Archibald Ingram (1699–1770) was an 18th-century 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 equ ...

from 1762 to 1764. Ingram Street in the city centre was named in his honour in 1781.

Life

He was born in or near Glasgow in 1699. He began trading in tobacco around 1720 and (as was common) began his own plantations. In 1742 he gained a younger partner, his brother-in-law

John Glassford John Glassford of Dougalston and Whitehill (1715 – 27 August 1783) was a Scottish Tobacco Lord, considered by his contemporaries to be the greatest of the era. He owned tobacco plantations in Virginia and Maryland, as a result, his name is syn ...

, and in 1750 they created Ingram & Glassford, a powerful trading company. They made their fortune as

Tobacco Lords The Tobacco Lords were a group of Scottish merchants and slave traders who in the 18th century made enormous fortunes by trading in tobacco. Many became so wealthy that they adopted the lifestyle of aristocrats, lavishing vast sums on great hous ...

, with plantations in the east coast of America. He was involved in the creation of the Glasgow Arms Bank and the

Pollokshaws Pollokshaws ( sco, Powkshaws) is an area on the South side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is bordered by the residential neighbourhoods of Auldhouse to the east, Eastwood and Hillpark to the south and Shawlands to the north, with the Gl ...

Calico Printing Company and the Inkle Company. He was described as the father of the calico printing industry in Scotland, specifically created as a "return product" for the ship returning to America for more tobacco. From 1752 he was the financial backer of the

Foulis Academy Foulis Castle is situated two miles south-west of Evanton in the parish of Kiltearn, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. It is a white washed mansion that incorporates an old tower house with gun loops. The castle was held by the Clan Munro from the ...

created by the printers

Andrew Foulis Andrew Foulis (171218 September 1775) was a Scottish printer, brother of Robert Foulis. They worked in partnership as printers to the University of Glasgow publishing many books in Latin and Greek. Biography Andrew Foulis was the son of a Gla ...

and Robert Foulis. The Academy was created on the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym ...

in an upper room owned by the Glasgow College. In 1757 he sold 3 acres of land at Gallowmuir to the Town council for £1695 (Scots). Prior to being elected Lord Provost in 1762 he was

Dean of Guild A Dean of Guild, under Scots law, was one of a group of burgh magistrates who, in later years, had the care of buildings. The leader of the group was known as Lord Dean of Guild. Originally, the post was held by the head of the Guild brethren o ...

to the city from 1757.http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4540/1/1990PetersPhD.pdf He died in Glasgow in 1770. He is thought to be buried in the

Ramshorn Cemetery The Ramshorn Cemetery is a cemetery in Scotland and one of Glasgow's older burial grounds, located within the Merchant City district, and along with its accompanying church, is owned by the University of Strathclyde. It has had various names, ...

(near Ingram Street). As he died before the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

of 1776 he avoided the financial ruin which befell most of his peers. Without his financial support the Foulis Academy failed in 1774.

References

1699 births 1770 deaths Businesspeople from Glasgow Lord Provosts of Glasgow Scottish slave owners {{Scotland-bio-stub