John Aird (John Aird Junior) (1655–1730) was a Scottish merchant who served as

Lord Provost of Glasgow The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Glasgow is the convener of the Glasgow City Council. Elected by the city councillors, the Lord Provost serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city. The office is equiv ...

five times (ten years in total).

Life

Aird was born in 1655, the son of John Aird. In 1692 Aird appears as a

Bailie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables i ...

Glasgow Town Council Glasgow City Council is the Local government in Scotland, local government authority for the Glasgow, City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post ...

and from 1695 he appears as

Dean of Guild A Dean of Guild, under Scots law, was one of a group of burgh magistrates who, in later years, had the care of buildings. The leader of the group was known as Lord Dean of Guild. Originally, the post was held by the head of the Guild brethren o ...

in the Council. He served as Dean five times in total up to 1721. He served as Lord Provost five times: 1705–1707, 1709–1711, 1713–1715, 1717–1719 and 1721–1723. In the

Jacobite Rebellion of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire ...

Aird and the city sided strongly with the new government, rather than the Jacobite "rebels", and Aird raised an army of 600 volunteers to defend the city against Jacobite capture. Aird lived in a mansion house on Aird's Lane (now called Goosedubbs). One of his main trades appears to have been in selling geese.Glasgow Evening Times 22 March 2017 Aird died in

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 ...

in 1730.

Artistic recognition

Aird's portrait in frock-coat and wig is held in the Merchant's House on

George Square George Square ( gd, Ceàrnag Sheòrais) is the principal civic square in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of six squares in the city centre, the others being Cathedral Square, St Andrew's Square, St Enoch Square, Royal Exchange S ...

in Glasgow.

References

1655 births 1730 deaths Lord Provosts of Glasgow {{Scotland-bio-stub