Patrick Grant (Australian politician)
Patrick Grant (1795-1855) was an English businessman who was an Australian politician and Police Magistrate. He was the proprietor of the Sun, the True Sun.
Biography
Grant was the eldest son of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Grant and Jane Hannay.
Politician Henry Hunt brought a libel action against Grant, the True Sun's proprietor, publisher John Bell, and printer John Ager for an article published on 18 December 1832; however, Hunt was awarded damages of one farthing.[1][2] Grant, Bell and Ager were prosecuted, convicted and confined in 1834 to the King's Bench Prison for advocating tax resistance against the British government's window tax.[3][4][5][6] He was later pardoned.
He was a police magistrate at Maitland, in the Hunter Valley and sub editor of the Sydney Gazette. In 1845 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council; this election was voided, but he was re-elected later that year and served until 1848.[7]
Marriage and issue
Patrick was married to Catherine Sophia Grant, the daughter of Charles Grant and Jane Fraser, they are known to have had the following known issue:[8]
- Alexander Ronald Grant, Canon of Ely
- Robert Grant
- Charles Grant (died 1876)
- Julia Grant
- Matilda Grant
- Flora Sophia Grant
References
- ^ Timperley, Charles Henry. "libel suit against the True Sun". A Dictionary of Printers and Printing. p. 930.
- ^ "Mr. Henry Hunt, having brought an action against the printer". The Spectator. 7 December 1833.
- ^ PROSECUTION OF THE TRUE SUN. (Hansard, 23 July 1834)
- ^ The Whigs and the Press: Report of the Trial of the Proprietors and Printer of the True Sun, for Recommending Non-Payment of the Assessment Taxes: Upon an Ex-officio Information Filed by His Majesty's Attorney-General. True Sun Office. 1834.
- ^ "action brought against the True Sun". The Spectator. 8 June 1833.
- ^ "The Court of King's Bench". The Spectator. 8 February 1834.
- ^ "Mr Patrick Grant". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Grant, Francis J. Grants of Corrimony. T. & J. Manson, 1895. p. 42.