William Dick of Braid
Sir William Dick of Braid | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1580 Braid Castle near Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 1655-12-19 |
| Occupation(s) | Landowner, merchant, banker |
| Years active | 17th century |
| Known for | Lord Provost of Edinburgh (1638–1640), Scotland's wealthiest individual circa 1650 |
Sir William Dick of Braid (1580–1655) was a prominent Scottish landowner, merchant, and banker in the 17th century who held the position of Lord Provost of Edinburgh between 1638 and 1640. Once hailed as "Scotland's wealthiest individual" around 1650, he ultimately passed away in poverty a few years thereafter.
Life
Born in 1580 at Braid Castle near Edinburgh, he was the son of John Dick, a prosperous landowner and trader with estates in Orkney and Denmark. William's annual revenue from farming leases in Orkney amounted to £3000.
As a financier, he lent £66,666 in 1617 to treasurer-depute Gideon Murray to support King James VI and I’s Scottish visit, underscoring his considerable fortune. In 1639, he provided £200,000 in funds to the Covenanting Army led by James Graham, Marquess of Montrose.
Dick possessed a distinguished townhouse on the Royal Mile, situated opposite St Giles Cathedral, constructed in 1630 and now identified as Adam Bothwell's House. This residence also served as the base for his banking activities at 369 High Street. Additionally, he operated a substantial warehouse within the nearby Luckenbooths close.
In 1638, Dick replaced John Hay of Lands as Provost of Edinburgh and received knighthood from King Charles I in 1641, to whom he had extended loans exceeding £20,000. That same year, he contributed 100,000 Scots merks to the Covenanter Army and financed the deployment of 10,000 troops to sustain the Protestant cause in Ulster.
By 1642, he secured a lease on Edinburgh’s customs house near the Netherbow for an annual sum of 202,000 merks.
During the English Civil War, his allegiance to the Royalist cause prompted Cromwell’s forces to demand compensation amounting to £65,000 at Braid, which greatly diminished his wealth. Efforts to reclaim his assets in London led to substantial penalties under Cromwellian governance.
Sir William died on 19 December 1655 while residing in private quarters in Westminster. His funeral expenses were covered through public subscription; his burial site remains unmarked.
Following his death, his Edinburgh holdings were sold to John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore. The Royal Mile residence is now classified as a category A listed building. Only fragments of Braid Castle are extant today.
The figure known as "Provost Dick" appears in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Midlothian.
Family
He was married to Elizabeth Morrison. Their offspring included:
- John Dick of Braid (1610–1642), father to William Dick of Braid and John Dick (deceased 1681), who pursued mercantile ventures in London
- Alexander Dick of Heugh (1618–1663), progenitor of the Dick-Cunyngham baronets and the Dicks of Prestonfield, including James Dick of Prestonfield, Lord Provost from 1679–81
- Andrew Dick of Craig House, who wed first Christina Morrison and second Jean Leslie, daughter of Sir John Leslie of Newton
- William Dick, 1st Baron of Grange, married Janet McMath (widow of Thomas Bannatine); their children included William Dick, 2nd Baron of Grange
- Lewis Dick
- Elizabeth Dick
- Janet Dick
- Katherine Dick, spouse of William Nisbet of Dean
Bibliography
- The Lamentable Estate and Distressed Case of Sir William Dick (1657) contains petitions from his family alongside related documents from the Lauderdale Papers. It features three copperplate engravings illustrating his wealth, imprisonment, and burial; this work is prized by collectors.
- Acts of the Parliament of Scotland
- Balfour's Annals
- Spalding's Memorials
- Gordon's Scots Affairs
- State Papers, Dom. Ser. 1652–3
- Douglas's Baronage of Scotland, i. 269–70
- Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. vi. 457