James Christie (auctioneer)

James Christie
Born	1730 Perth, Scotland
Died	1803-11-08 Pall Mall, London, England
Occupation	Auctioneer
Known for	Founder of Christie's auction house

James Christie (1730–1803) was a Scottish auctioneer and the founder of the renowned auction house Christie's.

Biography

Christie was born in 1730 in Perth and went on to establish Christie's auctioneers on 5 December 1766. Situated on Pall Mall in London, Christie's Great Rooms quickly became an important location for major art auctions during the late 18th century.

The very first sale took place on 5 December 1766 at Pall Mall, in a building that had previously been occupied by print warehouse proprietor Richard Dalton. These premises also served as the venue for exhibitions by the Royal Academy of Arts until 1779. Subsequently, Christie relocated next door to the artist Thomas Gainsborough, who lived in the western section of Schomberg House.

Christie was recognized for his imposing stature and earnest professionalism, maintaining close associations with notable personalities such as David Garrick, Joshua Reynolds, and Gainsborough.

He passed away at his home on Pall Mall on 8 November 1803 at the age of 73. His burial took place at the cemetery of St James's Church, Piccadilly, near Hampstead Road in Camden, London. His remains were later unearthed during the construction of the High Speed 2 project before being reinterred.

Family

Christie was married twice and fathered four sons from his first marriage. His eldest son, James Christie the Younger (1773–1831), took over his father's business. The second son, Charles, served as a captain in the 5th regiment of Bengal Native Infantry and died during a Russian assault in Persia in 1812. Albany, his third son, died in 1821, while the youngest, Edward, passed away as a midshipman at Port Royal, Jamaica in 1821.