Henry Monteith

Henry Monteith of Carstairs (1764–1848) was a Scottish businessman and Tory politician who twice served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1814 to 1816 and 1818 to 1820, and as MP for Linlithgow 1820 to 1826 and 1830 to 1831. Life He was born the sixth son of James Monteith (b. 1734) a merchant-weaver making cambric on Bishop Street in the Anderston district of Glasgow, and his wife, Rebecca Thomson. His eldest brother, John Monteith, had Scotland's first steam-driven power loom factory in Pollokshaws. The family were originally from the Aberfoyle area and had fought off raids from Rob Roy. He studied at Glasgow University graduating in 1776. Trained in the family weaving business he owned his own factory Henry Monteith & Company by 1785. In 1802 he opened a second factory making handkerchiefs in the Barrowfield district, and when James died later that year also took over his power loom factory in Pollokshaws. His workforce peaked in 1804 with a huge 6000 employees.