James Baird (industrialist)

James Baird.

James Baird (1802, Old Monkland, Lanarkshire – 1876, Cambusdoon) was a Scottish industrialist.

Life

He was the fourth of the eight sons (and two daughters) of Alexander Baird and Jean Moffat. Baird was active in the iron processing industry. By 1864, he had grown his blast furnaces to nearly fifty, producing 300,000 tons of iron annually, and employing 10,000 people.

From 1851 to 1857, he was an elected Tory Member of Parliament (MP) for the Falkirk Burghs. His brother William had had this seat just four years before.

He was also the founder of the Baird Lectureship, in vindication of Scottish orthodoxy. Baird was, while anti-union, very interested to give his workers education. He also donated £500,000 to support churches.

References

Attribution

 Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Baird, James". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by James Baird
• Biography at Glasgow Digital Library (visited September 28, 2009)
• Baird Trust website

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Henry Pelham-Clinton	Member of Parliament for Falkirk Burghs 1851–1857	Succeeded by James Merry