Early calotype of John Cay by Hill & Adamson c

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

. He was a close neighbour to George Ballingall. Cay served as president of the

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

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