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Captain James Ogilvy Dalgleish

James Ogilvy Dalgleish was a member of a locally established family from the Scotscraig estate at Ferryport on Craig. Having served 10 years in the Royal Navy, he settled in Fife, serving both his Church and his County for public benefit.

Subscription value in 1863:

£100

Relative to inflation up to 2024:

£10000

Relative to income compared to 2024:

£80000

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Personal details and history

Full name

James Ogilvy Dalgleish

Date of birth

31-05-1800[1]

Place of birth

Scotscraig,[2] Ferryport on Craig (Tayport), Fife[1]

Gender

Male

Marital status

Married[3] - wed in Ferryport 02-04-1831[3] also registered in Dundee

Name of spouse

Isabella Marshall Martin[3]

Children

William Ogilvy Dalgleish (b 1832): twins - Jane and Eliza (c 1833): David Martin (1835): James (c 1844): James Ogilvy Dalgleish (1846): Janetta (c 1849):

Home address

12 Torphichen Street[4]
Edinburgh

Woodburne[5]
Fife

Age at death:

75 years[6]

Place of death:

Mayfield (home of his son, William Ogilvy Dalgleish), Dundee[6]

Date of death:

29-11-1875[6][7]

Buried:

Ceres Churchyard[8]

Affiliations, clubs, offices and related subscribers

Religious affiliation

Free Church of Scotland:[9][10][7] On his death, James Ogilvie Dalgleish bequeathed generous sums to the Sustentation Fund of the Free Church, the Home Session and to each of the various Missions of the Free Church:[9]

Political affiliation

Liberal[10] - Chairman of the Liberal Committee in the county of Fife[10]

Clubs / societies

Mars Training Ship - a member of the Executive:[10] Scotscraig Golf Club - a former Captain:[11]

Public offices

Deputy Lieutenant:[5] Finance Committee - Convenor (1853-74):[10] Police Committee - Convenor (1848-74):[10] Tay Ferries Ltd - a Committee member:[12] Northern Assurance Company - a Director:[13] Justice of the Peace for Fife:[5]

Related subscribers

Subscriber   4 – George Armitstead – husband of cousin of Elizabeth Frances Molison, daughter in law of John Ogilvy Dalgleish

Subscriber 23 – Miss Baxter – aunt of Elizabeth Frances Molison, daughter in law of John Ogilvy Dalgleish

Subscriber 24 – Miss M A Baxter – aunt of Elizabeth Frances Molison, daughter in law of John Ogilvy Dalgleish

Subscriber 29 – Sir David Baxter – uncle of Elizabeth Frances Molison, daughter in law of John Ogilvy Dalgleish

Subscriber  35 – W E Baxter – cousin of Elizabeth Frances Molison, daughter in law of John Ogilvy Dalgleish

Subscriber 68 – W O Dalgleish – son of John Ogilvy Dalgleish

Subscriber 69 – David Ogilvy Dalgleish – 2nd son of John Ogilvy Dalgleish

 

Career and worklife

Occupation

Former Lieutenant - Royal Navy[5] - latterly known as 'Captain'[6]: Shipowner:[14]

Employment

Landed Proprietor[5]

Place of work

N/A

Work address

N/A

Career to date:

Towards the close of the Napoleonic Wars, a young teenager, not quite 14 years old, James Ogilvy Dalgleish entered the Royal Navy in January of 1814, as 1st class volunteer.[15] He was boarded on the 98 gun, HMS 'Barfleur,' captained by John Maitland (possibly a relative - Captain John Maitland having been one of the witnesses at the registration of his birth),[1] and stationed off Toulon.[15] He then served aboard 'Liverpool' and in 1818, was midshipman of the 'Tiber.'[15] Between the years 1818-1822, Dalgleish served aboard the 'Liffey' on home, Mediterranean and East India stations.[16] In December of 1821, aged 21, he was appointed Lieutenant.[16] He then served on 'Termagant,' 'Rattlesnake' and 'Brisk.'[16] He ceased to serve in October 1825[16] and was placed on half pay, having served 10 years with the Royal Navy.

More information

James Ogilvy Dalgleish was born in 1800,[1] to William Dalgleish and Jane Isobel Ogilvy.[1] His grandfathers, Archibald Ogilvy and the Reverend Robert Dalgleish were landed proprietors of the estates of Inchmartine at Errol and Scotscraig at Ferryport, respectively.

