Mr. Fairley: The Oldest Banker in Glasgow

Scotland was a world banking power in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and Edward Fairley of The Royal Bank of Scotland was at the fore. He was eventually proclaimed the oldest banker in Glasgow but not before his offspring encircled the globe. They lived real-life adventures of the Chinese Opium Wars, Trinidad planters, Swedish merchants, Australian publicans, government ministers, Queensland floods, British peerage, Persian intrigue, English actors, British spies, Ipswich Ghost, Olympic medallist, and even a Soviet war hero. Sadly, only one descendant bears the Fairley name today, and that’s as a given name. This Fairley family story, covering eight generations, is perfect for anyone who loves well-researched social history intertwined with global events.