John Murdoch of Rosebank (1709–1776) was an 18th-century Scottish tobacco lord 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 ...

three times: 1746–1748, 1750–1752 and 1758–1760, with his brother-in-law

Andrew Cochrane Andrew Cochrane of Brighouse (1693–1777) was an 18th-century tobacco lord and a slave trade owner who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow three times, more than any other person: 1744/5, 1748/9, and 1760/1. Cochrane Street in central Glasgow w ...

serving in the intervening years. Murdoch Avenue in Cambuslang is named after him.

Life

John Murdoch was born on 4 October 1709 the son of Peter Murdoch of Rosehill (1670-1761), a Glasgow merchant and sugar refiner (owner of the King Street Sugar Works) who later served as

(1730-1732), and his wife, Mary Luke, daughter of John Luke of Claythorn. He lived at Rosebank House in the Cambuslang district. In 1744 he became a Bailie in Glasgow Town Council (under

) and two years later succeeded him as Lord Provost. In 1750 he built the first house on Argyle Street (standing on the corner of Dunlop Street) and long-known as the Buck's Head Inn. He died in Glasgow on 30 June 1776. Rosebank House passed to John Dunlop who himself became Lord Provost in 1794 and in 1801 was purchased by

David Dale David Dale (6 January 1739–7 March 1806) was a leading Scottish industrialist, merchant and philanthropist during the Scottish Enlightenment period at the end of the 18th century. He was a successful entrepreneur in a number of areas, m ...

. The house was demolished in 1937.

Family

His sister, Janet Murdoch, married

. In 1732 he was married to Margaret Lang, daughter of William Lang. Their only child, Ann Murdoch, who married John Wallace of Cessnock but died before 1754. Margaret Lang died in 1734 (possibly in childbirth) and John then married Margaret Bogle by whom he had one further daughter, Margaret Murdoch, who married

Thomas Miller, Lord Glenlee Sir Thomas Miller, 1st Baronet FRSE (3 November 1717 – 27 September 1789), known as Lord Barskimming (1766–88) and Lord Glenlee (from 1788) during his judicial service, was a Scottish advocate, judge, politician and landowner. He was a foun ...

. Their daughter Jessy married John Dunlop of Rosebank.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murdoch, John 1709 births 1776 deaths Lord Provosts of Glasgow Cambuslang Scottish merchants