Kilmardinny House in Bearsden, photographed in 1870 by Thomas Annan.
At the beginning of the 19th century, John Leitch of the West Indies merchants Leitch & Smith acquired Kilmardinny House and made extensive alterations to the old building. It passed to his nephew, James Leitch, and he sold it in 1833 to the merchant William Brown, Dean of Guild in 1837 and again in 1856. Brown made more alterations and then sold Kilmardinny in 1844 to the merchant William Whyte. It was acquired c 1853 by Robert Dalglish of the Lennoxtown calico printers, R Dalglish, Falconer & Co, who was an MP for Glasgow, 1857-1874. Dalglish made extensive alterations to the building.
In 2004 the house is owned by East Dunbartonshire Council and has become an arts centre.
Reference: Sp Coll Dougan Add. 73
Glasgow University Library, Special Collections
Keywords:
arts centres, calico printers, country houses, deans of guild, Kilmardinny House, Leitch & Smith, mansions, Members of Parliament, MPs, West Indies merchants