Western Worthies: A Gallery of Biographical and Critical Sketches of West of Scotland CelebritiesJeans, J. Stephen (James Stephen)
History
Western Worthies: A Gallery of Biographical and Critical Sketches of West of Scotland Celebrities
Jeans, J. Stephen (James Stephen)
Scotland -- Biography
There are not a few reminiscences associated with the name and history
of Mr. Robert Dalglish, the senior representative of Glasgow, that must
tend to render a record of his life peculiarly interesting to his
constituents. Born at Glasgow in 1808, he is now in his sixty-third
year. His father was emphatically one of the pioneers of Glasgow's
industrial prosperity. Born in humble circumstances, he "burst his
birth's invidious bar," and elevated himself to the proud position of
the first magistrate of that city "whose merchants are princes and whose
traffickers are the honourable of the earth." During his three years
tenure of the civic chair, Mr. Robert Dalglish, sen., approved himself a
very useful and excellent citizen, and his attention to municipal
affairs was most unremitting and diligent, while at the same time he was
laying the foundations of that splendid business to which his son, the
subject of the present sketch, ultimately succeeded. Our Senior Member
was educated at the University of Glasgow, and "when the fulness of the
time had come," he was admitted a partner in the firm of which his
father was then the principal, and which is now well-known by the title
of R. Dalglish, Falconer, & Co. It is, perhaps, the largest
calico-printing firm in Scotland, their works at Campsie employing
upwards of 1000 hands. Since his accession to the business, Mr. Dalglish
has largely extended and improved the original works, so that they are
now vastly superior to what they were at that time. Several substantial
additions, including a large engraving shop, were recently made to meet
the requirements of the firm. It is worthy of note that the father of
Mr. Dalglish occupied as a dwelling-house the building now used as the
offices of the firm in St Vincent Place--the business part of the city
being at that time within a short radius of the Cross. To the son,
however, the lines have fallen in more pleasant places, for his mansion
at Kilmardinny, near Milngavie, is one of the most "highly desirable
residences" (as an auctioneer would phrase it) in the West of Scotland.
The grounds or policies attached to the house extend to 140 acres, and
within recent years Mr. Dalglish has expended a great deal of both money
and taste on his fine property.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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