James Pirie 1838-1921

From time to time, as a child, I was told "Grannie's uncle was Mayor of Scarborough". It must have seemed a little incongruous how, at the end of the 19th century, an Aberdeenshire farmer's son became a leading light of the fashionable Yorkshire spa town - but I never thought to ask "which uncle?" or "how?" It was only recently that I decided to research the life of my great-great-uncle James Pirie.

On 25th July 1838, in the parish of Keithall and Kinkell, Aberdeenshire, John and Catherine Pirie had a son baptised James. The family lived at Hillhead of Leggat Farm with elder children Jane (17) John (15) and Alexander (10). Other sons William and Keith had died in infancy, and further tragedy struck in 1841 when their mother died. By 1851, the family had moved within the parish to Tweeddale Farm where John (49), helped by his elder sons farmed 74 acres. James was at school and on Sundays the siblings sang in the choir at the Auld Kirk, where their father was Precentor. The family and the farmhouse were looked after by housekeeper Christina Beattie (30) and 'out-servant' Barbara Angus. In 1852, John snr and Christina were married.

At the age of 19 James, in reply to an advertisement, travelled to Driffield in Yorkshire to work as a draper with a Scot by the name of Ross. After a year there, he left to work for a Robert Ritchie based in Hull, and for the next three years travelled the district from Driffield to Whitby, often finding himself in Scarborough. In 1860, aged 22, he took over the drapery business from Mr Ritchie and worked from home at 6, Atlas Place, Scarborough. A year later, he had moved to number 80 and was recorded there as being head of the household and employing a 43-year-old housekeeper who lived-in with her 12-year-old daughter. In that same year, James made his first investment in the Cliff Bridge Company. He also founded a Sunday School at Burniston.

In 1862, at the Baptist Chapel in Scarborough, James married Hannah Collingwood Smailes, a cabinet-maker's daughter. Never having particularly liked the drapery business, James sold it in 1870 but in the next two years suffered heavy losses, being, in his own words 'cleared-out' by stockbrokers. Undaunted, and with his pronounced ability to overcome obstacles, he began in business as a house agent and was appointed district rate-collector for the northern half of the town.

In 1881, he and his wife were living at 80 Castle Road, and James was in business as an auctioneer and commission agent. This grew so rapidly that he had to give up his office of rate-collector and devote all his time to his business until his health gave way when he was 45. Rather than take on a partner, James chose to sell up and take a complete rest over the next year. Having no reason to return to a business career, he went on to devote time to more than a dozen public companies of which he had become a director. He was chairman of the Public Market Company, the Central Tramway Company and the Board of Guardians, vice-chairman of the Filey Water and Gas Company, a director of the Building Society and the Coffee House Company, and Secretary of the Public Baths Company.

By 1891 the couple had moved to 105 Castle Road. James became a Town Councillor and in 1894 was returned unopposed as the Liberal candidate for the North Ward. Three years later, when opposed, he obtained the highest majority ever by a candidate in that ward.

In 1897, James Pirie became Mayor of Scarborough. In 1899, he was made a Justice of the Peace and was noted for being one of the most hard-working magistrates on the bench. In 1901 James (62) and Hannah (60) were still living at 105 Castle Road, where they employed a maid aged 24.

In 1906 James was elected an alderman. In 1907, he retired from the Board of Guardians, after 17 years' valuable service. He attended meetings of the Town Council up to December 1920 when his resignation, due to failing health, was regretfully accepted, as was his resignation from the Aldermanic Bench.

He died at his home, 105 Castle Road, in December 1921 in his 84th year. The Scarborough Mercury reported that "his passing removes a very familiar figure from the town".