Robert Tennent

FRSE 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 ...

(1815-15 December 1890) was an early Scottish photographer and major landowner in Australia.

Life

He was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1813 the son of Margaret Rodger Lyon (1794-1867) and Patrick Tennant WS (1782-1872), living at 107 George Street. His younger brother was

Hugh Lyon Tennent Hugh Lyon Tennent (11 May 1817 – 22 January 1874) was a Scottish advocate and pioneer photographer. He is sometimes recorded as Hugh Lyon Tennant. Life Tennent was born in Edinburgh on 11 May 1817, the son of Margaret Rodger Lyon (1794–18 ...

. The family were related to the Tennents Brewery in

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 ...

. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy. Robert was a keen sailor and made a trip of the Western Isles in 1838. In 1839 he sailed from

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, arriving in June. In October he sailed to

Port Phillip Port Phillip (Kulin languages, Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped bay#Types, enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Here together with Charles Hugh Lyon (probably his cousin) he acquired 30,000 acres of land near Gnarkeet under squatters rights from 1844 to 1853. He also held 75,000 acres near

Portland Bay Portland Bay (Dhauwurdwurrung language, Dhauwurdwurrung: ''Kardermudelar / Pathowwererer'') is a small bay off the coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It is about west of Melbourne. The city of Portland, Victoria, Portland is loc ...

. He returned to Edinburgh in 1853 and was a member of the Edinburgh Calotype Club alongside his brother and other notable members

David Brewster Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA Scot FSSA MICE (11 December 178110 February 1868) was a British scientist, inventor, author, and academic administrator. In science he is principally remembered for his experimental work in physical optics ...

and

John Cay 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 1822–65. He was the maternal uncle of James Clerk Maxwell. He was ...

. In 1873 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

his proposer being

John Hutton Balfour John Hutton Balfour (15 September 1808 – 11 February 1884) was a Scottish botanist. Balfour became a Professor of Botany, first at the University of Glasgow in 1841, moving to the University of Edinburgh and also becoming the 7th Regius Keepe ...

. He died at 23 Buckingham TerraceEdinburgh Post Office Directory 1890 in western

on 15 December 1890 aged 77. He is buried with his daughter Charlotte Maud Tennent in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

in western Edinburgh. The granite cross lies in the first northern extension not far from his brother Hugh.

Family

In 1858, aged 45, he was married to Wilhelmina Meldrum at Kincaple in

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

References

1813 births 1890 deaths People educated at Edinburgh Academy Burials at the Dean Cemetery Photographers from Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Scottish photographers {{Scotland-bio-stub