John Grinton IV [1786-?1834] was the son of John Grinton and Janet Dunbar married Rannie Mather on 23rd November 1804 at Cramond .
In Scotland, marriage was based on the principles of mutual consent and both ‘regular’ and ‘irregular’ marriages were recognised by law. Regular marriages were those performed by the clergy after the publication of banns. [ref: https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/article/irregular-marriage-and-kirk-session-scotland].  Their marriage certificate states:

Cramond 23rd June 1805
After Prayer, sed? the Reverend Mr Archi
bald Bowan, Moderator Messrs John King, James Robb and Alexander Hodge Elders-
This day after citation compea?d John Grinton
Junr and Rannie Mather  both of this Parish 
and confessed their irregular marriage and 
Produced a Certificate of the same dated at
Edinburgh the twenty third day of Nov-
eighteen hundred and four signed John
Wilson, ? Min John Cruickshanks Session
Clerk, Jenny Mather and Isobel Tait-
The Moderator rebuked them for their ir-
regularity , confirmed their marriage,
gave them suitable Exhortations and
dismist them.

We can safely say that the marriage commenced on 23/11/1804. 

Rannie / Rennie was the daughter of George Mather and Ann Gourlay . She was born on 7th October 1783 and baptised on 17th October 1783 at St Cuthbert's Midlothian Edinburgh. Her birth records spell her name as Rannie whereas the birth records of her children spell it Rennie. I will use her birth spelling. Her brother James Mather was born 29th Sept 1785 and baptised on 4th October of that year at Saint Cuthberts. from her marriage certificate it could be assumed she also had a sister or sister in law Jenny Mather.

Rannie and John had 10 children:

Child 1. James Grinton born 2nd December 1805 Cramond and baptised there on 15th December 1805. He marries Janet Jess Hook at Saint Cuthberts on 15th may 1826. James dies of fever aged 34 years on 27th March 1839 and was interred in March at Saint Cuthbert's cemetary direct from the infirmary. 

Child 2. Thomas Grinton born 8th may 1810 and baptised that year on 5th June St Cuthberts. There is a death record for a Thomas Grinton interred in Saint Cuthberts cemetery also. He is listed as a slater aged 32 years who died of decline and was interred there from Melvil Bartons, South Grays Close Cowgate. He died on 16th May 1843 and is quite likely to be this Thomas. The 1841 census lists a Thomas Grinton spelt Granton of Dalkeith occupation Slater J address Back Close. He is living in a household of 8 with the Young family.  Whilst we cannot prove connection between these 3 Thomas's it is likely they are the same person. Other family cites have a death as 1837. These have no source citations though.

Child 3.Janet Grinton born in Auchtertool Fife. Those parish records state: 14 March 1812 John Grinton and Rennie Mather had a daughter born and baptised the 14th April named Janet". A record exists for the marriage of a Janet Grinton to James McLaurin in Abbotshall Fife on 5th sept 1841. When looking at where Abbotshall is , it occurs in Kirkcaldy which is where Janet's father John was an exciseman. We will assume until further evidence arises that it is likely our Janet is the one who married James McLaurin.

Child 4. William Sydney York Grinton born 23rd Sept 1813 Auchtertool and baptised that year on 16th October. He married Margaret Crichton on 5th December 1835 in Markinch Fife. They had 5 children: John VII [1836-1915]; David [1838-1914]; William born 1843; James born 1845 and Annie born 1848.  In the 1861 census the family were living at Easter Sough E House in Abbotshall and William was a carter. In 1851 the family is living at Cluny Old Engine Kingalssie Fife. Based on hbis children's birth certificates William seems to have worked at mnay different places Pittenchar[Kinglassie], Begg Farm [Auchterderran], Cluny Mains [ kinglassie] and Thornton Farm [ Markinch]. We know a about John,Ann and David's families but none about the others, Its possible James went to Quebec and arrived there 3rd oct 1870 but more evidence needs to be found to confirm this. 

Quickly lets look at John's family: he married Mary Wishart 31st May 1861 in Levon Scoonie Fife. They had William born 1861; Robert born 1863 and Christina  born  1867. John  died at House O Hill Terrace Blackhall Cramond on 31st July 1915, He was buried on 4th August at Comely Bank Cemetary Edinburgh. He was 78. 

David married Margaret Short Crombie [1842-1911] on 20th November 1863 at Dumfermline Fife. They had 10 children: William [ 1864-1874] ;Amelia Finlay b;1866;David [1868-1938]; John IX b 1870; Robert [1872-1903]; Margaret b. 1875; Wilhelmina [1878-1906]; Joan b 1880 and Eliza Thomson b. 1882. David and Margaret were living in Gardeners St Dumfermline in 1871 with an Andrew Crombie Railway porter a boarder. Perhaps Margaret's brother?  In 1881 the family lived at 36 Viewfield Place Dumfermline and David is a dairyman.  Margaret's father David is living with them and there is a daughter Joan.

