Walter Guthrie
Walter Murray Guthrie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date London, England |
| Died | April 24, 1911 (aged 41) |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant banker, politician |
| Years active | 1899–1906 (Member of Parliament) |
| Known for | Member of Parliament for Bow and Bromley (1899–1906) |
Walter Murray Guthrie, DL (3 June 1869 – 24 April 1911) was a British merchant banker and Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) between 1899 and 1906.
Biography
Born in London in 1869, Walter Murray Guthrie was the third son of James Alexander Guthrie of Craigie, a Director at the Bank of England, and his wife Ellinor Stirling. He received his education at Eton College followed by Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he contributed writings to the literary publication Granta.
In 1894, he wed Olive Louisa Blanche Leslie, daughter of Sir John Leslie, the first Baronet of Glaslough. The couple had six children, four of whom survived infancy: Patrick Stirling, Bridget Mary Idol, David Leslie, and Virginia Violet Margaret.
Guthrie held a partnership with the merchant banking firm Chalmers, Guthrie & Co., and also held directorships at the London Joint Stock Bank as well as the Commercial Union Assurance Company.
He came into possession of Duart House on the Isle of Mull in 1897, an estate later renamed Torosay Castle. There, he undertook enhancements to the gardens and installed statues imported from Italy.
His political career began with his election to Parliament during the 1899 Bow and Bromley by-election. He successfully retained his seat in the 1900 general election but chose not to stand for re-election in 1906. During the Second Boer War in 1900, Guthrie visited South Africa and participated in the Royal Commission on South African Hospitals.
In June 1901, he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Argyll. Later, in December 1902, he was elected Alderman representing London's Cornhill ward.
Guthrie passed away at his residence on Mull in 1911 at the age of 41. A commemorative memorial is located within the gardens of Torosay Castle.