![11 Heriot Row, Edinburgh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/11_Heriot_Row%2C_Edinburgh.jpg)
John Lidell Cay
FRSE PRSSA (31 August 1790 – 13 December 1865) was a Scottish
advocate, pioneer photographer and
antiquarian. He served as the
Sheriff of
Linlithgowshire
West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...
1822–65. He was the maternal uncle of
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematician and scientist responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and li ...
.
He was an original member of the
Edinburgh Calotype Club
The Edinburgh Calotype Club (1843 – c.1850s) of Scotland was the first photographic club in the world. Its members consisted of pioneering photographers primarily from Edinburgh and St Andrews. The efforts of the Club's members resulted in ...
, one of the world's first photographic clubs (1843), and a keen early photographer alongside his friend Sir
David Brewster and the Edinburgh pioneers
David Octavius Hill
David Octavius Hill (20 May 1802 – 17 May 1870) was a Scottish painter, photographer and arts activist. He formed Hill & Adamson studio with the engineer and photographer Robert Adamson between 1843 and 1847 to pioneer many aspects of pho ...
and
Robert Adamson. He made very early photographic presentations to the
Royal Scottish Society of Arts
The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a learned society in Scotland, dedicated to the study of science and technology. It was founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by Sir David Brewster in 1821 and dedicated ...
.
Life
He was born in the family home on George Street in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 31 August 1790, the son of
Robert Hodshon Cay
Robert Hodshon Cay FSSA LLD (7 July 1758 – 31 March 1810) was Judge Admiral of Scotland overseeing naval trials. He was husband of the artist Elizabeth Liddell, father of John Cay FRSE and maternal grandfather of James Clerk Maxwell.
Life
Ca ...
LLD (1758–1810) of
North Charlton who was Judge Admiral of Scotland, and his wife
Elizabeth Liddell
Elizabeth Liddell, later Mrs. Robert Hodshon Cay, (22 February 1770 – 1831) was an amateur British artist specialising in pastel portraits. She was wife of Robert Hodshon Cay, mother of John Cay, mother-in-law of John Clerk-Maxwell of Middlebi ...
(1770–1831) a relatively famous pastellist, and pupil of
Archibald Skirving. He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh then studied law at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
. He was admitted to the Scottish Bar as an advocate in 1812.
Cay was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1821, his proposer being
Sir William Arbuthnot. At this time he lived (with
his mother
''His Mother'' is a 1912 American silent film produced by Kalem Company. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Gene Gauntier and Jack J. Clark in the leading roles. It was one of more than a dozen films produced by the Kalem Company filmed in Ir ...
) in a large and opulent Georgian townhouse, 11 Heriot Row in the
Second New Town of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
. He was a close neighbour to
George Ballingall.
Cay served as president of the
Royal Scottish Society of Arts
The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a learned society in Scotland, dedicated to the study of science and technology. It was founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by Sir David Brewster in 1821 and dedicated ...
1848–49.
He died at 5 South East Circus Place (where he had moved around 1825) in Edinburgh on 13 December 1865.
Family
Cay had two sons: Robert Cay (1822–1888) and Edward Cay (1825–1874), both of whom emigrated to
Australia in the 1840s, becoming sheep-farmers in the Brisbane area.
His daughter Frances died whilst an infant and is buried in
Restalrig
Restalrig () is a small residential suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland (historically, an estate and independent parish).
It is located east of the city centre, west of Craigentinny and to the east of Lochend, both of which it overlaps. Restalri ...
.
He was uncle to
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematician and scientist responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and li ...
.
Artistic Recognition
A pastel portrait of Cay by his mother is held by the James Clerk Maxwell Museum.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cay, John
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Lawyers from Edinburgh
Scottish antiquarians
1790 births
1865 deaths
19th-century Scottish photographers
Photographers from Edinburgh