William is buried in Dumfermline and his gravestone reads: Erected By the Parents in Memory of Their Sons William Grinton D. 18.10.1874 Aged 10y. Also Little John D. 20.12 1875 Aged 4y & 7m. Also the Parents Margaret Crombie D. 19.6.1911 in Her 69th Year. David Grinton D. 28.1.1914 in His 74th Year .

Amelia Finlay Grinton married John Mitchell and the family is buried at Dunfermline cemetery with the headstone reading: Erected in Memory of John Mitchell Beloved Husband of Amelia Grinton D. At 2 Grove Street, Dunfermline 3.2.1933 in His 65th Year, Their Son David D. 27.3.1933 Aged 38y. the Above Amelia Finlay Grinton D. 4.2.1943 Aged 76y. Also Their Daughter Margaret D. 4.7.1944 Aged 44y. 

David Jnr ,his wife Mary Ann Skirving and their family ended up in Quebec. Robert and his wife Mary McIntyre Blackwood and their family ended up in Ontario Canada. Family researchers suggest without primary evidence that Margaret married Thomas Lamb Cousin. Wilhelmina married John Davidson and she and some of her family are buried at Dumfermline Cemetary: Erected By John Davidson Ilmo His Wife Wilhemina Grinton 22.5.1877 - 20.3.1906. Also Their Son David D. 16.3.1903 Aged 9m and Their Son William D. 17.9.1906 Aged 6m. Her son john's marriage certificate in Ontario suggests she was called Minnie buy the family. A gravesite for a Joan Grinton in Dumfermline cemetary suggest a marriage to William Batholomew. More evidence is needed to link this Joan to the family. Finally Eliza Thomson Grintonb married Archibald Brewster in 1901 in Dumfermline.

Child 5.  John Grinton- V  born 10th Jan 1816 in Auchtertool and baptised on 12th Feb that year. He married Margaret Everson [1821-1844] at St Hild'as Church South Shields Durham on 16th April 1841, They did not have children. On 7th Nov 1850 he married Isabella Wright at St Stephens Church South Shields and they had 2 children: John VIII [1854-1899] and Jane Isabella known as Isabella who married Kenneth Adamson and appeared to stay in South Shields. They had a daughter Margaret.

Child 6. Beatrice Grinton born abt 1817 and married John Gullen on 16th June 1840 in Kirkcaldy. Their family history is sad with their first born being a still birth in 1842 followed by the birth of twin daughters Elizabeth and Surina in 1845 a son John in 1847 and triplets that died at birth in 1850. Elizabeth went on to marry George Ker and have 8 children. Surina married William Hopekirk /Hopkirk and had 5 children. John married  Catherine A Hay and had 5 children. Despite her own loss Beatrice went on to have a plethora of grand children.

Child 7. Agnes Grinton born 17th April 1818 Auchtertool and baptised on 29th April, She married David Bell in Kinghorn Fife on 13th July 1840. They had 5 children: Surenne born 23/10/1842; Henry born 1847; John born 1850 who married Mary Binnie and had 9 children; Ann born 1850 John's twin and Janet born in Glasgow in 1857.

Child 8; Alexander Grinton born 21st April 1820 Auchtertool. There is an Alexander Grinton who emigrated to New Germany Lunenburg Nova Scotia Canada ref 1891 census and one listed in Annapolis Nova Scotia in 1838. These might be this Alexander but more evidence is needed to prove a link.

Child 9: Henry Spears Grinton-my great great grandfather. More on the next page.

Child 10: George Grinton born 30th April 1825 in Auchertool and possibly died 26th April 1919 in Port Angeles Clallam Washington aged 94 yrs. There is a George Grinton in 1910 listed as an inmate Bellevue Clallam Washington, single aged 85. There is also a George Grinton of Johnson California listed in the US Civil Draft Registration Records 1863-1865. Linking these George's to ours will require a little more research.

John was an exciseman and was based in Auchtertool 1815 Lochgelly 1811-1814 and Kirkcaldy 1814-1815 and 1824. It was in Kirkcaldy that he was accused of stealing funds and sacked.  [ref: Phil Grinton- 12th report of Commissioners of Inland Revenue 1824] . It appears excisemen were open to bribes and corruption https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/features/15789/remembering-the-age-of-the-excisemen/.  I choose to think John took money for his family in need! In 1834  Rennie applied for income support for her family and was denied.

We don't have primary evidence for John or Rennie's deaths.