Account of Sir 
James Hunter 
Blair. 
HISTORY of the‘SOCTETY. 
3 
Avrer the death of Mr Joun Coutts, the principal partner 
of the Houfe, Sir Writram and Sir James were admitted to a 
fhare of the bufinefs in 1763, and gradually rofe to the head of 
the copartnery. 
Ir was alfo in 1763 that Sir James firft became a member of 
the Town-council of Edinburgh, during the adminiftration of 
Provoft DkumMMOND, whofe memory will long be refpected by 
the inhabitants of this city. He afterwards continued occafion- 
ally to have a feat in the Council, and filled all the different of- 
fices of Magiftracy. 
In December 1770, he married Mifs Jane Bratrr, eldeft 
daughter of Joun Brarr, Efg; of Dunfkey in the county of 
Wigton. It is remarkable, that this lady’s father, at his death, 
left no fewer than fix fons, four of whom were alive at the time 
of their fifter’s marriage, but all of them having died, fhe fuc~ 
ceeded in 1777 to the family-eftate. Sir James on this occa- 
fion, received the name of Biarr, and was afterwards, in the 
year 1786, created a Baronet of Great Britain. 
On the eftate which had thus unexpectedly devolved to him, 
he commenced a plan of moft extenfive and judicious improve- 
ment. He nearly rebuilt the town of Portpatrick; he repaired 
and greatly improved the harbour; he eftablifhed packet-boats 
of a larger fize on the much frequented paflage to Donaghadee 
in Ireland; and, laftly, while the farmers in that part of Scot- 
land were extremely ignorant of their bufinefs, he fet before 
them a fuccefsful example of the beft modes of agriculture, the 
greate(t fervice perhaps which can be ‘performed by a private 
man to his country. 
In September 1781, upon the ase of the Member at the 
time, he was called, without any folicitation upon his part, to re- 
prefent the city of Edinburgh in Parliament; and at the gene- 
ral election in fummer 1784, he alfo received the fame honour 
of an unfolicited and unanimous nomination 3 an event almoft 
fingular at that period of violent political ftruggle. But before 
the 
