Alexander Somerville, a wine merchant, lived at No. 9 between 1821/22 and 1836/37. He was also described as an agent for the True Sun newspaper and Crown Life. He was born at Govan in 1785, son of Neil Somerville (1740-1796), a merchant trading with the West Indies, and Eleanora Scott. Alexander Somerville lived in Raeburn Place before becoming the first occupant of No. 9. In 1841 he was living at Springhill Place, Glasgow and about 1848 moved to Abbeygreen, Lesmahagow, where he died on 9 March 1855.
Alexander Somerville married Elizabeth Munro at Edinburgh on 14 March 1812. She was daughter of the late Major John Munro who worked for the East India Company. They had eight children. Three children were born while the family lived at No. 9: Mary Munro Somerville (1823-), Colin Campbell Somerville (1826-1903), who emigrated to the United States of America, and Elizabeth Dick Somerville (1831-1835). Two other children died during this time, John Scott Somerville (1815-1833) and Francis (Frank) Hamilton Somerville (1818-1829). The eldest son of Alexander Somerville and Elizabeth Munro was Rev. Alexander Neil Somerville (1813-1889) who was a missionary and served in 1886/87 as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church. In 1873, he had a claim to the title Baron Somerville, through descent from the 6th Lord Somerville.