John Clerk of Eldin

John Clerk of Eldin FRSE FSAScot was a Scottish merchant, author, artist, geologist and landowner. The 7th son of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, Bt, Clerk of Eldin was a figure in the Scottish Enlightenment, best remembered for his influential writings on naval tactics in the Age of Sail. A friend of geologist James Hutton, he was a brother-in-law of architect Robert Adam, and a great-great-uncle of physicist James Clerk Maxwell.

John's father, John Clerk, 2nd Baronet of Penicuik was a judge and political figure of some importance who took part in the negotiations leading up to the Acts of Union 1707. Young John attended Dalkeith Grammar School where he was reputed to have been a keen scholar, and was enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to study medicine, (his father had marked him to becoming a "top chyrugeon") but abandoned his studies and entered into business. Clerk made his fortune as a merchant (he is understood to have been a clothier) and manager of a coal mine, and in 1763 he was able to buy himself the property of Eldin, in Lasswade, near Edinburgh. There, he devoted himself to science and art. In 1753, having been a constant visitor of the Adam family, and being a close friend to the renowned architect Robert Adam, he married Susannah Adam, Robert's younger sister by whom he had seven children, all who died unmarried.

In 1783 he was a founder member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

By 1793, Clerk had retired, but still moved between Eldin and Edinburgh, having bought a house on Princes Street in 1788, overlooking the castle. A typical Enlightenment figure, he was a man of many interests, including geology, architecture, and art. He conducted several geological surveys with his friend James Hutton in the 1780s as background preparation to providing the illustrations for Hutton's renowned book Theory of the Earth, and accompanied Robert Adam on sketching tours. He died peacefully at Eldin on 10 May 1812, surrounded by his family.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2023