McManus 168

James Blackwood Anderson came from the Anstruther area in the East Neuk of Fife.^[1][2] He married in Edinburgh in 1843.^[3] His wife, Jessie Irvine Reid was the daughter of William Reid, previously a printer to trade.^[3] His marriage record declared him to have been a Commission Agent in Dundee at the time.^[3]

With a growing family of 4 children,^[4] James B Anderson, a flax merchant,^[4] entered into a partnership with Edward Guild during 1850.^[11] Edward Guild’s father, John Guild, already operated as a linen merchant,^[14][15] as did his older brother, Alexander, who later traded as a linen merchant in Belfast and New York.^[15]

The firm of ‘Anderson & Guild’ traded for 12 years between 1850 and 1862, when their partnership was dissolved.^[11] It was reported that ‘debts by Anderson caused the dissolution of their business.’^[16]

At the establishment of ‘Anderson & Guild,’ James Black Anderson later stated that:

‘When the firm started, I had capital of £1,000, which included my furniture. When the firm dissolved in 1862, I had an interest in two ships, the shares standing in the names of the individual partners.‘^[11]

The two ships referred to were the barques ‘Bonanza,’ (built in 1847) and ‘Trossachs,’ (built in 1856). James Blackwood Anderson continued to be a shareholder of both ships after the dissolution of ‘Anderson & Guild.’

However, in 1866, ‘Bonanza,’ on her way to Newport, Monmouthshire, to load coals for the Cape of Good Hope, was wrecked on Barry Island, with the loss of 9 lives.^[17] At the time, Anderson held 20/64ths of the vessel but failed, though fully insured, to recoup the value of his shares or its cargo.^[11]

The ‘Trossachs’ was sold in Valparaiso in July of 1869.^[11] Here too, Anderson sustained further losses later stating that – ‘I considered my loss in her was £1,460. I nominally held 24/64th shares of her, but I was really the owner of 36/64ths.’^[11]

Around this time, James Blackwood Anderson was joined in business by his eldest son, Allan Edward Anderson. They traded as commission agents and merchants, firstly from 59 Cowgate,^[7] then from 20 Reform Street, Dundee.^[18]

It would appear though, that Allan Edward Anderson added to his father’s liabilities. This was to prove the case just a few years later in 1870, when James Anderson was held as surety for his son^[18] in a case raised by The Lochruan Distillery Company in Campbelltown.^[19]

‘The nature of the agency was that Allan Anderson should take orders for whisky, collect accounts as they fell due, and remit the amounts thereof when paid to the pursuers, he getting the usual commission. He had a discretionary power to sell either for cash – ie for payment on delivery or within 30 days of fulfilment of the order – or on credit at 3, 4, or 6 months. The said Allan Anderson acted as the pursuer’s agent from April 1867, till April 1869, when he left Dundee, leaving considerable sums due to the pursuers and other parties.’^[19]

It fell to James Anderson, the guarantor for his son, to make payments due – Allan Anderson, having absconded.^[19]

Circumstances did not appear to improve for James Anderson between the years 1870-74. By 1871, his losses, accrued from 1866, amounted to more that £5,000.^[11] Limping on for a further 3 years. James Blackwood Anderson faced a further examination of his affairs in 1874.^[20]

This would appear to have been the last straw for the hopes and aspirations in Dundee trading for James Anderson.

From that date (1874), no further trace of James Blackwood Anderson, or the members of his family, has been uncovered in Scotland’s public records.