Peter Clouston (1807–1888) was a Scottish insurance broker and philanthropist who served as Lord Provost of

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 ...

from 1860 to 1863.

Life

The grave of Peter Clouston, Glasgow Necropolis

He was born in

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

on 10 August 1807. His father died when he was an infant and his widowed mother moved to

. In 1821, at age 14 he was apprenticed to William Bennet & Co, an insurance broker at 185 Exchange in the city centre. The company specialised in marine insurance for Glasgow ships. Not until around 1840 does he appear as an independent householder, then living at 28 Abbotsford Place in Glasgow and working for Bennet & Browne, an amalgamated firm now operating from 126 Queen Street. William Bennet had died of cholera in 1832 and Clouston and then been made a junior partner with James Browne, but his name never appeared in the company title. In 1854 he became a town councillor, rising to be Lord Provost in 1860. By this time he was living at 1 Park Terrace, a very attractive five storey Victorian end-terraced house close to

Kelvinside Kelvinside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde and is bounded by Broomhill, Dowanhill and Hyndland to the south with Kelvindale and the River Kelvin to the north. It is an affluent area of Gl ...

Park. He was later Chairman of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company He died in Glasgow on 30 August 1888, aged 81. He is buried in the Glasgow Necropolis. The grave lies on one of the western terraces. 1 Park Terrace, Glasgow

Artistic recognition

Whilst in office he was portrayed by

Robert Herdman Robert Inerarity Herdman RSA RSW (17 September 1829 – 10 January 1888) was a Victorian artist specialising in portraiture and historical compositions. He is also remembered for a series of pastoral scenes featuring young girls. He received ...

. He was also photographed by

Camille Silvy Camille-Léon-Louis Silvy (1834–1910) was a French photographer, primarily active in London. He learned photography from his friend, Count Olympe Aguado, in 1857, and became a member of the Société française de photographie in 1858. He th ...

Family

He was married to Hannah Grant (d.1867). His daughters married the brothers James and Matthew Bulloch of the "Bay Line" Shipping Company and Bulloch Lade & Co distillers (owners of the

Caol Ila distillery Caol Ila distillery (; gd, Taigh-staile Chaol Ìle , " Sound of Islay Distillery") is a Scotch whisky distillery near Port Askaig on the isle of Islay, Scotland, owned by Diageo. History Caol Ila is derived from Gaelic ''Caol Ìle'' for " ...

) respectively.From Wheelhouse to Counting House, by Lewis Fischer.

References

1807 births 1888 deaths Lord Provosts of Glasgow People from Greenock Burials at the Glasgow Necropolis 19th-century British businesspeople {{Scotland-bio-stub