Sir John Ritchie Findlay, 1st Baronet

Sir John Ritchie Findlay, 1st Baronet, (13 January 1866 – 13 April 1930) was a Scottish businessmen and philanthropist who owned the newspaper The Scotsman. He later in life served as Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire.

Family and education John Ritchie Findlay was born in Edinburgh, the eldest son of J. Ritchie Findlay, of Aberlour, and Susan (née Leslie). His father was a great-nephew of the founder of The Scotsman, so on his father's death in 1898, he became the principal partner in Messrs. John Ritchie and Co., the proprietors and publishers of The Scotsman and its associated newspapers.

He was educated first at Mr Oliphant's School on Charlotte Square then the Edinburgh Collegiate School before going to Harrow School in 1879, where he was a contemporary of Stanley Baldwin and of John Galsworthy. From Harrow he passed to Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated MA with double honours, in Natural Science and in Literae Humaniores. Edinburgh University later gave him an honorary doctorate (LLD).

He was a breeder of pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle on his family estate at Aberlour.

In 1898 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were John McLaren, Lord McLaren, Sir Arthur Mitchell, Sir John Batty Tuke, and Ralph Copeland.

He was Master of the Merchant Company of Edinburgh 1913-14. He sat on the Ancient Monuments Board and the Fine Art Commission for Scotland. He had a large private collection of scientific instruments.

Findlay died at his residence, 3 Rothesay Terrace in Edinburgh, survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters. His heir was his eldest son Edmund Findlay. and created a Baronet, of Aberlour in the County of Banff, in 1925. After fulfilling the role of Deputy Lieutenant, in 1928 he was appointed to Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, the county in which Aberlour, the family estate is situated. He was an honorary Royal Scottish Academy and an honorary LL.D. of Edinburgh University.