James Fairbairn

James Fairbairn, a banker, lived at No. 3 from about 1858 to 1862.¹ He was born in Edinburgh on 14 March 1817, son of bookseller John Fairbairn and his wife Sarah Morris.² Before moving to Malta Terrace, he lived at 25 Warriston Crescent, where he was living with his parents at the time of the 1851 census.³ In 1863 he was again living in Warriston Crescent.⁴ He died on 31 May 1891 at his home in Dublin Street, Edinburgh.⁵

James Fairbairn worked as a check clerk for the Bank of Scotland. In 1861, while he was resident in Malta Terrace, he published A Table for Facilitating the Calculation of Interest on Current Accounts, which was adopted by the Bank of Scotland.⁶

James Fairbairn married Eliza Smith, daughter of civil engineer Hugh Aird Smith, on 20 September 1855, at Newcastle.⁷ Eliza Smith was born in Manchester on 24 August 1834⁸ and died in Edinburgh in 1927.⁹

Two of their five children were born at No. 3 Malta Terrace: Helena Fairbairn on 05 September 1858,¹⁰ and Hugh Aird Robert Fairbairn on 2 May 1861.¹¹ Their eldest son, John William Fairbairn (born 08 July 1856),¹² would also have lived at No. 3.

1. PO Directories 1858-59, 1859-60, 1860-61, 1861-62.
2. Baptisms index (OPR) Scotland. St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. 14 March 1817. FAIRBAIRN, James. 685/2 140 305. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.
3. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 30 March 1851. FAIRBAIRN, John (Head). 685/2 14A/ 12. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.
4. PO Directory 1862-63.
5. Testamentary records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 17 August 1891. FAIRBAIRN, James. Confirmation. National Probate Calendar. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.
6. London Daily News. 13 March 1862. p. 03, col. 05. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 28 June 2021.
7. Marriage announcements. 1855. Durham Chronicle. 28 September 1855. FAIRBAIRN, James and SMITH, Eliza. p. 08, col. 05. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.
8. Baptisms (NCR) England. Manchester. 17 May 1834. SMITH, Elizabeth. GB127.m641/24/1/1/1. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.
9. Deaths index (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 1927. FAIRBAIRN, Eliza (aged 92). 685/2 163. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.
10. Births index (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 1858. FAIRBAIRN, Helena. 685/1 429. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 29 June 2021. Birth announcements. 1858. The Scotsman. 08 September 1858. FAIRBAIRN.
11. Births index (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 1862. FAIRBAIRN, Hugh Aird Robert. 685/1 450. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.
12. Births index (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 1856. FAIRBAIRN, John William. 685/7 373. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 29 June 2021.