McManus 168

Full name

Andrew Benvie

Date of birth

20-01-1794^[1]

Place of birth

Abernyte^[1]

Gender

Male

Marital status

Married

Name of spouse

Jean Doig^[2]

Children

John Benvie 1824; Andrew Benvie 1825; Jean Benvie 1828; Christian Benvie 1830; Jean Benvie 1833; Agnes Benvie 1835; Mary Benvie 1839^[3]

Home address

7 Thistle Street
Forebank
Dundee 1834^[4]

Parnell Street
Forebank
Dundee 1837-38^[5]

7 Nelson Street
Dundee 1842-45^[6][7]

9 Nelson Street
Dundee 1846^{[8][9][10][11]}

8 & 10 Napier Place
Nelson Street
Dundee 1858-59^[12][13]

9 Nelson Street
Dundee 1861-65^[14]

Age at death:

72 years^[15]

Place of death:

Napier Place, Nelson Street, Dundee^[15]

Date of death:

07-11-1865^[15]

Buried:

Western Cemetery, Dundee^[16]

Religious affiliation

Unknown

Political affiliation

Unknown

Clubs / societies

A representative of the Nine Trades at the Harbour Board^[17]: A representative of the Nine Trades on the Board of the Royal Lunatic Asylum^[18]: Past Master of Caledonian Masonic Lodge, Castle Street, Dundee^[19]: Ordinary Director of Forfarshire & Perthshire Fire Insurance Co.^[20]: Member of Board of Management of Scottish Equitable Life Assurance^[21][20]: Assessor of Guildry Incorporation^[22]:

Public offices

Town Councillor^[23]: Member of Dundee City Council Committee on Hospital Funds^[23]: Member of Dundee City Council Committee on Barrack Park and Magdalen Green^[24]: Member of Dundee City Council Finance Committee^[24]:

Related subscribers

Subscriber 61 – Peter Miln Duncan (shipowner) – one of a number of trustees and executors of Andrew Benvie’s estate^[25]

Occupation

Linen merchant

Employment

Self employed

Place of work

At the time of his donation, Andrew Benvie was a retired linen merchant and manufacturer.

Work address

James Spankie & Co
Peter Street
Dundee 1834^[4]

Cochrane & Benvie
131 Seagate
Dundee 1842-45^[26][6]

39 Cowgate
Dundee 1846-47^[8]

Baxter's Court
37 Cowgate
Dundee 1850-62^{[9][10][12][13]}

Career to date:

Andrew Benvie became a linen merchant and manufacturer. He began his early working life as a "stamper."^[27] After some time in that role, he was appointed one of a number of inspectors whose duty it was to inspect the cloth manufactured in Dundee.^[27] Warden suggested in "The Linen Trade Ancient and Modern" - "that for several years after the repeal of the 'Stamp Act' (1823), a system of inspection was in operation, but it was entirely voluntary, there being no law to enforce it. The inspectors, in most cases, were the same parties who had acted as stampers under the Act, and they were generally well qualified, from their knowledge and experience in examining linens, for being inspectors."^[28] He then began to sell goods on commission, becoming one of the partners in the firm of Messrs James Spankie & Co.^[27] On the 24th September 1830, Andrew Benvie was admitted a free master of the Bonnetmaker Trade.^[29] In 1834 he was still "of James Spankie & Co, Peter Street, Dundee" and from then on he appears to have been working on his own account, firstly as a merchant and partner of Cochrane and Benvie, 131 Seagate, Dundee and then as a tenant/occupier, linen merchant and manufacturer in the Cowgate. In 1837, Andrew Benvie was the owner of a schooner called Pilot^[30] and by 1842 he also had a schooner called Liverpool.^[31] The copartnery of "Messrs Cochrane and Benvie" was dissolved with mutual consent in October 1845.^[32] George Cochrane continued operating from the same premises under the firm of "Cochrane & Co."^[32] In 1851, Andrew Benvie was on the Nine Trades Committee.^[33] A commemorative plate was found during extensive alterations and improvements to the ground floor of the Trades Hall. The Plate is in the custody of McManus Galleries with a plaque detailing the members of the committee. In 1854, he was elected a Town Councillor for the Third Dundee Ward and served on various committees until 1857. In 1861, he retired.^[34]