John Learmonth

John Learmonth of Dean, DL FRSE (26 May 1789 – 17 December 1858) was Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1831 to 1833. He was co-funder of the Dean Bridge project in western Edinburgh and gives his name to many of the streets in Comely Bank, the district to the north-west of the bridge. He was a Tory politician and also chairman of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company. Life He was descended from James Learmonth, Lord Balcomie. He was born on 26 May 1789 the son of John Learmonth or Learmont, an Edinburgh coach-builder based at 4 Princes Street on the site presently occupied by the Balmoral Hotel, and was a man of independent means before becoming a property speculator and politician, becoming a city Bailie in 1830. His mother was Grace Young (died 1848). His sister Margaret married Sir John Sinclair of Dunbeath. In 1827 (following the death of Sir John Nisbett of Dean) he purchased the Dean estate to the west of the city. At this time he was living at 38 Charlotte Square but moved to 6 Moray Place in 1830 at the start of his political career, remaining there until death. He also owned a country seat of Murieston House near Mid Calder.