Manuscript Collection MS COLL 00126 - George Soper Dempster Papers

George Dempster of Dunnichen was born in Edinburgh in 1732, the grandson and namesake of a prosperous merchant and banker. He was educated at the University of St. Andrew and received legal training at the University of Edinburgh, becoming a member of the Faculty of Advocates in 1775 at the young age of 23. With his wealth, education and social standing, Dempster moved easily into the brilliant circle of Scottish Renaissance philosophers and literai that included David Hume, William Robinson, James Boswell, Alexander Carlyle and Adam Smith. In 1761, he won a seat in Parliament for the burghs of Forfar and Fife and represented the area for nearly 30 years. Although he lived in London and Edinburgh, he became increasingly interested in rural problems and the promotion of agriculture, eventually earning an international reputation as a pioneer in scientific agriculture. He died in 1818.