Sir George Clerk-Maxwell, 4th Baronet
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Sir George Clerk-Maxwell, 4th Baronet FRSE (1715–1784), of Penicuik
(simply Clerk prior to his marriage), was a Scottish landowner who served as the Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer in Exchequer (1741), Commissioner of Customs (1763) and as a Trustee for Improving Fisheries and Manufactures in Scotland. His estates were forfeited
.
George Clerk was born at Edinburgh in October 1715, the second son of Sir John Clerk, 2nd Baronet of Penicuik, and Janet, daughter of Sir John Inglis, 2nd Baronet
of Cramond
. He was educated at the universities of Edinburgh
and Leyden. From his father he received in patrimony the lands of Drumcrieff in Annandale, and by marriage with Dorothea Clerk-Maxwell, daughter of his uncle William by Agnes Maxwell, heiress of Middlebie
, Dumfriesshire
, he obtained the lands of Middlebie, adopting thereupon his wife's name, Clerk-Maxwell.
He was a commissioner of the customs, king's remembrancer in the exchequer, and one of the trustees for improving fisheries and manufactures in Scotland. Both in his private and public capacity he promoted the agricultural and commercial interests of the country. At Dumfries he erected at considerable expense a linen manufactory, and he set on foot a variety of projects for the mining of lead and copper in the county. In 1755 he addressed two letters to the trustees for the improvement of the fisheries and manufactures of Scotland, regarding the common mode of treating wool, which were published by direction of the board in 1756. He was also the author of a paper on shallow ploughing, read before the members of the Philosophical Society, and published in the third volume of their essays. He was a remarkably clever draughtsman, and etched a variety of views of Scotland. On the death of his elder brother in 1782, he succeeded to the baronetcy and estates of Penicuik. He died 29 January 1784, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son John. He had four other sons and four daughters.
Penicuik
Penicuik is a burgh and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. The town was developed as a planned village in 1770 by Sir James Clerk of Penicuik. It became a burgh in 1867. The town was well known for its paper mills, the last of which closed in 2005....
(simply Clerk prior to his marriage), was a Scottish landowner who served as the Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer in Exchequer (1741), Commissioner of Customs (1763) and as a Trustee for Improving Fisheries and Manufactures in Scotland. His estates were forfeited
Asset forfeiture
Asset forfeiture is confiscation, by the State, of assets which are either the alleged proceeds of crime or the alleged instrumentalities of crime, and more recently, alleged terrorism. Instrumentalities of crime are property that was allegedly used to facilitate crime, for example cars...
.
George Clerk was born at Edinburgh in October 1715, the second son of Sir John Clerk, 2nd Baronet of Penicuik, and Janet, daughter of Sir John Inglis, 2nd Baronet
Sir John Inglis, 2nd Baronet
Sir John Inglis of Cramond, 2nd Baronet was Postmaster General for Scotland, the son and heir of Sir James Inglis, 1st Baronet of Cramond, Edinburghshire by his spouse Anne, daughter of Sir Patrick Houstoun, 1st Baronet of that Ilk...
of Cramond
Cramond
Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....
. He was educated at the universities of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and Leyden. From his father he received in patrimony the lands of Drumcrieff in Annandale, and by marriage with Dorothea Clerk-Maxwell, daughter of his uncle William by Agnes Maxwell, heiress of Middlebie
Middlebie
Middlebie is a hamlet and parish in Dumfries & Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is approximately east of Ecclefechan, and north-east of Annan, on the banks of the Middlebie Burn....
, Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
, he obtained the lands of Middlebie, adopting thereupon his wife's name, Clerk-Maxwell.
He was a commissioner of the customs, king's remembrancer in the exchequer, and one of the trustees for improving fisheries and manufactures in Scotland. Both in his private and public capacity he promoted the agricultural and commercial interests of the country. At Dumfries he erected at considerable expense a linen manufactory, and he set on foot a variety of projects for the mining of lead and copper in the county. In 1755 he addressed two letters to the trustees for the improvement of the fisheries and manufactures of Scotland, regarding the common mode of treating wool, which were published by direction of the board in 1756. He was also the author of a paper on shallow ploughing, read before the members of the Philosophical Society, and published in the third volume of their essays. He was a remarkably clever draughtsman, and etched a variety of views of Scotland. On the death of his elder brother in 1782, he succeeded to the baronetcy and estates of Penicuik. He died 29 January 1784, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son John. He had four other sons and four daughters.