Sir Robert Pullar (18 February 1828 – 9 September 1912) was a
Scottish Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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politician in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
Life
Pullar was born at Burt's Close in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
on 18 February 1828, the eldest of nine children of
John Pullar (1803-1878), a dyer, and his wife Mary Walker.
[Article by John McG. Davies.] His father founded the firm
Pullars of Perth and was also at one point Provost of Perth. In the summer of 1828 the family moved to 36 Mill street in Perth. This was as a reaction to complaints regarding noxious smells while they were working at Burt's Close, Mill Street being further out of town. He was educated in Perth at Stewart's Academy in Atholl Street, Greig's Academy in Stormont Street, and at
Perth Academy
Perth Academy is a state comprehensive secondary school in Perth, Scotland. It was founded in 1696. The institution is a non-denominational one. The school occupies ground on the side of a hill in the Viewlands area of Perth, and is within the Pe ...
, also doing continuation classes in
French and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
.
He was apprenticed under his father in 1841, a junior partner in 1848
[ and ultimately senior partner in the local family firm of Pullars Dyeworks.][1988 reprint] In 1857 the firm formed a relationship with the inventor William Perkin
Sir William Henry Perkin (12 March 1838 – 14 July 1907) was a British chemist and entrepreneur best known for his serendipitous discovery of the first commercial synthetic organic dye, mauveine, made from aniline. Though he failed in trying t ...
to be the first manufacturer to successfully introduce purple aniline dye
Aniline is an organic compound with the formula C6 H5 NH2. Consisting of a phenyl group attached to an amino group, aniline is the simplest aromatic amine. It is an industrially significant commodity chemical, as well as a versatile starting m ...
. The firm also branched into dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water.
Dry cleaning still involves liquid, but clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), known in ...
, a technique he learned from Germany, establishing a plant in Tulloch Tulloch may refer to:
People with the surname
*Alexander Bruce Tulloch (1838–1920), Major-general in the British Army, author
*Bert Tulloch, English footballer
*Bitsie Tulloch, American actress
*Francis Tulloch (born 1940), Jamaican politician
...
in 1882.[ He was known as an extensive and generous donor to local charities and other local causes and a benevolent employer, although in the last year of his life there was a major strike in the firm when he refused to discuss wage rises.] He was a J.P. for the County of Perth
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
.[ He travelled widely in Russia, Scandinavia, America and the Middle East.][
He was elected a ]Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
in 1880. His proposers were Sir James Falshaw
Sir James Falshaw, 1st Baronet JP, DL, FRSE (21 March 1810 – 14 June 1889), was a British railway engineer and politician.
Life
He was born in Leeds, of an "old yeoman family" and was the son of William Falshaw, wool merchant, and Hanna ...
, William Lauder Lindsay
Dr William Lauder Lindsay FRSE FLS LRCS (19 December 1829-24 November 1880) was a Scottish physician and botanist. As a physician he largely worked in the field of mental health. As a botanist he specialised in lichens.
Life
He was born on 19 D ...
, John Duns and James Sime
James Sime FRSE (1843–1895) was a Scottish biologist, literary critic, and historian.
Life
James Sime of Airdrie, and then of Wick, Caithness and Thurso, and his wife Jane Anderson of Glasgow (died 1889). He was educated at Anderson's Gymn ...
. At this time he lived at 6 St Leonards Bank in Perth and ran the North British Dyeworks on Kinnoull Street.
He was knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
by Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
in the 1895 Birthday Honours
The 1895 Birthday Honours were appointments by Queen Victoria to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The Queen, and we ...
.
Although his family were originally Baptists he seemed to favour the Free Church and in 1900 joined the newly created United Free Church of Scotland
The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...
worshipping at St Leonards Church on Marshall Place facing the South Inch.
In 1905 he received an honorary doctorate (LLD) from St Andrew's University
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
.[
He was elected unopposed at a ]by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
on 12 February 1907 as the Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. In his politics he was a radical Liberal and supported free trade and Irish home rule
The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1 ...
. He stood down in January 1910.
At the time of his election, he was six days short of his 79th birthday, making his possibly the oldest parliamentary debut of an MP in the 20th century. He rarely spoke in debates and was criticized by local trade unions for failing to support measures to help the unemployed.[
In 1911 he received ]Freedom of the City
The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
of Perth.
He died at home, "Tayside" on Isla Road, of a seizure on 9 September 1912 aged 84. He was buried with his wife at Wellshill Cemetery
Wellshill Cemetery is a 19th-century cemetery in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Located on Feus Road, the cemetery is still operational and is under the control of Perth and Kinross Council.
In general the grounds are well-landsc ...
, Perth, close to his parents.[ The grave nears at the southern end of the terraced step midway across the southern east–west path.
]
Family
He was older brother to Laurence Pullar
Laurence Pullar FRSE FRGS FRSGS LLD (1838–1926) was a 19th-century Scottish businessman, geographer and philanthropist. A close friend of Sir John Murray he appears to have done much to fund and/or underwrite the cost of the Challenger Expedit ...
, James Pullar and Edmund Pullar, and uncle to Frederick Pullar.
In 1859 he married Helen Mary Daniell (1829–1904), daughter of Charles Daniell of Wantage
Wantage () is a historic market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. Although within the boundaries of the historic county of Berkshire, it has been administered as part of the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire since 1974. T ...
, Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
, England, by whom he had two sons, Rufus Daniell Pullar (1861–1917) and Albert Evans Pullar (1865–1945). Rufus and his family are buried alongside his parents.
Artistic recognition
His portrait was painted by John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pullar, Robert
1828 births
1912 deaths
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Knights Bachelor
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies
Scottish Liberal Party MPs
UK MPs 1906–1910
People educated at Perth Academy