William Forbes of Callendar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir William Forbes, 1st of Callendar
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Portrait by Raeburn – hangs in Callendar House
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| Born | 12 Aug 1743 |
| Died | 21 Jun 1815 |
| Occupation | Landowner |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret McAdam, Agnes Chalmers |
| Children | William, John, Katherine, Jessie, Agnes |
Sir William Forbes of Callendar (1743–1815) was a very successful businessman and landowner from Scotland. He made a lot of money as a coppersmith and later bought the grand Callendar House in Falkirk, where he lived.
Contents
The Rise of William Forbes
William Forbes was known as a "self-made man." This means he became rich and successful through his own hard work, starting from humble beginnings. He was born in Aberdeen, and his father was a merchant. William began his career as a coppersmith, which is someone who works with copper metal.
Building a Fortune
William Forbes won an important government contract. He was hired to cover the bottoms of ships, called their hulls, with copper. This was a big deal because copper helped protect the ships from damage and sea creatures. This job made him incredibly wealthy, earning him a fortune that would be worth over $1 billion today!
Buying Callendar Estate
With his new wealth, William Forbes bought huge areas of land. He purchased the estates of Callendar and Linlithgow near Falkirk. These lands had been taken by the government from the Earl of Linlithgow. The Earl had supported the Jacobite cause, which was a movement to bring back the old royal family to the throne after the 1715 Jacobite rising.
When William bought these estates at an auction, people were amazed. He was only 40 years old, and he reportedly showed up with a special banknote worth £100,000, which was an enormous sum of money at the time. He became the biggest landowner in the area, owning some of the largest pieces of land in all of Scotland. Even though some local people didn't like him much, his family remained very powerful in the region for the next 200 years.
Connecting to Trade
As a skilled coppersmith, William Forbes made many products. These included large pans for boiling sugar and equipment for making rum. These items were sent to places like Jamaica, which was part of a historical trade system that involved the labor of enslaved people in the Caribbean.
Life as a Landowner
William Forbes wanted to be seen as a "landed gentleman," which meant someone who owned a lot of land and lived a noble lifestyle. To achieve this, he bought even more large estates in other parts of Scotland, including Ayrshire, Earlstoun, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Dumfriesshire.
Improving Callendar House
He spent ten years making big improvements to Callendar House. He divided his time between the house and London. He ordered a complete makeover for the entire house, adding a new section and changing many of the old rooms. He also added the towers and fancy outside decorations that give the house its castle-like look today. William liked the newest styles and bought the best furniture and household items from famous makers in London and Edinburgh. However, he was also careful with his money. He made sure the new servants' area was furnished "in the cheapest way."
Family Life
William Forbes was married twice. His first wife was Margaret McAdam. She became ill and went to Madeira for her health, but sadly, she died there at the young age of 28 in 1793. Her gravestone, made of English marble, can still be seen in the English Cemetery in Funchal.
In 1806, William married Agnes Chalmers. They had two sons and three daughters. After this marriage, William started spending more time at Callendar House and let his brother David manage the business in London.
Retirement and Legacy
In 1794, when he was 51, William Forbes decided to stop working as a coppersmith and become a full-time landowner. He chose to manage his huge 8,000-acre estates himself, rather than hiring a professional estate manager. His first son, also named William, later became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Stirlingshire, representing the Conservative Party.
William Forbes's family eventually sold Callendar House in the 1960s. Their family history is recorded in a famous book called Burke's Landed Gentry.
