64 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
out on a short tour to France during the Christmas recess. He travelled for
some distance with Montgolfier, the inventor of balloons, and on his arrival in
Paris was kindly received by Necker, then Prime Minister. “ The ladies of
the family,’’ says his biographer, “seemed to have resolved on giving their
Scottish guest an agreeable reception. He found Madame Necker reading
Blair’s sermons, and Mademoiselle Necker, afterwards the celebrated De Stael,
playing Lochber 710 more on the piano.” On his return to Britain, Mr. Sinclair
communicated hints to Government respecting several improvements with which
he had become acquainted in France ; and the title of Baronet was conferred on
him (4th February 1786) as a reward for his public services.
In 1786, Sir ,John proceeded on a more extended tour, in the course of
which he visited Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Poland ; from Warsaw he proceeded
to Vienna- from thence to Berlin, Hanover, Holland, Flanders, and
returned to England by France, having, in the short space of seven months,
performed a journey of more than 7500 English miles. During his progress
he was introduced to nearly all the courts of the various countries-was everywhere
received with the utmost kindness and attention, and established a
correspondence with many of the most eminent and remarkable men on the
Continent. In Sweden, Denmark, and Russia, he met with several countrymen,
particularly at Stockholm, where he found many of the nobles descendants
of Scotsmen who had fought under Gustavus during the Thirty Years’
War.
Not long after his return, Sir John again entered into the married relation,
by espousing, on the 6th March 1788, the Honourable Diana, only daughter
of Alexander first Lord Rlacdonald. The ceremony was performed in London,
where the parties resided for a short time ; but they eventually settled in Edinburgh,
taking up house in the Canongate.’ During his residence there, each
day, with the exception of an hour or two, was laboriously devoted to study or
business. His exercise usually consisted in a walk to Leith, between the hours
of two and four; and it was one of his favourite sayings that “whoever
touched the post at the extremity of the pier, took an enfeoffment of life for
seven years.” To Caithness he performed regular journeys, generally diverging
from the direct route to extend his agricultural acquaintance.
On resuming an interest in Parliamentary affairs, he became gradually
estranged from the support of the administration of Pitt, conscientiously differing
with the Premier on many important points. The abandonment of Warren
Hastings by the minister he considered an unworthy sacrifice to popular feeling
-and on the “Regency Question” he was decidedly opposed to the ministerial
propositions. Thus disaffected he naturally fell in with the “ Armed Neutrality,” a
party so called from their profession of independence, of whom the Earl of Rloira
was considered the head.
Sir John now entered on a series of projects of great importance to the
He afterwards removed to Charlotte Square, and latterly to George Street.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 65
country. The first was the establishment of a Society for the improvement of
British wool. The breed of sheep never had been a subject of proper inquiry,
and so deteriorated had the wool become, that manufacturers were under the
necessity of importing great quantities of the finer descriptions. The Society
was ultimately formed at Edinburgh in 1791. In order to excite public attention
on the subject, a grand sheep-shearing festival was held, under the patronage
of the Society, at Newhalls Inn, near Queensferry. At this novel fete the
utmost enthusiasm prevailed. The company wore pastoral decorations ; sheep
of dxerent breeds were exhibited-the process of shearing was performed by
rival clippers-and at the close a collation followed, at which a toast, “ The
Royal Shepherd of Great Britain, and success to his flock,” was given by the
chairman, and received with great enthusiasm, followed by a salute of twentyone
guns from the Hind frigate at anchor in the Firth. By the exertions of the
Society, great improvements were effected in the pastoral districts ; and many
lands were nearly doubled in value by the new mode of sheep-farming.
Sir John’s great national work, “ The Statistical Account of Scotland,” was
undertaken about this period, and completed seven years afterwards, in twentyone
volumes octavo. The expense, labour, and difficulties in the way of such
an immense undertaking, had been considered insurmountable by all who had
previously contemplated it, and nothing short of Parliamentary authority was
deemed equal to the task? The indomitable perseverance of Sir John ultimately
prevailed, and his magnificent work stands unparalleled in any age or
nation. M7hile it gave an impetus to the study of statistics generally, the only
true foundation of all political economy, the “ Statistical Account” has tended
both directly and indirectly to promote the national character as well as prosperity
of Scotland,
Soon after the commencement of hostilities in 1’193, such a stagnation prevailed
in commerce, in consequence of a deficiency in the circulating medium,
that universal bankruptcy seemed almost inevitable. In this emergency Sir
John came forward with a plan, which, althougli emanating from one who had
stood opposed to them on some questions, met with the ready approval of Pitt
and Dundas. This was the issue of Exchequer Bills to a certain amount, by
way of loans in small sums to the merchants and manufacturers. The plan
speedily passed, and proved the means of preventing general ruin. Several
papers were afterwards drawn up by the Baronet, recommending measures for
the better regulation of the circulating medium.
Sir John had early contemplated the formation of a Board of Agriculture,
to promote, improvements, and act as a centre for the general diffusion of ab&
cultural knowledge ; but it was not till 1793, after experiencing great opposition,
that he succeeded in its establishment. With the small funds placed at his
In 1781, a8 noticed in a former article, the late Mr. Smellie, author of the Philosophy of
Natural Eistory, drew up a plan for procuring a statistical account of the parishes of Scotland, which
waa printed and circulated by order of the Society of Antiquaries. The result of this attempt was
a report of the parish of Uphall, by the Earl of Buchan, in which he then resided, and three others,
which are printed in the Transactions of the Society.
VOL 11. K
