William McDowall
William McDowall (c. 1749 – 3 April 1810) of Garthland and Castle Semple was a Scottish Member of Parliament.[1]
He was the eldest son of William McDowall, Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire from 1768–1774, and Elizabeth Graham.[1] His youngest brother, David McDowall-Grant, was also briefly a Member of Parliament for Banffshire.
He was educated at Glasgow University, matriculating in 1761, and admitted as an advocate in 1771.[1]
He sat as Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire from 1783 until 1786, for Ayrshire from 1789 until 1790, for Glasgow Burghs from 1790 to 1802, and again for Renfrewshire from 1802 until 1810.[1]
He owned property in Grenada and St Kitts as well as extensive lands in west-central Scotland which he bequeathed in trust to his nephew William McDowall (1770-1840), son of his brother James.[2]
He was a partner in the firm of Alexander Houston & Co., a major Glasgow firm trading in the West Indies, which failed in 1801.[3]
He was Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire from 1794[4] until his death, and Rector of Glasgow University from 1795–7.[5]
References
- The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1790–1820.
- Legacies of British Slave-ownership: William McDowall of Garthland.
- Douglas Hamilton’s ‘Scottish Trading in the Caribbean: The Rise and Fall of Houstoun & Co.’, in Ned C. Landsman (ed), Nation and Province in the First British Empire: Scotland and the Americas, 1600-1800 (Bucknell University Press, 2001), 94-126. cited on UCL Legacies of British Slave-ownership website.
- "No. 13652". The London Gazette. 6 May 1794. p. 409.
- The University of Glasgow Story - William McDowall of Garthland and Castle Semple.
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Shaw-Stewart |
Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire 1783–1786 |
Succeeded by John Shaw-Stewart |
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by Hugh Montgomerie |
Member of Parliament for Ayrshire 1789–1790 |
Succeeded by Sir Adam Fergusson |
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by John Craufurd |
Member of Parliament for Glasgow Burghs 1790–1802 |
Succeeded by Alexander Houstoun |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Boyd Alexander |
Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire 1802–1810 |
Succeeded by Archibald Speirs |