THERE is a grand house in Tollcross Park, which has a fascinating history . Long before it became luxury apartments, it was a children’s museum, but even further back in time, it was the country house of one of Glasgow’s most famous families. For 300 years, the Dunlop family were linked inextricably with the fortunes of Glasgow.
They helped the city rise to become an industrial powerhouse. The family’s connection to Glasgow began with John Dunlop, a younger son of James Dunlop of Dunlop, in Ayrshire. He became a Glasgow merchant and burgess in 1631.
He was the first of his family to settle in Glasgow and take up commerce. He traded with Holland and "accumulated a very considerable fortune". He married a wealthy widow and in 1634 invested much of her money in purchasing the Garnkirk estate in Lanarkshire.
In 1782 Garnkirk was inherited by James Dunlop (b 1742), the MP. It was he who rebuilt the facade of the old house. Garnkirk House (Image: Glasgow City Archives) For most of the early Dunlop family, maintaining an estate was more in keeping with their normal way of life than engaging in business.
They were landed gentlemen whose younger sons became academics or advocates. Several were judges and one was Principal of Glasgow University from 1786 to 1803. They also had their share of poets and authors within their midst.
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