Baird, JAMES

Baird, JAMES, ironmaster, was born at Kirkwood, Lanarkshire, 5th December 1802. The fourth son of Alexander Baird, a coal-master, he was educated at Old Monkland, and was for a short time at Glasgow University. In 1826 he was associated with his father and two brothers, William and Alexander, in the leasing of coal-fields at Gartsherrie and elsewhere. Blast-furnaces were added in 1830, and James Baird assumed the active management. Between 1842 and 1864 the blast-furnaces at Gartsherrie, Eglinton, Muirkirk, and elsewhere increased from sixteen to between forty and fifty, capable of turning out 300,000 tons of iron annually, and employing 10,000 men and boys. As the firm increased in wealth, estates to the value of £2,000,000 were acquired by the brothers. James Baird represented the Falkirk burghs in 1851-52 and in 1852-57. In later years he built and endowed various schools, founded the 'Baird Lectures' for the defence of orthodox theology in Scotland in 1871, and in 1873 gifted to the Church of Scotland a sum of £500,000, 'to assist in providing the means of meeting, or at least as far as possible, promoting the mitigation of, spiritual destitution among the people of Scotland.' He died at his seat of Cambusdoon, near Ayr, 20th June 1876. He was twice married, but left no family. His property was valued at £3,000,000. See Baird's Bairds of Auchmccden (1870).