John Greig Dunbar
{{Short description|Scottish businessman and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = John Greig Dunbar
| birth_place = Edinburgh
| occupation = Businessman
Politician
| children = Greig Dunbar
}}
Sir John Greig Dunbar, DL, JP (19 September 1906 – 4 January 1978) was a Scottish businessman and Conservative politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1960 to 1963.
Life
Dunbar was born at Elgin HouseEdinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1907 near the top of Easter Road in north-east Edinburgh, the son of James Dunbar. The lemonade company his father owned had relocated from Maryfield/East Norton Place to Albion Road around 1900. The firm made fruit squashes (including a drink from the kola nut), ginger beer and sodas.{{cite web |title=Products |url=https://jamesdunbaredinburgh.weebly.com/products.html |website=James Dunbar |access-date=25 November 2019 |language=en}}
Dunbar was joint Director and owner (with his brother Dr Alexander Dunbar) of James Dunbar Ltd. His cousins owned the parallel company of Dunbar and Co. on the Pleasance.{{cite web |title=Edinburgh History - Recollections of Lochend |url=http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_edin/1_edinburgh_history_-_recollections_lochend.htm |website=edinphoto.org.uk |access-date=25 November 2019}} The factory gave its name to the "Dunbar End" at Easter Road Stadium.
Dunbar became councillor for the Calton ward in the 1950s. He was elected Lord Provost of Edinburgh in 1960 in succession to Ian Anderson Johnson-Gilbert.Lord Provosts of Edinburgh: Edinburgh City Chambers
Dunbar was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 1962 New Year Honours List.New Years Honours list 1962 He was host to both the Queen and King Olav V of Norway during his time as Lord Provost. His time as Lord Provost was dominated by major planning decisions (typical of all cities at that time), including the decision to clear St James Square to create the St. James Centre and promotion of the Princes Street Plan which resulted in the loss of many important historic buildings.Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford, McWilliam and Walker
Dunbar was succeeded as Lord Provost by Duncan Weatherstone in 1963.
Family
Death
John Greig Dunbar died on 4 January 1978, at the age of 71.{{cite book |title=Dunbar, Sir John Greig |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-154067 |website=WHO WAS WHO 2022 | doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U154067 | isbn=978-0-19-954089-1 |access-date=2 November 2022}}
Artistic recognition
Dunbar was portrayed in his ceremonial robes by David Donaldson in 1963. The portrait is held by Edinburgh City Art Centre but is rarely displayed.{{cite web |title=Sir John Greig Dunbar (b.1907), Lord Provost of Edinburgh (1960–1963) {{!}} Art UK |url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-john-greig-dunbar-b-1907-lord-provost-of-edinburgh-19601963-93218 |website=artuk.org |access-date=25 November 2019 |language=en}}
External links
John Greig Dunbar meeting with King Olav of Norway in Edinburgh in 1962: https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/6284
References
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Category:Lord provosts of Edinburgh
Category:Politicians from Edinburgh
Category:Scottish businesspeople
Category:Scottish justices of the peace
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