McManus 168

John Symers was the 13th of 15 children born to the Reverend Colin Symers (Minister of Alyth Parish from 1773 – 1817) and his wife Helen (nee Halyburton).^[14] He received his early education at Alyth Primary school and had valuable assistance from his father who encouraged him in his studies. When he was about 15 years old he came to Dundee and was entered as a pupil at Dundee Academy. He distinguished himself for his attention to his classes.^[15]

Although a number of family members were connected to the ministry, John became a banker with the British Linen Company Bank. The Edinburgh based bank was the only British bank to be formed on the basis of an industrial charter and its roots lay in the linen industry. It first opened a branch in Dundee in 1811.^[16]

John married Mary Jobson, whose father David Jobson was a collector of County taxes. The family originally lived above the bank in Murraygate, before moving to a large mansion, St Helens on Perth Road. St Helens, next to the Taypark Hotel, has now been divided into flats.

When the Symers lived at 77 Murraygate, the 1841 and 1851 census show they employed 3 female servants. One servant, Eliza Cruickshanks (1851 census), remained with the family and is shown in the 1891 census, still working at the family home in Perth Road at the age of 68 years. She was a housemaid while a cook and table maid were also employed.

John and Mary Symers had two daughters – Marion Crawford, (named after her maternal grandmother), who sadly died in the year she was born. This is recorded on the family gravestone. The other daughter, Helen Symers, never married and remained at St Helens until her death in 1906, at the age of 75 years.^[17]

Helen Symers was a generous benefactress to Dundee. Her donations included funding to Royal Victoria Hospital, The Salvation Army Rescue Home and she initiated the Fund for Indigent Females. She gave the site of the Arthurstone Library. She was President of the Dundee Ladies’ Union and office bearer on a number of voluntary organisations. She was made a Burgess in 1899, “in recognition of her many acts of wise beneficence to the City and citizens of Dundee.” University archives record that in 1903: “In accordance with the wish of Miss Symers who has so generously gifted a large proportion of the purchase money, the ground in front of Ellenbank House (south of the University tower block) is to remain an open space for the city as well as the college.” She is commemorated in the name of Symers Street in Downfield.^[18]

The family have a large ornate gravestone attached to the west wall in Western Cemetery, Perth Road. The right hand memorial ‘window’ records the deaths of John Symers, his wife and two daughters. The left hand memorial ‘window’ records the deaths of brother Colin and three sisters Amelia, Euphemia and Lilias, none of whom married. A small headstone in front of the memorial, records the names of Mary Symers’ mother and other Jobson family members.

John Symers died in 1866 and his will shows he had become a millionaire by the time of his death.^[19] Although being a generous subscriber, (his first subscription was £1000 and he afterwards supplemented it by a donation of £500),^[20] he did not live to see the completion of the Allbert Institute.^[19]