Family and Education

b. c.1700, 2nd s. of George Lind of Gorgie, nr. Edinburgh, bailie and merchant of Edinburgh, by his 2nd w. Jean, da. of Hugh Montgomery of Smithton. unm.

Offices Held

Ld. prov. Edinburgh 1760-2; conservator of Scottish privileges in the Netherlands Feb. 1762-Mar. 1763.

Biography

Lind was an Edinburgh merchant and belonged to a family distinguished in science and medicine. At the general election of 1761 the trades of Edinburgh and the minority party on the town council organized a violent campaign against Argyll’s candidate, Alexander Forrester, and set up their own. The majority party hastily dropped Forrester and nominated Lord Provost Lind, who was returned. Sir Henry Erskine wrote to Bute, who had approved Forrester’s candidature:1

Perhaps you don’t know that Mr. Lind is one of the Duke of Argyll’s friends, for whom it is said his Grace intended the place of conservator which Consul Stewart got. I imagine Mr. Lind may be easily induced to accept a small office and thereby vacate his seat.

Shortly after Lind had taken his seat, Charles Stewart, the recently appointed conservator of Scottish privileges, died. The place, worth £200 p.a., was considered practically a sinecure ‘not beneath the dignity of a man of rank’,2 and Bute selected Lind, which vacated his seat in Parliament. Shortly before Bute’s resignation Lind resigned his place to John Home, Bute’s secretary, but retained for himself the ‘full salary and emoluments’.3

Lind died 11 June 1763.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Edith Lady Haden-Guest

Notes

• 1. Bute mss.
• 2. Lord Talbot to Bute, 9 Dec. 1761, ibid.
• 3. Caldwell Pprs. ii (1), pp. 184-5.