George Coventry (minister) explained

George Coventry FRSE (1791 - 1872) was a Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland and amateur scientist.

Life

He was born on 5 April 1791 the eldest son of Prof Andrew Coventry and his wife. They lived at 29 Moray Place, a huge Georgian townhouse on the Moray Estate.[1] His mother Eliza Hastie died when he was six. His father remarried two years later to Martha Cunningham.

In 1826 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposer was Dr George Bell, son of Benjamin Bell.[2]

In 1830 he was living at 11 Windsor Street in Edinburgh.[3] In that year his father died and he inherited the estate of Shanwell in Kinross-shire and other properties. He bought 49 Moray Place, a huge house close to his birthplace.[4]

He lived his later life at 33 Melville Street, a very large townhouse in Edinburgh's affluent West End.[5]

He died on 1 March 1872 and is buried in Dean Cemetery midway along the western wall in the section known as "lords Row".

Family

He was married to Jane Head (1798-1870).[6]

Their daughter Elizabeth married Major Alexander Pringle Scott-Moncrieff son of Robert Scott Moncrieff of Tullibole. They were parents to George Kenneth Scott-Moncrieff.

Artistic recognition

He was portrayed by John Moffat.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Williamsons Post Office Directory 1791
  2. Book: Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. 978-0-902198-84-5. 2020-08-08. 2017-02-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202092116/https://www.rse.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf. dead.
  3. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1830
  4. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1833
  5. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1870
  6. Grave of George Coventry, Dean Cemetery
  7. Web site: Rev. George Coventry, 1791 - 1872. Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. National Galleries of Scotland.