[ Page 1 ]
[ Page 2 ] [ Page 3 ]
History
James Hunter was a younger son of Hunter of Abbothill, near Ayr
(which was a cadet branch of Hunter of Hunterston, established at
Hunterston since 1110). Making his way as a financier in Edinburgh in
the third quarter of the 1700's, he joined Coutts bank which from 1773
was known as Sir William Forbes, James Hunter and Co. The bank had been
one of the few to survive the crash, "Black Wednesday", 10th June 1772,
which ruined many a Scottish family. Its survival ensured the prosperity
of its partners.
 James
married Jean Blair, daughter and heiress of John Blair of Dunskey, and
when she inherited her father's estate in 1777, the family name became
Hunter Blair. James and Jean had 14 children, some of whom are depicted
by the Scottish artist David Allan in the painting on the right. Dunskey
House is in the background. Today the portrait hangs over the fireplace
in the Dining room at Blairquhan.
James became Lord Provost and Member of
Parliament for the city of Edinburgh, and was created a Baronet in 1786.
When he died a year later, his older brother and the bank partners
rallied to the family's support. In 1798 while Sir James's son David was
on tour in Germany his trustees bought for him a large and old castle
together with an estate of 14,000 acres from the Whitefoords of
Ballochmyle and Blairquhan, a family whose fortunes, ironically, had
declined in the same financial crash that had benefited David's father.
[ Page 1 ]
[ Page 2 ] [ Page 3 ]
[ Welcome ] [ History ] [ Newsletter ] [ Testimonials ] |
