852 John Peddie

Constituency  : Kilmarnock  Burghs  1880-85

John  took  over from  James  Harrison  at  Kilmarnock.

John  was  a  Presbyterian solicitor's  son. He  studied  law  at  Edinburgh  University  but  started  work  in  an  architect's  office. He  set  up  his  own  practice  in  1845  and  his  first  commission  was  the  United  Presbyterian  Synod  Hall  in  Edinburgh. He  also  did  work  at  Princess  St  station. He  was  then  appointed  architect  to  the  Royal  Bank  of  Scotland  designing  several  branches. He  also  worked  on  Cockburn  Street  and  Aberdeen  Town  Hall. In  1878  his  son  John  joined  the  practice  and  a  year  later  he  retired.

John  stood  in  1880  on  a  disestablishment  platform  and  in  1884  introduced  a  private  members  bill  on  the  subject.

In  1885  the  Whig  faction  put  up  a  candidate , Viscount  Dalrymple ,  which  allowed  the  Tory  to  sneak  a  narrow  victory  as  John  was  in  Australia  at  the  time  of  the  election..  Despite  Gladstone's  prompting  he  did  not  stand  again  pleading  financial  difficulties.

John  was  hampered  by  his  feckless  family. His  father  was  heavily  in  debt  and  his  house  had  to  be  sold. His  sisters  failed  to  marry so  he  was  supporting  them. His  uncle  Donald  fled  to  America  after  being  discovered  embezzling  from  the  church  and  John  felt  obliged  to  cover  the  losses. He  also  lost  heavily  in  a  number  of  hydropathic  companies  which  failed  in  1880. He  sought  alternative  investments  in  the  US  and  Australia. He  became  ill  in  1890  and  had  to  terminate  all  his  directorships.

He  died  in  1891  aged  67 and  was  buried  in  a  cemetery  where  he  had  designed  the  extension.