Sir James Bain of Crofthead (1817–1898) was a Scottish iron-founder who served as Lord Provost of

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 ...

from 1874 to 1877. Bain Street in Glasgow is named after him.

Life

He was born in

on 22 January 1817 the son of Robert Bain (died 1838). He was general manager of William Baird & Co, coal and ironmasters. His house at 3 Park Terrace just east of Kelvingrove Park was designed in 1855 by Charles Wilson and famously had a room lined in real gold. Visitors to this wonder included

Ulysses Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

.Glasgow Herald 10 May 1995 He became a town councillor in 1863 and was elected Lord Provost in 1874 and knighted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

in 1877 when he was replaced as Lord Provost by William Collins the famous Scottish publisher.. He was Deputy Chairman of the Clyde Navigation Trust and together with Sir James Lumsden organised the building of the Prince's Dock on the

River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...

. He was MP for

Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...

1891/2 and founded the Whitehaven Ironworks there. Bain died on 25 April 1898. He is buried with his family in the churchyard of

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...

. Bain's gold room was restored 1992 to 1995.

Artistic Recognition

He was portrayed in office by Sir

Daniel Macnee Sir Daniel Macnee FRSE PRSA LLD (4 June 1806, Fintry, Stirlingshire – 17 January 1882, Edinburgh), was a Scottish portrait painter who served as president of the Royal Scottish Academy (1876). Life He was born at Fintry in Stirlingshir ...

Family

He was married to Mary Dove. Their children included John Dove Bain (died 1843) and James Robert Bain.

References

1817 births 1898 deaths Lord Provosts of Glasgow Politicians from Glasgow UK MPs 1886–1892 Scottish politicians 19th-century British businesspeople Businesspeople from Glasgow Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies {{England-UK-MP-stub