Sir John Hay 5th Bart.

Assumed to be Sir John Hay, 5th Bart., partner in the banking firm of Sir William Forbes. Sir John died in 1830 but the basis for the claim was a debt from 1828 and, although named in the counterclaim, Sir John was the only one of the counterclaimants not listed as an awardee.

1. 'John Hay, born in 1755, was in 1774 apprenticed in the Edinburgh banking house of Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, his sister Elizabeth’s husband. He became a partner in the firm of Forbes, Hunter and Company in 1782, married into the Scottish aristocracy in 1785, built a house at Kingsmeadows, Peebles and accumulated much property in the burgh. He succeeded to the assumed baronetcy in 1810 and was one of the ‘quiet country gentlemen set’ of Edinburgh society.' His two eldest surviving sons Sir John Hay 6th Bart. and Sir Adam Hay 7th Bart (q.v.) both became MPs. Sir John Hay, Bart, MP for Peebles, had at least 4 votes as a proprietor of the British American Land Company in 1835, so had bought at least 50 shares at £50 each.

T71/860 Manchester claim no. 348. T71/1190 counterclaim from Sir John Hay, Bart., Sir Wm Forbes, Bart., George Forbes, David Anderson, Adam Hay, Patrick Sanderson and Richard Johnson bankers and co-partners carrying on business as Sir Wm Forbes Bart, James Hunter & Co. Edinburgh, judgement creditors 1828 v Helen Watt gentlewoman of Manchester owner.

1. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/hay-sir-john-1788-1838 and http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/hay-adam-1795-1867 [accessed 31/07/2012]; List of the proprietors of the British American Land Company: incorporated and established by Charter and Act of Parliament, 1834 (London, n.d.) p. 9 (via Archive.org).