James Pringle (1822–1886) was a Scottish rope manufacturer who served as

Provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

1881 until 1886.

Life

He was born in 1822 the son of William Murray Pringle of the Edinburgh Naval and Military Academy. The family lived at 23 Bread Street. James was educated at the High School in Edinburgh. He was at the school during its relocation from High School Yards to

Calton Hill Calton Hill (; ) is a hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland, situated beyond the east end of Princes Street and included in the city's United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Views of, and f ...

in 1829. In 1840 his father was working from the Adjutant General's Office at 1 Grove Street in Edinburgh. From 1841 he worked as a clerk at the Edinburgh Rope Company on the north side of

Leith Links Leith Links is the principal open space within Leith, the docks district of Edinburgh, Scotland. This public park is divided by a road into two main areas, a western section and an eastern section, both being largely flat expanses of grass bor ...

. He was then living at 15 Thomsons Place in Leith. By 1855 it had become Edinburgh Ropery and Sailcloth Manufactury and he had become Manager. He was by this time living at a relatively new villa, designed by Thomas Hamilton, facing over Leith Links to his place of work, from Claremont Park. In 1880 he joined Leith Dock Commission. He was also elected President the Leith Liberal Club. He entered Leith Town Council in 1881 and became Provost later in the same year. He was a strong advocate of the Leith Improvement Scheme. begun by his predecessor, John Henderson. He especially pushed for the. creation of Leith Links as a public park, levelling the area (it is noted that this greatly improved the view from his house. In 1885 he was both created Deputy Lieutenant of the County of the City of Edinburgh and elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were Dr Thomas Williamson, Sir James Falshaw, James Grant and Sir

Thomas Grainger Stewart Sir Thomas Grainger Stewart (23 September 1837, in Edinburgh – 3 February 1900, in Edinburgh) was an eminent Scottish physician who served as president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1889–1891), president of the Medico-C ...

. He was also elected Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh in the same year. He was a pivotal figure in transferring the supply of town gas from private control to city corporation control. On death, he was superseded on an interim basis by former provost John Henderson before the formal election in 1887 of

Thomas Aitken Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

. He died of dry

pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (Pulmonary pleurae, pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant d ...

at home, 7 Claremont Park on

on 11 December 1886. He is buried in

Warriston Cemetery Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in List of graveyards and cemeteries in Edinburgh, Edinburgh. It lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly-formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and o ...

against the southern wall of the main cemetery. The grave lies immediately to the right of the huge monument to David Low. He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church and was elder of the church on Broughton Place from 1854 and clerk to the congregation from 1868.

Family

In 1844 aged 22 he was married to Christina Lauder Hutchison (d.1890). His wife continued to live at Claremont Park until 1890. They had twelve children only seven of whom survived to old age: two daughters, Christina, Helen and Jane (who married Edwin Hirst). Their sons were David, Murray, James Hay and William Alexander. Their son James Hay Pringle was killed in defence of

Kokstad Kokstad is a town in the Harry Gwala District Municipality of the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Kokstad is named after the Griqua chief Adam Kok III who settled here in 1863. Kokstad is the capital town of the East Griqualand region, ...

in South Africa in April 1878. Their grandson Lt James Pringle White served in the

Liverpool Scottish The Liverpool Scottish, known as "the Scottish", was a unit of the British Army, part of the Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve (formerly the Territorial Army), raised in 1900 as an infantry battalion of the King's Regiment (Liverpool), K ...

and was killed at Hooge in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Artistic recognition

His portrait as Provost was painted by John A. Horsburgh in 1885 and is now held by the

City of Edinburgh Council The City of Edinburgh Council (Scottish Gaelic: ''Comhairle Baile Dhùn Èideann'') is the local government authority covering the City of Edinburgh council area. Almost half of the council area is the built-up area of Edinburgh, capital of Sco ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pringle, James 1822 births 1886 deaths Politicians from Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh Burials at Warriston Cemetery