William Fairlie (merchant)

William Fairlie (1754–1825) was a Scottish merchant in Bengal.

Life

He was the third son of John Fairlie and his wife Agnes Mure or Muir. He came to India in the early 1780s, remaining there until 1812, and was associated with the "Fairlie House" in Calcutta, an agency that traded under a succession of names. He initially went into partnership with John Fergusson in 1782. They operated as free merchants, not beholden to the British East India Company.

The house was also on good terms with David Scott & Co. of London, run by David Scott, and Fairlie became a partner in it.

Enterprises

In a legal case of the 1840s, it was argued that Fairlie had participated in four successive firms based in Calcutta:

• Fergusson & Fairlie. Fergusson returned to Great Britain in 1789, took over David Scott's business in London, and died in 1793.
• Fairlie, Reid & Co.
• Fairlie, Gilmore & Co.
• Fairlie, Fergusson & Co.

The last of these was succeeded in 1818 by Fergusson, Clark & Co.

From 1793 Fairlie, with Scott and his son, ran for about 20 years a business empire operating in London, New York, India, China and South-East Asia. Fairlie, Bonham & Co., involving Fairlie, H. Bonham and John Innes, was a London house, a successor to Scott, Bonham, Hartwell, Innes & Co.

Family

Fairlie married Margaret Ogilvy, daughter of John Ogilvy of Murtle. Their children included:

• William Fairlie (1798–1822)
• John Fairlie (born 1799)
• James Ogilvie Fairlie
• Agnes Maria, eldest daughter, married James Fairlie of Holms, her cousin.
• Margaret Eliza, married John Stuart Hay.

Coodham House

After Fairlie's death, his widow Margaret began construction on Coodham House, near Symington, South Ayrshire, which she named "Williamfield". It became the family seat. It later belonged to William Houldsworth.