cally.
• Part of Land at Bridge of Cally; Farm of Lornty^[11].

Death and Legacy

Grimond died at his Dundee home, Dunmore and a special train took his body and the mourners to his native Blairgowrie where a private funeral was held at Blairgowrie churchyard^[3][5].

A.D. Grimond left an estate valued at £198,698, 13s 5d^[12][13] with a 1/3 of his estate to be divided among charitable or religious institutions or societies.^[14]

The estate bequeathed to charitable or religious institutions was contested by his trustees and family members on the grounds that the words “or religious” made the bequest inexplicable or void and,  if agreed,  the funds be considered as Mr Grimond’s moveable estate and divided amongst the pursuers. However Lord Low upheld the bequest in the Court of Session on 31 October 1903^[14]. This decision was appealed by the pursuers and Lord Justice Clerk at the Second Division of the Court of Session upheld Mr Grimond’s bequest on 15 January 1904.^[15]