John Hamilton of Northpark (1754–1829) was an 18th/19th century Scottish merchant who served three times as
Lord Provost of Glasgow.
Life
He was born in
Glasgow on 17 June 1754 the son of
Rev John Hamilton minister of St Mungo's Parish (now better known as
Glasgow Cathedral, and his second wife, Mary Bogle daughter of John Bogle of Hamilton Farm.
In 1787 he was a joint founder of the
Glasgow Golf Club.
By 1790 he was a successful Glasgow merchant dealing in sugar, rum and wine. He owned several plantations in
Jamaica. As a trader in Glasgow he was nicknamed "Johnnie Sma' Bottles" as he specialised in half bottles of spirits.
As he became Chief Magistrate of Glasgow around 1790 he presumably had trained in Scots Law. Around this same time, with the expansion of the city, Great Hamilton Street (a new access on the east side) was named in his honour.
In 1799 he bought the Northpark (North Park) estate on the north side of the city centre.
From 1793 to 1799 he was a Bailie of the city. In 1800 he served his first term as
Lord Provost of Glasgow succeeding
Lawrence Craigie
Laurence or Lawrence Craigie (c.1750–c.1833) was an 18th/19th century Scottish merchant and local politician who twice served as Lord Provost of Glasgow.
Life
He was the eldest son of John Craigie of Kilgraston, son of Lawerence Craigie (a Baron ...
and served the standard two years in office before Craigie retook the position. He succeeded Craigie for a second term 1804 to 1806 and after two other Lord Provosts served a third term from 1810 to 1812 the role then passing to
Kirkman Finlay. He was Treasurer of the city in 1807 and Lord
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 ...
1808/9.
[''Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition of Portraits in the New Galleries of Art in Corporation Buildings'']
He died in Glasgow in 1829.
William Hamilton inherited North Park House and it was demolished and redeveloped in 1869 soon after William's death.
Family
He married his cousin, Helen Bogle (d.1825), daughter of Archibald Bogle of
Shettleston. Helen's brother Robert Bogle, operated the Glasgow firm of Bogle & Co. and donated the lands upon which the current
Glasgow University was built.
*John Hamilton, died in Jamaica
*Archibald Hamilton took over the Glasgow business with his younger brother William
*George William Hamilton (1786-1857)
*Robert Hamilton (d.1840) London merchant
*
William Hamilton of Northpark (1790-1866)
Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1826 to 1828
*Mary Hamilton (1797-1873) married Rev
David Welsh
David Welsh FRSE (11 December 179324 April 1845) was a Scottish divine and academic. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1842. In the Disruption of 1843 he was one of the leading figures in the establishmen ...
of Edinburgh
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...
in 1842
Artistic recognition
He was portrayed by Sir
Henry Raeburn.
[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, John
1754 births
1829 deaths
Businesspeople from Glasgow
Lord Provosts of Glasgow