العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolSIR JAMES HUNTER-BLAIR, 1ST BARONET
Sir James Hunter Blair was a Scottish banker who was the 1st Hunter-Blair Baronet.
Born John Hunter, the son of an Ayr merchant, he became a banker in the banking company of Sir William Forbes, and acquired the estate of Robertland. On marrying Jean Blair the daughter and heiress of John Blair of Dunskey in Wigtonshire in 1770, the family name became Hunter-Blair when she inherited her father's estate in 1777. The two had 14 children.
He was Member of Parliament for Edinburgh from 1780 to 1784 and the Lord Provost of the City in 1784. As Lord Provost, he carried through various reforms, including the beginning of work on rebuilding the University and the construction of the bridge over the Cowgate. The foundation stone of this bridge was laid by Lord Haddo, as Grand Master Mason of Scotland in 1785, after Parliament had passed an Act giving permission for the plans to be executed. Blair was knighted and created baronet the following year, in 1786.
Blair cordially received Robert Burns when the poet first arrived in Edinburgh. On Blair's death, Burns drafted a somewhat stilted elegy, beginning: 'The lamp of day, with ill-presaging glare', which extols rather laboriously Blair's public virtues. Burns called it 'just mediocre' but Ferguson describes it, justifiably as 'the disastrous Elegy on the Death of Sir James Hunter Blair'.
Blair was an enthusiastic Freemason. Hunter Square and Blair Street in Edinburgh are both named after him.
★ Blairquhan Castle
★ Burns' association with Hunter Blair
★ Blair genealogical research site
Born John Hunter, the son of an Ayr merchant, he became a banker in the banking company of Sir William Forbes, and acquired the estate of Robertland. On marrying Jean Blair the daughter and heiress of John Blair of Dunskey in Wigtonshire in 1770, the family name became Hunter-Blair when she inherited her father's estate in 1777. The two had 14 children.
He was Member of Parliament for Edinburgh from 1780 to 1784 and the Lord Provost of the City in 1784. As Lord Provost, he carried through various reforms, including the beginning of work on rebuilding the University and the construction of the bridge over the Cowgate. The foundation stone of this bridge was laid by Lord Haddo, as Grand Master Mason of Scotland in 1785, after Parliament had passed an Act giving permission for the plans to be executed. Blair was knighted and created baronet the following year, in 1786.
Blair cordially received Robert Burns when the poet first arrived in Edinburgh. On Blair's death, Burns drafted a somewhat stilted elegy, beginning: 'The lamp of day, with ill-presaging glare', which extols rather laboriously Blair's public virtues. Burns called it 'just mediocre' but Ferguson describes it, justifiably as 'the disastrous Elegy on the Death of Sir James Hunter Blair'.
Blair was an enthusiastic Freemason. Hunter Square and Blair Street in Edinburgh are both named after him.
| Contents |
| See Also |
| External Links |
See Also
★ Blairquhan Castle
External Links
★ Burns' association with Hunter Blair
★ Blair genealogical research site
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
