Lawrence Dinwiddie of

Germiston Germiston, also known as kwaDukathole, is a small city in the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa, administratively forming part of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since the latter's establishment in 2000. It functions a ...

(1696–1764) was an 18th-century Scottish tobacco lord who served as

Lord Provost of Glasgow The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Glasgow is the convener of the Glasgow City Council. Elected by the city councillors, the Lord Provost serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city. The office is equiv ...

from 1742 to 1744. Dinwiddie Street in the Germiston area of north Glasgow is named in his honour.

Life

He was born at Germiston House in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

on New Year's Eve 31 December 1696, the son of Robert Dinwiddie and his wife Elizabeth Cumming. His older brother

Robert Dinwiddie Robert Dinwiddie (1692 – 27 July 1770) was a British colonial administrator who served as lieutenant governor of colonial Virginia from 1751 to 1758, first under Governor Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, and then, from July 1756 ...

was Governor of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. His father had built Germiston House in 1690 with monies from his tobacco investments (one of the first Scots in this field). Lawrence was a Virginia tobacco lord, inheriting the business from his father, one of the first Scottish tobacco lords. Lawrence created the firm Dinwiddie Crawford & Company. In 1734 he served as a Bailie under Lord Provost Andrew Ramsay in Glasgow Town Council. He succeeded

Andrew Buchanan of Drumpellier Andrew Buchanan of Drumpellier (1690–1759) was a Scottish tobacco merchant who was one of Glasgow's "Tobacco Lords". He served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1740 to 1742. Buchanan Street in Glasgow is named after him. Life Andrew Buchana ...

as Lord Provost in 1742 and in turn was replaced by

Andrew Cochrane Andrew Cochrane of Brighouse (1693–1777) was an 18th-century tobacco lord and a slave trade owner who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow three times, more than any other person: 1744/5, 1748/9, and 1760/1. Cochrane Street in central Glasgow w ...

in 1744. In 1761, with 25 others, including

he founded the

Glasgow Arms Bank Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. He was also a founder of the Delftfield Pottery Company in Glasgow. He died in Glasgow on 3 May 1764, leaving the poor of the Merchants' House 200 Scots Merks in his will.

Family

He married twice, firstly to Janet Coulter, sister of Provost John Coulter. Following her death he married Elizabeth Kennedy of Auchtyfardle. Between his two wives he had 21 children.

References

1696 births 1764 deaths Businesspeople from Glasgow Lord Provosts of Glasgow {{Scotland-bio-stub