1769 in Scotland explained

Events from the year 1769 in Scotland.

Incumbents

Law officers

• Lord Advocate – James Montgomery
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Henry Dundas

Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord Arniston, the younger
• Lord Justice General – Duke of Queensberry
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Barskimming

Events

• 29 April – James Watt is granted a British patent for "A method of lessening the consumption of steam in steam engines" – the separate condenser,^[1] a key improvement (first devised by Watt in 1765 in Glasgow) which stimulates the Industrial Revolution.^[2] In September he completes a full-size experimental engine at Kinneil House.
• July 17 – Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant, having left Chester on 26 June, travels from Bamburgh to Dunbar to begin his tour of Scotland.^[3]
• 3 August – part of the first North Bridge, Edinburgh, collapses while nearing completion, killing five.
• 25 October – Murder of Alexander Montgomerie at Ardrossan.
• 9 November – first Co-operative Society in Britain founded by weavers at Fenwick, East Ayrshire.^[4]
• John Maxwell (of Dargavel) begins to practice as a lawyer in Glasgow, origin of McGrigors which continues as an independent firm until 2012.
• Ayr Bank opens.
• Fort George completed.^[5]

Births

• 2 May – John Malcolm, soldier, statesman and historian (died 1833 in London)
• 14 April – Sir William Rae, 3rd Baronet, politician and lawyer (died 1842)
• Charles Ewart, soldier (died 1846 in England)
• Robert Hetrick, poet and blacksmith (died 1849)

Deaths

• 25 October – Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton (born 1723; murdered)

The arts

• 9 December – first Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, opens.
• Richard Hurd's Ancient and Modern Scots Songs published.

Notes and References

1. Patent 913; specification accepted January 5.
2. Book: Palmer, Alan. Palmer. Veronica. 1992. The Chronology of British History. Century Ltd. London. 224–225. 0-7126-5616-2.
3. Book: Pennant, Thomas. A Tour in Scotland, MDCCLXIX. 1771. Chester. John Monk.
4. Web site: Notable Dates in History. The Flag in the Wind. The Scots Independent. 2016-01-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20160125210210/http://scotsindependent.scot/oldsitearchive/scotind/dates1-e.htm. 25 January 2016. dead. dmy-all.
5. Web site: Fort George Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland . www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk . 25 March 2020.