Gilbert Innes

Gilbert Innes of Stow FRSE DL MWS (1751–1832) was a Scottish banker, antiquarian and patron of the arts during the Scottish Enlightenment. He served as Deputy Governor of the Royal Bank of Scotland for 38 years. He was described as “the richest commoner in Scotland”. A notorious womaniser another more damning quote was “the acts of his whoredom are written in the parish chronicles of Scotland”. He had at least 67 illegitimate children.

He was born on 7 February 1751 the fourth son of George Innes of Stow and has wife, Marion Lauder of Huntly Wood. His father was second cashier of the Royal Bank of Scotland later becoming Cashier (the then equivalent of Chief Executive of the bank). Gilbert studied at Edinburgh University but did not graduate. By the time of his father’s death in 1780, Gilbert was the sole surviving son, and inherited the family estate of Stow, near Lauder in the Scottish Borders. In 1787 Gilbert became a Director of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He helped the bank to survive the financial crises of 1793 and 1797.

In 1793 Innes was one of the jury on the infamous trial of Thomas Muir of Huntershill on the charge of sedition (campaigning for parliamentary reform). In 1800 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were John Walker, Sir James Hall, 4th Baronet and Thomas Charles Hope. He was Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh and was created a Freeman of the City in 1814. At this time he lived at 24 St Andrew Square in Edinburgh’s First New Town.

In 1815 he became the artistic patron of Thomas Campbell. Other artists in his patronage included Henry Raeburn who was also a close friend. Also a keen musician he was patron to the Edinburgh violinist, Matthew Hardie.

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