| Sir William Arbuthnot, Bt | |
| Honorific Suffix: | FRSE |
| Office: | Lord Provost of Edinburgh |
| Term Start: | 1821 |
| Term End: | 1822 |
| Predecessor: | John Manderston |
| Successor: | Alexander Henderson |
| Term Start1: | 1815 |
| Term End1: | 1816 |
| Predecessor1: | Sir John Marjoribanks, Bt |
| Successor1: | Kincaid Mackenzie |
| Birth Name: | William Arbuthnot |
| Birth Date: | 24 December 1766 |
| Birth Place: | Scotland |
| Nationality: | Scottish |
| Occupation: | Landowner, Politician |
| Parents: | Robert Keith Arbuthnot Mary Urquhart |
Sir William Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet of Edinburgh FRSE (24 December 1766 – 18 September 1829) was a Scottish landowner and politician. He served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh.[1]
William was the son of Robert Keith Arbuthnot, 2nd of Haddo Rattray (1728–1803), and Mary Urquhart of Cromarty. He was the elder brother of George Arbuthnot, 1st of Elderslie, and younger brother of Robert Arbuthnot. His sister, Elizabeth Barbara Arbuthnot, married Sir John Hunter, Consul-General to Spain.[2]
His father was the third son of Robert Arbuthnot, 1st of Haddo-Rattray, and the former Mary Petrie. His maternal grandparents were John Urquhart of Craigston and Cromarty and Jane Urquhart (a daughter of William Urquhart of Meldrum and Mary Forbes).
He attended the Edinburgh High School from 1773 to 1778.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in January 1800, being proposed by John Playfair.[2]
Arbuthnot managed a plantation on the island of Carriacou, in the Grenadines, on behalf of his uncle, William Urquhart of Craigston.[3]
Sir William served twice as Lord Provost of Edinburgh, from 1815 to 1817 and from 1821 to 1823. On the death of his father, he became Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of the Manufactures and Fisheries of Scotland,[4] [5] a post later held by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, Bt.[6]
Traditionally a knighthood was conferred on Lord Provosts, but Arbuthnot was created a baronet on 24 August 1822 (by Letters Patent on 3 April 1823) on the occasion of a banquet given by the Magistrates and Town Council of Edinburgh in honour of King George IV during his visit to Edinburgh.[5]
In his capacity as Lord Provost he opened the Edinburgh School of Arts on Adam Square on 16 October 1821.[7]
Sir William matriculated Arms with the Lord Lyon King of Arms in 1822.[8] Unusually, for a baronet, the arms include supporters, probably because he had accomplished two stints as Lord Provost.[9]
On 13 September 1800, Arbuthnot married Anne Alves (d. 1846), daughter of Helen Baillie and John Alves of Shipland. They had ten children, including:
Sir William died on 18 September 1829. He was buried in St John's Episcopal Churchyard in Edinburgh at the west end of Princes Street.[2]
Through his eldest son Robert, he was a grandfather of Major Sir William Wedderburn Arbuthnot, 3rd Baronet, and Forster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot.
Through his second son John, he was a grandfather of George Arbuthnot, an MP for Hereford.[10]
Through his son George, he was a grandfather of Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot.[10]
Through his son Archibald, he was a grandfather of Maj.-Gen. William Arbuthnot and Sir George Gough Arbuthnot.[10]