John Gordon Nairne of Castle Douglas, Chief Cashier of the Bank of England and founding director of the BBC.
The 1851 census for King Street, Castle Douglas, lists one of the houses as occupied by a family of the name of Nairne. Head of the household is a John G Nairn, aged 62, a messenger at arms, born in Borgue parish; his wife Mary, aged 58 years, born in Girthon parish; and a son Andrew, aged 20, a bank clerk.
The same census, and still in Kelton parish, lists a McCartney family living at a house called Threave Bank, on the Kelton side of Threave Bridge. Head of the household, a clerk by occupation, is absent, but his wife Eliza, aged 49, born Kelton and his daughter Isabella, aged 10, born Kelton, are listed. I have not found a record of the marriage of Andrew Nairne and Isabella McCartney but the IGI lists the birth of their son John Gordon Nairne at Kelton parish on 4th January 1861, and of their daughter Lizzie Maggie MacCartney Nairne at Rerrick Parish on 10th July 1862.
By the time of 1881 census Andrew Nairne has died. His wife Isabella is at that time residing with her parents at Dundrennan House, Rerrick parish, and her daughter Lizzie is with her. Son John Gordon Nairne has left home to seek his fortune.
John Gordon Nairne's chosen career was in banking. In 1893 he joined the Bank of England as a cashier, rose through the ranks and from 1902 until 1918 was Chief Cashier of the bank. He was created Baronet Nairne of Kirkcudbright, on 7 August 1917. In 1918 he was made an Officer of the Légion d'honneur by the President of the French Republic. In 1920 he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure second class, by the Emperor of Japan. From 1925–1939 he was one of the members of the Commission of Lieutenancy for the City of London. He was a Director of the Bank of England from 1925 to 1931, and Governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1927-1932.
Andrew married Nareiza da Costa Ricci, the daughter of Baron Anselmo da Costa Ricci, at St Mark's Notting Hill on 15 December 1894 and died on 9 February 1945 in Tring.
His uncle, Isabella MacCartney or Nairne's brother Halliday MacCartney became famous.
Shown below is an example of a Bank of England note with John Gordon Nairne's signature as Chief Cashier.
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