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Scottish merchant, banker, landowner, politician and Covenanter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir James Steuart of Coltness (1608 – 31 March 1681) was a Scottish merchant, banker, landowner, politician and Covenanter.[1]
James Steuart of Coltness | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Steuart by David Scougall (c. 1658) | |
| Lord Provost of Edinburgh | |
| In office 1658–1659 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Andrew Ramsay, Lord Abbotshall |
| Succeeded by | Robert Murray |
| Commissioner for Edinburgh | |
| In office 1649–1650 | |
| Preceded by | Sir John Smyth |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Desborrow |
| Lord Provost of Edinburgh | |
| In office 1648–1649 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Archibald Tod |
| Succeeded by | Sir Archibald Tod |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1608 |
| Died | 31 March 1681 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Spouses | Anne Hope
(m. 1630; died 1646)Marion McCulloch Elliott
(m. 1648) |
| Children | Sir James Steuart Sir Robert Steuart, Bt. |
| Parent(s) | James Steuart Marion Carmichael |
| Occupation | Merchant, banker, landowner, politician |
Steuart was the second son of Marion Carmichael and James Steuart (1575–1607), of Allanton, Lanarkshire, and was born posthumously.[2][3] Marion was sister of Sir James Carmichael, Justice General of Scotland.[4]
He was a merchant and banker in Edinburgh, acquired a large fortune, then acquired the estates of Kirkfield (from Sir John Somerville of Cambusnethan) and Coldness (from Sir John Hamilton of Edston), both in Lanarkshire, in 1653.[2]
He became a burgess of Edinburgh and guild member in 1631, apparently through his marriage to Thomas Hope's niece.[4]
Steuart served as Provost of Edinburgh from 1648 to 1652, Commissioner for Edinburgh to the Parliament of Scotland from 1649 to 1650, and Lord Provost again in 1659. For a period of time, he was the Collector of Excise and Accountant-General for the Scottish Army.[5]
His period of office as Provost included the decision to fortify the harbour of Leith and to create a new road between Edinburgh and Leith (later called Leith Walk.[4]
At the Restoration (1660) he was dismissed from public roles due to his being a Covenanter. After confinement in Edinburgh Castle, Steuart was sent to Dundee as a prisoner. He was granted a pardon in 1670.[6]
In 1630, he married Anne Hope (d. 1646), daughter of Henry Hope and niece of Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall.[7] Together, they had:[8]
In 1648, two years after Anne's death, Steuart married Marion McCulloch Elliott (d. 1690), widow of Sir John Elliott, and only daughter and heiress of David McCulloch, of Goodtrees.[10]
Sir James Steuart died on 31 March 1681.[10]
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