Lieutenant James Ogilvy Dalgleish served 10 years in the Royal Navy. The cessation of his service in the Navy (October) came just 2 months after the death of his father on 1 August 1824.[17] It may be assumed that he then returned to the family estate at Scotscraig. Certainly, he was reported to have become involved with activities there – ‘The Scotscraig Golf Club held their annual Spring Meeting on the 6th inst when they unanimously elected James Ogilvy Dalgleish, Esq. Captain for the ensuing year.’[11]

James Ogilvy Dalgleish married Isabella Marshall Martin on 2 April 1831 in Ferryport.[3] Their marriage was also registered in Dundee on 20 July 1831. Of their children, only 3 sons survived into adulthood – namely, William Ogilvy Dalgleish, merchant in Dundee, David (Martin) Ogilvy Dalgleish and James Ogilvy Dalgleish, Captain 29th Regiment of Foot.[9] David predeceased his father by 5 years, dying, as he did, in 1870 in London.[2]

Their twins, Jane and Eliza and a son James, were interred in the vault at Scotscraig,[2] the family home of the Dalgleishes.

An ardent Free Churchman, James Ogilvy Dalgleish gained a reputation for advancing its causes. One of the founders of St Michael’s church in Cupar,[10] he allied to the Free Church from the time of the ‘Disruption’ in 1843.[10] An elder, he became a frequent member of the General Assembly of the Free Church.[10]

In 1845, James Ogilvy Dalgleish purchased Woodburne House, it being reported in October of that year – at the same time that ‘it is mainly owing to his exertions we believe that a Gas Work is now being established in Ceres.’[18]

Woodburne House, his home from 1845-1875, was described as having been ‘a handsome villa three storeys high with a court of offices adjacent: the house is pleasantly situated and surrounded with a small but neat lawn thickly planted with trees and shrubs. There is a good garden and farm attached and is the property of James Ogilvy Dalgleish.’[19]

While living in Ceres, Dalgleish involved himself in a great number of movements which he believed to be for the public good, whether of the Church or State, providing long, zealous and efficient service to the County.[10]

The death of James Ogilvy Dalgliesh came as a result of having been ‘struck down by paralysis as he was entering the Eastern Club,’[7] as he was wont to attend. The Eastern Club, built in 1869/70, gained a reputation as having been ‘the finest and most elaborate, elite club in Victorian Scotland outside Glasgow and Edinburgh – its members represented the top ranks of gentlemen and businessmen from Dundee and Angus.’[20]

At the time of his death, James Ogilvy Dalgleish possessed 10 shares of the Albert Institute (share nos. 1532-1541) declared in his will thus – ‘these shares are of no saleable value.’[9]

James Ogilvy Dalgleish was considered an upstanding citizen, of good moral character who was interested in the social and moral wellbeing of the community, as well as being a successful business man[8]  – a ‘shrewd, intelligent mind and being animated by an ardent public spirit.’[10]

 

Sources

  1. Old Parish Registers. Ferryport on Craig. Births. (1800). 429/ 20 90. ScotlandsPeople website.
  2. Gravestone Inscription. Ceres Kirkyard, Fife.
  3. Old Parish Registers. Ferryport on Craig. Marriages. (1831). 429/ 30 59. ScotlandsPeople website.
  4. Census Returns. Edinburgh. (1851). 685/ 2 142/ 7. ScotlandsPeople website.
  5. Census Returns. Ceres. (1861). 415/ 1/ 21. ScotlandsPeople website.
  6. Statutory Registers. Dundee. Deaths. (1875). 282/ 4 1028. ScotlandsPeople website.
  7. Dundee Courier. 30 November 1875. p.4. British Newspaper Archive website.
  8. Dundee Courier. 7 December 1875. p.5. British newspaper Archive website.
  9. Legal Records. Wills and Testaments. Cupar Sheriff Court. (1876). SC20/ 50/ 49. ScotlandsPeople website.
  10. Fife Herald. 2 December 1875. p.2. British Newspaper Archive website.
  11. Edinburgh Evening Courant. 14 May 1829. p.3. British Newspaper Archive website.
  12. Northern Warder and General Advertiser. 30 October 1868. p.6. British Newspaper Archive website.
  13. Dundee Courier. 31 October 1874. p.1. British Newspaper Archive website.
  14. Dundee Courier. 8 October 1875. p.1. British Newspaper Archive website.
  15. O'Byrne, William Richard. Naval Biographical Dictionary.
  16. Records of the Admiralty. Records of Service. ADM 196/ 4/ 22. National Archives website.
  17. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. July-December 1824. Volume xv1.
  18. Fife Herald. 28 October 1845. p.3 British Newspaper Archive website.
  19. Ordnance Survey Name Books. Fife & Kinross. (1853-1855). Vol. 58. OS1/ 13/ 58/ 24. ScotlandsPlaces website.
  20. McKean, Charles & Whatley, Patricia. Lost Dundee: Dundee's Lost Architectural Heritage. (2008) Edinburgh. Birlinn Ltd. p.121.

The information above about James Ogilvy Dalgleish has been collated from a range of digital and hard copy sources. To the best of our knowledge it is correct but if you are relying on any information from our website for the purpose of your own research we would advise you to follow up the sources to your own satisfaction. If you are aware of an inaccuracy in our text please do not hesitate to notify us through our Contact page.