Gillian Maclaine (1798–1840), who was born into the family of a struggling Highland aristocratic family, was forced to seek a commercial career first in London with the East India Merchant house of Patrick McLachlan from 1816 to 1820. Later, in Java, after a brief adventure in growing coffee, he formed the firm of Gillian Maclaine and Co., which worked in partnership with McLachlan’s and their corresponding firm in Calcutta. Difficult relations with the London office led to Maclaine breaking with them in the late 1820s to form a new partnership—Maclaine, Watson, and Co. Such was the core of Gillian’s business activities until his death in a shipwreck in 1840.
This book combines a compelling account of Maclaine’s personal life, and his efforts to recover his lost social status and the “independency” of a gentleman, with an insightful analysis of the development of his business interests, especially the network of firms...