James Small (Scottish factor)

James Small (died 21 August 1777) was a retired Army officer, a factor of forfeited estates in Perthshire and an improver of Kinloch Rannoch, Scotland.

James Small was a member of the Smalls of Dirnanean and the Robertsons of Straloch. Born in Perthshire, Scotland, he was the son of Patrick Small of Leanoch and Magdalen Robertson of Straloch. Small's younger brother was Major-General John Small, later Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey. His older brother was Dr. Alexander Small, army surgeon and frequent correspondent of Benjamin Franklin. Small was also a first cousin of John Reid, the last Baron Reid in Perthshire, Scotland.

Following the family military tradition, Small became an Ensign in Lord Loudoun’s Regiment and was stationed at Finnart.

After the Battle of Culloden, Kinloch Rannoch was in a desperate state. There were no roads, the people were starving and thievery was commonplace. Additionally, the soldiers dispatched to the area to hunt down the Jacobite survivors contributed to the general sense of lawlessness within the town.

As punishment for supporting the Jacobite cause, many of the large Scottish landowners had to forfeit their estates back to The Crown. In turn, The Crown appointed property managers or factors to oversee the estates. In 1754 James Small was appointed factor of the forfeited Robertsons of Straun estates, near Kinloch Rannoch.

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