Sir John Muir, 1st Baronet DL JP (1828–1903) was a Scottish businessman 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 1889 to 1892. He founded Finlay Muir & Co, one of the world's largest 19th century companies.

Life

The grave of Sir John Muir of Deanston, Kincardine-in-Menteith

He was born on 8 December 1828, the son of James Muir (b.1801) and his wife, Elizabeth Brown. In 1849 Muir joined James Finlay and Co. cotton mill owners. In 1861 he became a junior partner and after buying out other partners became sole partner in 1883. Due to the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

the company had to relocate the main source of cotton to India in 1871. There, with his cousin Hugh Brown Muir, they established the firm of Finlay Muir & Co. In 1882, due to the Indian connection, they branched into tea plantations, and from their into rubber and jute. He became the major world stakeholder in tea growing and packing.History
Finlays. Retrieved 2 July 2018. They also acquired plantations in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. By the end of the 19th century they controlled 270,000 acres, 77,000 of which were tea plantations. The company's Indian headquarters were at Dalhousie Square in Calcutta, alongside the government buildings. The main production building was at Lyons Range next to the

Calcutta Stock Exchange The Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE), located at the Lyons Range, Kolkata, India, is a stock exchange under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is the second oldest stock exchange in Asia. It was founded on 1 December 186 ...

. Muir was elected Lord Provost of Glasgow in 1889 and created a baronet 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 October 1892, his final year in office. He was succeeded as Lord Provost by Sir James Bell. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1891. In 1900 he lived at 6 Park Gardens, a grand three storey basement and attic terraced townhouse in Glasgow near

Kelvingrove Park Kelvingrove Park is a public park located on the River Kelvin in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, containing the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. History Kelvingrove Park was originally created as the West End Park in 1852, and ...

, and also had his country property,

Deanston Deanston ( gd, Baile an Deadhain) is a village in the Stirling council area, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Teith east of Doune, in south-west Perthshire. It is a part of the parish of Kilmadock. Etymology The name comes from Walter ...

House in Perthshire. The Deanston property linked to Deanston Mill , one of the largest cotton mills in Scotland, employing 1000 people (now converted to a whisky distillery). By his final years Finlay Muir & Co had 90,000 employees worldwide, one of the largest companies ever. Approximately 70,000 were in the Indian subcontinent. Muir died on 6 August 1903. He is buried in the remote rural burial ground of Kincardine-in Meneith, south-east of

and west of

Blair Drummond Blair Drummond is a small rural community northwest of Stirling in the Stirling district of Scotland, predominantly located along the A84 road. Lying to the north of the River Forth, the community is within the registration county of Perthshire ...

. The grave lies in a private enclosure accessed from a field to the north. The enclosure attaches to the north-west corner of the burial ground. Finlay Muir had tea-trading premises in Glasgow until 2007.

Family

Muir married Margaret Morrison Kay (d.1929). They had ten children, the first six being girls, then four sons. The baronetcy passed to the eldest son, Sir Alexander Kay Muir (1868-1951).

Artistic Recognition

He was portrayed in 1889 by Sir

John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was a Northern Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, baptised at St Patrick's Church, Belfast a ...

. He was further portrayed in office by Joseph Henderson.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muir, John 1828 births 1903 deaths Businesspeople from Glasgow Lord Provosts of Glasgow Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom 19th-century Scottish businesspeople Deputy Lieutenants Scottish justices of the peace