A Thomas Annan photograph of a portrait of Mrs Mary Speirs nee Buchanan. The identity of the original artist is unknown.
Mary was born into an important merchant family. She was the daughter of Archibald Buchanan of Silverbanks and Auchentorlie and granddaughter of both George Buchanan of Mount Vernon and Provost Peter Murdoch of Rosehill. She married the great tobacco merchant Alexander Speirs of Elderslie. Alexander was involved in many other businesses in the west of Scotland, as a shareholder in the Tanwork Co, the Port Glasgow Ropeworks and the West Sugar House among others, and the leading partner in the Glasgow Arms Bank.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC 920.041435 COR
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
portraits, tobacco lords, tobacco merchants, women