James Tod of Deanston and Hope Park WS FRSE (c.1795–1858) was a 19th-century Scottish lawyer, antiquary and landowner.
Life
He was born around 1795 the eldest son of James Tod of Hope Park, on the south-east side of the Meadows, Edinburgh.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1800
His mother was living as a widow at Hope Park in south Edinburgh in 1813/14.Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1814
He was apprenticed to David Wemyss WS from around 1811. The office was at 55 George Street in Edinburgh's First New Town.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1815
He qualified as a Writer to the Signet in 1820. He then set up his own offices at 21 Dublin Street.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1825
Around 1830 he acquired the large estate of Deanston west of Stirling.
In 1848 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers was James David Forbes.
By 1855 he was living in a huge Georgian townhouse at 55 Great King Street in Edinburgh's Second New Town.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1855
He died on 26 March 1858.
Recognition
The name of Hope Park survives in the street-names Hope Park Terrace and Hope Park Crescent.Edinburgh Street Atlas
Artistic recognition
His photograph (an early calotype of 1844 by Hill & Adamson) is held by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Family
In 1830 he married Susan Mercer, daughter of James Mercer of Scotsbank.Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine September 1830 Her brother Robert Mercer married Elizabeth Scott-Moncrieff (1802-1871), daughter of Very Rev Henry Moncrieff of Tullibole Castle near Fossoway.Honest George, by Eileen Stewart
References