John Arnott

For other people named John Arnott, seeJohn Arnott (disambiguation).

Sir John Arnott, 1st BaronetJP(26 July 1814 – 28 March 1898) was a Scottish-Irish entrepreneur and a major figure in the commercial and political spheres of late-19th centuryCork.He was also founder of theArnotts department chain.

Background

Born inAuchtermuchty,Fife,he was the son of John Arnott and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Paton.

Arnott arrived in Cork in 1837 to work at Grants ofPatrick Street;He later opened his own shop which failed to prosper. After starting a business inBelfast,which prospered, he returned to Cork and opened a drapery store. He later expanded this business across Ireland and Britain, including Arnotts in Henry Street,Dublinand inGlasgow(where the name continued until the early-1990s).

Career

Among the other businesses he started or was involved in included Cash and Company Cork,Baldoyle and Cork Race Park Meetings, the City of Cork Steamship Company,Cork and Macroom Direct Railway,Passage Docks Shipbuilding Company, theBristol General Steam Navigation Companyand Arnotts Brewery Cork.

He acquired theIrish TimesandThe Northern Whignewspapers, though he later disposed of theWhigover disputes relating to itseditorial policy- including the publication of an "attack" on Catholics.His family retained a connection with the paper until the 1960s, although they had disposed of their interest earlier.

Though several of his business interests were based in Dublin, Arnott lived and managed his affairs from Cork.He was electedLord Mayorof Cork three times, in 1859, 1860 and 1861. Arnott was alsoSheriff of Cork Cityin 1871. He wasJustice of the Peacefor Cork City and County and served as Member of Parliament forKinsalebetween 1859 and 1863. Arnott was created aKnight Bachelorby theLord Lieutenant of Irelandin 1859and became abaronet,of Baily, in the County of Dublin on 12 February 1896.

He was a philanthropist and was heavily involved into an investigation in the treatment of children at the Cork workhouse. In this period the Irish Poor Law Relief Bill was going through Parliament and he sat on the select committee. There is a plaque on St Patrick's Bridge in Cork that commemorates its opening by Arnott on 12 December 1861.

In 1896, he bought theDuke of Devonshire's Irish estate in County Cork for about £250,000,and turned it onto a 32,000 acre stud farm, both for his own interest in horse racing, and to improve the livestock of local farmers.

He married Mary, the daughter of John James McKinlay.SeeArnott baronetsfor his descendants.

Death and legacy

John Arnott died on 28 March 1898, aged 84, at his home inMontenotte, Cork.He is buried in the churchyard ofSt Luke's Church, Douglasin Cork.

Arnott Street inPortobello,Dublin, is named for Arnott. In 1874, Arnott along with James Fitzgerald LombardJP,a long-time director of Arnott's department store, and Edward McMahon purchased property in this area. Lombard Street West and McMahon Street were also eponymously named in this area.

Arms

Coat of arms of John Arnott

Notes Granted 8 February 1896 byArthur Edward Vicars,Ulster King of Arms. Crest On a wreath of the colours a tower on a rock Proper with a pennon of one point statant Azure. Escutcheon Per chevron Argent and Azure in chief two mullets and in base a crescent counterchanged on a chief of the second three mullets of the first. Motto Speratum Et Completum

See also

• Irish Times
• Arnott baronets

References

Sources

• Beecher, Sean (2005).Cork 365: A Day-by-day Miscellany of Cork History.Collins Press.ISBN1-903464-92-7.
• "List of Mayors".Cork City Council.Archived fromthe originalon 19 November 2007.
• "Sir John Arnott".Irish Times.29 March 1898. p. 5.
• Nesbitt, R (1993).At Arnotts of Dublin, 1843–1993.Dublin: A&A Farmar.
• "Arnott".The Courier and Argus (Dundee).23 April 1896.

External links

• Hansard1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Sir John Arnott