William Fairlie (1754–1825) was a Scottish merchant in Bengal.
He was the third son of John Fairlie and his wife Agnes Mure or Muir.[1] He came to India in the early 1780s, remaining there until 1812, and was associated with the "Fairlie House" in Calcutta, an agency that traded under a succession of names.[2] He initially went into partnership with John Fergusson in 1782.[3] They operated as free merchants, not beholden to the British East India Company.[4]
The house was also on good terms with David Scott & Co. of London, run by David Scott, and Fairlie became a partner in it.[5]
In a legal case of the 1840s, it was argued that Fairlie had participated in four successive firms based in Calcutta:[6]
The last of these was succeeded in 1818 by Fergusson, Clark & Co.[6]
From 1793 Fairlie, with Scott and his son, ran for about 20 years a business empire operating in London, New York, India, China and South-East Asia.[7] Fairlie, Bonham & Co., involving Fairlie, H. Bonham and John Innes, was a London house, a successor to Scott, Bonham, Hartwell, Innes & Co.[8][9]
Fairlie married Margaret Ogilvy, daughter of John Ogilvy of Murtle. Their children included:[1]
After Fairlie's death, his widow Margaret began construction on Coodham House, near Symington, South Ayrshire, which she named "Williamfield". It became the family seat.[1][11] It later belonged to William Houldsworth.[12]
