Background
James Lindsay was born on 24 April 1783 at Balcarres, Fife, the son of Alexander Lindsay, 6th Earl of Balcarres and inherited the title of 7th Earl of Balcarres on his father"s death in 1825.
James Lindsay was born on 24 April 1783 at Balcarres, Fife, the son of Alexander Lindsay, 6th Earl of Balcarres and inherited the title of 7th Earl of Balcarres on his father"s death in 1825.
In 1826 he was created Baron of Wigan in the peerage of Great Britain. Maria Margaret Frances Pennington, daughter of John Pennington, 1st Baron Muncaster. They had four sons of which the eldest was Alexander.
Alexander"s genealogical research had enabled his father to claim the title of Earl of Crawford which had fallen into abeyance.
He was returned as Tory Member of Parliament for Wigan from 1820 to 1825. He inherited a third share of a company that supplied slaves to the British Army from his father (a former Governor of Jamaica).
After the Slavery Abolition Acting 1833 he was paid a large amount of compensation for the loss of slaves. He designed Haigh Hall in Haigh, Greater Manchester, to replace the then existing hall which dated back to Norman times and lived in a cottage in the grounds whilst it was constructed between 1830-1849.
The family owned Haigh Colliery, cannel and coal mines, and formed the Wigan Coal and Iron Company in 1865.
7th United Kingdom Parliament.