Sir Henry Jardine of Harwood WSFRSE (30 January 1766 – 11 August 1851) was a solicitor, antiquarian and a founder member of theBannatyne Club in 1823, with his friendSir Walter Scott.
He was born inEdinburgh on 30 January 1766. He was the son of ReverendJohn Jardine (1716–1766), "second charge" minister of theTron Kirk[1] on theRoyal Mile andDean of the Chapel Royal, and Jean Drummond, daughter ofGeorge Drummond, theLord Provost of Edinburgh. His father died when Henry was 4 months old but his grandfatherGeorge Drummond provided assistance.[2]
He attended theHigh School in Edinburgh and then studied law at theUniversity of Edinburgh. After graduation he was apprenticed to John Davidson WS based on Castlehill on theRoyal Mile.[3] He qualified as aWriter to the signet in 1790.[4]
In 1790 he was winner of theEdinburgh Arrow as finest archer in theRoyal Company of Archers.
He became aWriter to the Signet in 1790 and in 1793 began the important government role of Solicitor of Taxes, as a result of the patronage ofHenry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville.[5] From 1820 until 1831 he wasKing's remembrancer in the exchequer during the reign ofKing George IV.[6]
In 1814 he was elected a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers wereGeorge Steuart Mackenzie (his son-in-law),Henry Mackenzie, andThomas Charles Hope.[6] In 1818 he was of those present withSir Walter Scott at the rediscovery of theHonours of Scotland.[7] In November 1819 he was present at the opening of the grave ofRobert Bruce, inspection of the remains, and the re-interment in a new leaden coffin which was then filled completely with hot pitch to exclude air and preserve the bones.[8]
During the 1820s one of his apprentices in his rooms at Parliament Square wasWilliam Forbes Skene.[9] He was one of the Directors organising the construction of theNational Monument of Scotland. He was also a Director of theBank of Scotland and Manager of the Edinburgh Orphan Hospital and on the Committee for the Deaf and Dumb Institution.[4]
He was knighted by King George IV in 1825.[4]
He retired in 1837 with a pension of £1,400 per annum, a considerable sum for the time.[5] In 1838 he was Vice President of theSociety of Antiquaries of Scotland and by this stage was also Brigadier General of theRoyal Company of Archers.[4]
He died on 11 August 1851 aged 85 at his home 123Princes Street[10] in Edinburgh.
He is buried inCanongate Churchyard alongside his grandfather,George Drummond, just west of the entrance gate.
A bursary was founded in his name at theUniversity of Edinburgh byGeorge Parker Bidder, whose education at the university had been assisted by Jardine.
Jardine Affiliated to Lodge Holyrood House (St Luke's), No.44, on 21 February 1783. He had previously been Initiated into Scottish Freemasonry in Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No.2.[11]
He married Catherine Skene (died 1838) in 1794. She was the sister ofAndrew Skene andJames Skene of Rubislaw. They had six daughters and four sons. His daughter Catherine Jardine (died 1857) married twice: firstly to Captain John Street of theRoyal Artillery; secondly to SirGeorge Steuart Mackenzie. His youngest daughter Henrietta Jardine (1805–1862) married Dr. William Cullen (1798–1828), grandson ofWilliam Cullen the physician.[12]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
