William Keir Grant

He was born in Fife, Scotland,[2] the son of Archibald Keir of the East India Company and joined the British Army as a cornet in the 15th (The King's) Light Dragoons.

In the latter year, Grant received permission from King George III to wear the gold medal given by Francis II in commemoration of the action at Villers-en-Cauchies.

Subsequently, while on the Bengal Staff, Grant, who became colonel in 1810 and a major general in 1813, was appointed to command a small force of cavalry and grenadiers sent against Ameer (Amir) Khan (afterwards the Nawab of Tonk) in 1814.

In 1817, he was appointed to the Bombay Staff and commanded the Gujarat field force, part of the army of the Deccan, in the operations against the Pindaris.

The latter proving intractable the troops entered the country, carried the strong hill fort of Raree by storm and marched to the capital, where a treaty was signed with the regency.

In March the same year, he commanded a force sent against the Rajah of Cutch, which, after defeating the enemy and capturing the hill fortress of Bhooj, received the submission of that province.

He returned home at the end of his staff service and was made KCB in 1822, lieutenant-general in 1825, GCH in 1835 and given the colonelcy in 1839 of the 2nd (Royal North British) Regiment of Dragoons (later the Scots Greys), an honour he held until his death in 1852.