William Mills of Sandyford (1776–1857) was a 19th-century Scottish merchant and shipping owner who served as a Whig Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1834 to 1837.

Life

He was born at Lessudden House near

St. Boswells St Boswells ( sco, Bosels / Bosells; gd, Cille Bhoisil ) is a large village on the south side of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, about southeast of Newtown St Boswells on the A68 road. It lies within the boundaries of the historic co ...

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...

in 1776. In the 1790s he appears to have travelled to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and established various cotton plantations there. In earlier life he appears as a merchant at 127 Trongate House in the Clyde Buildings. From 1819 he also began investing in steamships, at first travelling between

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 the

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and

River Mersey The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...

. His first ship was the SS Robert Bruce. He increased his fleet with the SS Superb, the SS Majestic and the SS City of Glasgow. It is unclear if the latter is the famous ship of that name, but it seems to predate it. In 1826, in co-operation with others, built the larger SS United Kingdom, which traded between

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 ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Later, still as a merchant, he had premises with his younger brother Thomas Mills at 107 Buchanan Street. Whilst Lord Provost he lived at Sandyford Place off Sauchiehall Street. As a politician he first served as a Bailie representing the Gorbals then became a Bailie of Glasgow and Chief Magistrate. He was elected Lord Provost in 1834. In 1837 he was succeeded as Lord Provost by

Henry Dunlop of Craigton Henry Dunlop of Craigton FRSE DL (1799–1867) was a Scottish cotton manufacturer and merchant who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1837 to 1840. Life He was born on 7 June 1799 in Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire the third son of James Dun ...

in 1837. He died at 7 Woodside Terrace in the Sandyford district of Glasgow on 8 November 1857. He is buried in the family vault in the Glasgow Necropolis.

Family

He was father to the Glasgow shipbuilder George Mills (1808-1881).

Artistic Recognition

He was portrayed in office in the style of Henry Raeburn.

References

1776 births 1857 deaths People from the Scottish Borders Scottish merchants Lord Provosts of Glasgow Scottish slave owners Burials at the Glasgow Necropolis 18th-century Scottish businesspeople 19th-century Scottish businesspeople {{Scotland-bio-stub