Gilbert Hamilton of Glenarbuck (1744–1808) was an 18th/19th century Scottish merchant who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow 1792 to 1794. His skeletal appearance and dress resulted in his being called a "

scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...

of a provost".

Life

He was born in Glasgow in 1744 the son of Archibald Hamilton. In 1783 he was joint founder of the Glasgow

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...

and served as its first Secretary. The Chamber was set up to protect the interests of the "Virginia Dons" - the tobacco traders who lost many of their assets in America due to the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Around 1790 he built Glenarbuck House near Bowling, Dunbartonshire. Around 1795 he was the first President of the

Glasgow Humane Society The Glasgow Humane Society was founded in 1790. It is the oldest continuing lifeboat service in the world. The aims and objectives of the Society are: *Preservation of human life in and around the waterways of Greater Glasgow. *Provision of lifeb ...

. Before the Bank of Scotland established its first Glasgow branch, Hamilton acted as Collector for the Glasgow Area. In 1792 he succeeded James McDowall as Lord Provost of Glasgow. He was succeeded in 1794 by John Dunlop of Rosebank. During his provostship Glasgow banks suffered a major collapse and Hamilton went to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

to plead for financial aid and was successful in this task. He also accomplished the rebuilding of the Tron Church and major repairs to Glasgow Cathedral. He died in Glasgow in 1808.

Family

Not known.

Artistic recognition

He was portrayed in a low-relief cameo by

James Tassie James Tassie (1735–1799) was a Scottish gem engraver and modeller. He is remembered for a particular style of miniature medallion heads, portraying the profiles of the rich and famous of Britain, and for making and selling large numbers of "T ...

. An oil portrait is held by the

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

.Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition of Portraits in the New Galleries of Art in Corporation Buildings

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Gilbert 1744 births 1808 deaths Businesspeople from Glasgow Lord Provosts of Glasgow