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McLaren became a member of the town council in 1833. He became treasurer in 1837 and found that the royal burgh's finances were in ruin and that the
Scottish capital was bankrupt. His work extricated Edinburgh from financial ruin. In 1835, he pioneered free education for all classes and started a
371:'s two Members of Parliament, a position he held until he retired 16 years later. At Westminster he proved a conscientious and intelligent representative, and acquired a position of so much authority on questions related to Scotland that he was called "Member for Scotland". He was then living in
364:' on the English model, believing that to be a misuse of funds intended for the education of orphans and the needy. He sought unsuccessfully to have the Fettes project remodelled to create free schools on similar lines to those supported by the Heriot Trust.
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Firstly, in 1829, he married Grant Aitken (1805–1833). Following her death he married
Christina Gordon Renton (1813–1841). Finally, in 1848, he married Priscilla Bright (1815–1906), who outlived him by twenty years. All three wives are buried with him.
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314:, Duncan McLaren was the youngest of 10 children of John McLaren and Catherine McLellan. Apart from two years of schooling, he was self-taught. After school, he was apprenticed to a merchant in
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390:), whom he married in 1848, and they lived together in Newington House, Edinburgh, from 1852 until his death in 1886. He is buried (together with most of his family) in
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in
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in the heart of
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hangs in the Old
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politician and political writer. He served as a member of the burgh council of
Edinburgh, then as
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to the public, and the establishment of the
Industrial Museum (now the
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Patronage and
Principle: A Political History of Modern Scotland
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McLaren campaigned against the decision of the trustees of
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Duncan McLaren was married three times – the third being
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in 1851. McLaren was a Liberal and supported the anti–
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507:"City owes a great debt to its lord of the manor"
479:The Member for Scotland: A Life of Duncan McLaren
212:(12 January 1800 – 26 April 1886) was a Scottish
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633:. Vol. 35. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
220:, then as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the
650:contributions in Parliament by Duncan McLaren
318:. In 1824, he set up his own business as a
266:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
603:. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons (2 vols).
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286:Learn how and when to remove this message
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326:building programme of thirteen schools.
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770:People from Renton, West Dunbartonshire
148: 1836; died 1841)
125: 1829; died 1833)
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349:). McLaren was also a governor of the
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461:A full-length portrait of McLaren by
825:19th-century Scottish businesspeople
588:Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1865
264:adding citations to reliable sources
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656:Correspondence of Priscilla McLaren
600:The Life and Work of Duncan McLaren
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680:Parliament of the United Kingdom
663:Duncan McLaren on ThePeerage.com
630:Dictionary of National Biography
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597:Mackie, John Beveridge (1888).
433:, Catherine McLaren (mother of
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447:Walter Stowe Bright McLaren
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202:Walter Stowe Bright McLaren
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620:"McLaren, Duncan"
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135:Christina Gordon Renton
21:Duncan McLaren (author)
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615:Boase, George Clement
523:Fry, Michael (1987),
449:(with his third wife
425:He was the father of
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700:Member of Parliament
260:improve this section
19:For the author, see
566:Who Runs Edinburgh?
457:Artistic depictions
46:Edward John Gregory
16:Scottish politician
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258:Please help
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218:Lord Provost
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186:John McLaren
112:Grant Aitken
80:(1886-04-26)
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765:1886 deaths
760:1800 births
738:James Cowan
729:James Cowan
724:John Miller
648:1803–2005:
625:Lee, Sidney
609:Attribution
410:McLaren at
384:John Bright
382:(sister of
343:the Meadows
339:John Bright
94:Nationality
754:Categories
689:Adam Black
572:, p. 144,
553:Boase 1893
537:0080350631
493:References
276:March 2016
88:, Scotland
69:, Scotland
59:1800-01-12
704:Edinburgh
531:, p. 38,
369:Edinburgh
247:does not
86:Edinburgh
731:1874–81
617:(1893).
477:(2011),
335:Corn Law
310:Born in
182:Children
726:1868–74
721:1865–68
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627:(ed.).
353:trust.
268:removed
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316:Dunbar
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