John Sharp (1788-1857)
John Sharp (1788-1857) was born on 26 September 1788 in Perth and became a very successful baker in the city. He was unmarried, and left a substantial estate of £19,000 (equivalent to at least £1.9m today). In his will, after some legacies to family members, perhaps to nieces or nephews, and to various charities in Perth, he left his residual estate in trust for education in Perth through the creation of the Sharp Educational Trust and Sharp’s Educational Institution. He also left £500 to fund a Sharp Bursary, to enable a student to study for the church at any Scottish University. It is still being awarded today by the Presbytery of Perth.