The bulk of the collection is formed of Grant's annotated typescripts for magazine articles, on a range of topics relating to the maritime history of Sussex, and coastal trade. There are also Grant’s accounts and reflections from his life as a master mariner and Trinity House pilot. The articles are interspersed with research notes, correspondence and photographs. Grant shared information with individuals who had similar research interests, for example the colliers of John Kelly Ltd. and Stephenson Clarke Ltd. There is a series of photograph albums showing scenes and vessels connected with Shoreham-on-Sea and Southwick. A few items relate to his father Frederick Grant (born 1866), also a Trinity House pilot.

Administrative / biographical background
Grant was born at Southwick, Sussex, in 1905, one of the sons of Frederick Grant, a Trinity House pilot, and Ellen Grant née Sayers. Early in his career he was a deck boy on the cargo liner MARQUESA (1918), owned by Furness-Houlder Argentine Lines Ltd. After qualifying as master (certificate number 107526), he was employed on the vessels of Shoreham Harbour Trustees, including the steam tug HAROLD BROWN (1928). Grant was later appointed a Trinity House pilot at Shoreham-on-Sea. He became very knowledgeable about the maritime history of Shoreham and Southwick, writing articles for nautical magazines including ‘Sea Breezes’ and ‘Topsail’, the latter published by the Society for Sailing Barge Research. He died at Shoreham in 1994.