Evan Baillie

Evan Baillie (1741 – 28 June 1835) was a Scottish slave-trader, merchant and landowner in the West Indies. He was a Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1802 to 1812.

Life Baillie was the third son of Hugh Baillie of Dochfour, Inverness and his wife Emilia Fraser, the daughter of Alexander Fraser. Though it has been claimed that his early life was obscure and that he suffered "fatal neglect" in formal education, it appears that he was educated in Inverness and that he remembered Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, visiting his mother to seek the support of the Baillies for the Jacobite cause and later witnessing the battle of Culloden from the hill above Dochfour. The Baillies remained loyal Hanoverians. indicates that Evan had returned to Britain in about 1774 and settled in Bristol. He became directly involved in the transport of slaves from Africa in 1784 when he funded the construction of the slave ship Emilia and in 1787 he also owned a share in the Daniel.

On the death of his brother Alexander in 1798 Baillie succeeded to the family estates in Inverness-shire. He was also partner in an Inverness hemp manufacturers and other businesses.

In 1802 Baillie became an alderman of Bristol. Also in 1802, he was elected unopposed as Member of Parliament for Bristol. He was unopposed again in 1806 and 1807. He noted how feeble were attempts in parliament to oppose slave trade abolition bill but he was not among those who made last stand against it. By 1811, he was suffering poor health and was concerned for his son Peter (by then MP for the Inverness burghs) who died in 1812. He therefore decided not to stand in the 1812 election.

Baillie retired to Scotland and left the business operations to his sons. He resigned as alderman of Bristol in 1821 pleading old age, but survived to the age of 94. He was reputed to be one of the wealthiest commoners in Britain and his sons were among the largest recipients of compensation following emancipation.

Family His wife Mary Gurley was the daughter of Peter Gurley of St. Vincent. Their sons Peter Baillie, Hugh Duncan Baillie and James Evan Baillie all became members of parliament. Baillie's brother James Baillie was also an MP and West Indies merchant.