William Taylour Thomson, CB, KCMG (1813-1883) had a fascinating, if not potentially controversial career, as a life-long diplomat. Born and educated in Edinburgh, Thomson’s career as a civil servant would be spent in…
James Martin White (1857-1928) of Balruddery was born in New York to Elizabeth Grundy (d. 1876) and James Farquhar White (d. 1884). His father was a successful Dundee linen and jute merchant who exported textiles to…
Charles Stuart Grace (1859-1936) was born in St Andrews to Stuart Grace, a solicitor and bank agent, and Jesse Ranken Playfair. He attended Madras College and Fettes College in Edinburgh, then studied at United College…
John Mitchell Keiller (1851-1899), born in Dundee, was the only child of Alexander Keiller and Elizabeth Mitchell. He was the grandson of James Keiller of marmalade fame, and following his father’s death, John M.…
Robert Mackenzie Smeaton (1845-1910) was born in St Andrews to David James Smeaton (or Smitton; d. 1871), a local headmaster, and Elizabeth Charlotte née Mackenzie (d. 1903). He attended the University and graduated…
A fish-curer, merchant and sometime outlaw, James Menzies (c.1778-1844) was perhaps born on the Castle Menzies estate, Perthshire. He went into business in Glasgow, and by the later 1810s, was part-owner, with John…
William Pyper (1797-1861) set up the Pyper Bursary at the University of St Andrews in 1859. He was the son of John Pyper of Rathen, Aberdeenshire, and Christian Henderson, and he was educated at Aberdeen’s Marischal…
The son of James Lawson, baxter burgess of Dundee, John Lawson was born c.1660 and became a matriculand of St Leonard’s College. He passed trials before presbytery of Dundee 28.1.1682 and became chaplain to Bishop of…
An alumnus of the University of St Andrews, James Henry (1678-1758) was licensed by the Presbytery of St Andrews in 1697 and ordained to Creich in Fife in 1702. He became the minister at Kinghorn in Fife and was…
The will of Adam Gifford, Lord Gifford (1820-1887) provided for the Gifford Lectureship in Natural Theology, which was set up in 1887. Gifford was born at Park Street, Edinburgh, to the merchant James Gifford and his…