602 Robert Macfie

Constituency : Leith  Burghs  1868-74

Robert  ousted   Sir  William  Miller  at  Leith.

Robert   was  the  son  of  a  sugar  merchant. He  was  educated  in  Edinburgh. In  1838  he moved  to Liverpool  to  establish  a  new  branch  of  the  family  business. He  helped  to  found  the  Liverpool Chamber  of  Commerce . He  was  particularly  interested  in  postal  reform. He  stood  against  Miller  in  1859  but  does  not  appear  to  have  contested  the  seat  in 1865. He  retired  from  active  involvement  in  the  business  in  1863.

In  1870 Robert  warned  in  an  article  On  The  Crisis  Of  The  Colonies  that  increases  in  foreign  competition  was  increasing  the  discontent  in  working  class  areas.  In  1871  he  bought  Dreghorn  Castle  where  he  built  many  follies  and  monuments.

In  1872  Robert  put  forward  a  motion  to  allow  colonial  governments  to  participate  in  imperial discussions.

Robert  campaigned  against  the  patent  system on  free  trade  principles , favouring  a  government-financed  reward  system  to  something  that  gave  monopoly  rights.

In  1874  Robert  was  defeated  by  another  Liberal.

He  died  in  1893  aged  81.