James Small

James Small (died 21 August 1777) was a retired Army officer, a factor of forfeited estates in Perthshire and an improver of Kinloch Rannoch, Scotland.

Early life James Small was a member of the Smalls of Dirnanean and the Robertsons of Straloch. Born in Perthshire, Scotland, he was the son of Patrick Small of Leanoch and Magdalen Robertson of Straloch. Small's younger brother was Major-General John Small, later Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey. His older brother was Dr. Alexander Small, army surgeon and frequent correspondent of Benjamin Franklin. Small was also a first cousin of John Reid, the last Baron Reid in Perthshire, Scotland.

Following the family military tradition, Small became an Ensign in Lord Loudoun's Regiment and was stationed at Finnart. There were no roads, the people were starving and thievery was commonplace.

As factor, Small provided for disbanded soldiers to become crofters.

Personal life On 1 January 1739, Small married Katharine Wilson, daughter of the town clerk of St. Andrews. The couple had three daughters that survived to adulthood.

The husband of Small's daughter, Susan, was Charles Spalding. Spalding, an Edinburgh confectioner by trade, was the improver of the diving bell. He died diving to the wreck of the Belgioso in Dublin Bay in a bell of his design.

Small was the grandfather of Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet of New Brunswick and Canadian fur trader John MacDonald of Garth. He was the great-grandfather of Sir John Campbell, 2nd Baronet of New Brunswick. Charles Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton is also a descendant of James Small, as well as Sheila Legge, the "Surrealist Phantom" from the 1936 London International Surrealist Exhibition.