Hugh Lyon Playfair

Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair (20 February 1787 – 19 January 1861) was a Scottish politician, army officer and photographic pioneer. He was Provost of St Andrews from 1842 until his death in 1861.

Biography He was born in Meigle in Perthshire the third son of Margaret Lyon and the Reverend James Playfair. He was educated at Dundee Grammar School. His later education was at the University of St Andrews. In 1804 he was commissioned in into the Bengal Horse Artillery. After his commission he was sent to the University of Edinburgh for three months for instruction in range-finding and ballistics. He served in India from 1805 to 1817 and from 1820 to 1834. He was initially based in Calcutta but in November 1806 had to undertake an 800-mile march with his brigade to Cawnpore. In March 1807 General Sir John Horsford placed him in charge of the troops at Bareilly and was required to suppress the robber-chief Tumon Singh in Oudh. In November 1807 he was appointed in charge of the horse artillery in Agra and in 1809 undertook another long march to Saharunpoor. In 1811 he was moved to Meerut and required to oversee the siege of the fortress at Nalapani. He was twice wounded during the siege but successfully captured the fortress.

He died at home in St Andrews on the 19 January 1861, and is buried on the north wall of St Andrews Cathedral churchyard, beneath a distinctive and large white monument, with a military motif. His grandson, Elliot Minto Playfair (1826-1899), was a Lieutenant General in the Royal Artillery.