John Glassford

John Glassford

John Glassford of Dougalston and Whitehill (1715-August 27, 1783) was a Scottish Tobacco Lord, considered by his contempories to be the greatest of the era. [http://www.theglasgowstory.com/story.php?id=TGSBH02 TGS - 1560 to 1770s - Personalities - John Glassford of Dougalston ] ] He owned tobacco plantations in Virginia and Maryland that deployed slave labour.

Background and family

Glassford was born in Paisley, the third son of James Glassford, a merchant and burgess in Paisley. Glassford went on to marry first a merchant's daughter, then a baronet's, then an earl's. His immense wealth allowed for the construction or purchase of a number of major properties in and around Glasgow; Whitehill, Shawfield and Dougalston, from which he took his title, are the most notable. He appeared to pride himself on home improvements, especially on the Dougalston estate, where he enacted an extensive programme of planting and building, and even the creation of an artificial lake, Dougalston Loch. The Glassford Family Portrait, commissioned from artist Archibald McLauchlan in 1766 – and currently exhibited in Glasgow's People's Palace – shows Glassford with members of his family in their city home the Shawfield Mansion. This house stood on what is now Glassford Street in Glasgow, named in his honour. [http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/stecit/stecit14049.htm Curiosities of Glasgow citizenship: JOHN GLASSFORD [ebook chapter / George Stewart, 1881 ] ] Glassford sired fourteen children in all, though only eight survived to adulthood. The portrait also features the faint outline of a negro servant, which serves to highlight Glassford's involvement in the slave trade.http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/showNews.cfm?venueid=9&itemid=595]

Tobacco trade

From 1735 Glasgow became the focus of an economic boom which lasted nearly fifty years. This was the age of the Tobacco Lords, the nouveau riche of the mid eighteenth century. Glassford entered the tobacco trade in 1750 and soon made a success of his venture, with a fleet of vessels and a large number of tobacco stores across New England. Celebrated in his lifetime, Glassford was the most extensive ship owner of his generation in Scotland, and one of the four merchants who laid the foundation of the commercial greatness of Glasgow through the tobacco trade. Tobias Smollet wroteFact|date=January 2008 of a meeting with Glassford in 1771:

In business Glassford was not confined to traffic from the colonies. He had begun his career in the 1740s with various manufacturing interests and with his tobaco wealth he continued this patronage. Almost all of the principle manufacturing establishments in Glasgow had his support, and he was a leading partner in the Glasgow Arms and Thistle Banks. However, it was the tobacco trade that was to be his financial downfall. The American War of Independence (1775-83) ruined Glasgow's part in the trade, and while other tobacco lords were shrewd enough to sell their shares in the business before the crash, Glassford was not among them. When he died, at his home, Shawfield Mansion, on 27th August 1783, he had debts of over £93,000. Accounts of Glassford written in the nineteenth century all have in common the fact that he appeared to be a good man. Though very much drawn to the drinking and gambling culture that characterised much of Glasgow's merchant community, he was "of very gentle, pleasing manners," "dispensed princely hospitality" , and possessed "much energy of character."Fact|date=January 2008

As one of Glasgow's leading 'tobacco lords', modern recognition of Glassford has been surprisingly slight considering his contribution to the mercantile history of Glasgow. This is a fact that was recognised even in 1881 by George Stewart who in his collection "Glasgow's Old Commercial Aristocracy" noted that Glassford was "at one time the very prince of Glasgow merchants, and now almost forgotten". Iain Russell has commented that Glassford is commemorated by little more than the name of Glassford Street in central Glasgow, but his lifetime achievements – not only in the line of tobacco, but also in agricultural and industrial improvements across the central belt – deserve wider appreciation.Fact|date=January 2008

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Howison — (or Howisone, Howisoune , or Howieson ) c1530 1618 was Minister in the Parish of Cambuslang during a turbulent time in Scotland’s history. He was imprisoned several times for his campaign for a Presbyterian, as opposed to Episcopal structure for… …   Wikipedia

  • Glassford — This is an ancient Scottish surname, where the clan are known as Glassford and all that Ilk . The name is recorded in the spellings of Glasford, Glassford and Glasfurd, it is said that they derive their name from the area known as the lands of… …   Surnames reference

  • Henry Glassford Bell — (November 8, 1803 1874), a Scottish lawyer, poet and historian, was born at Glasgow.He received his education at the Glasgow high school and at Edinburgh University. He was a member of the Scottish Bar, and became Sheriff of Lanarkshire. He… …   Wikipedia

  • Duncan John McCuaig — (May 22, 1882 – July 20, 1960[1]) was a farmer and political figure in Saskatchewan, Canada. He represented Maple Creek in the Canadian House of Commons from 1945 to 1949 as a CCF member.[2] He was born in Brechin, Ontario.[2] McCuaig worked 13… …   Wikipedia

  • Relationship between Friedrich Nietzsche and Max Stirner — The philosophers Friedric …   Wikipedia

  • Douglas of Mains — The coat of arms of Douglas of Mains The Douglases of Mains are a branch of the Clan Douglas, related to the Lords of Douglas through Archibald I, Lord of Douglas. The first Laird obtained land through marriage into the Galbraith family, which… …   Wikipedia

  • Glasgow — Glaswegian redirects here. For the Scots dialect spoken in Glasgow, see Glasgow patter. This article is about the original Glasgow in Scotland. For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). Coordinates: 55°51′29″N 4°15′32″W /  …   Wikipedia

  • La Richesse des Nations — Recherches sur la nature et les causes de la richesse des nations Richesse des nations Édition de Londres (1776) de la Richesse des nations Auteur Adam Smith Genre économie …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Recherche sur la nature et les causes de la richesse des nations — Recherches sur la nature et les causes de la richesse des nations Richesse des nations Édition de Londres (1776) de la Richesse des nations Auteur Adam Smith Genre économie …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Recherches sur la nature et les causes de la richesse des nations — Richesse des nations Édition de Londres (1776) de la Richesse des nations Auteur Adam Smith Genre …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”