Robert Fairbairn

Sir Robert Duncan Fairbairn (25 September 1910 – 26 March 1988) was a Scottish banker and amateur sportsman, who was the chairman of Clydesdale Bank from 1975–1985. In sport, he played two first-class cricket matches (one of which was for Scotland) and played for St Johnstone in the Scottish Football League.

Robert Fairbairn
Personal information
Full nameRobert Duncan Fairbairn
Born25 September 1910
Longhirst, Northumberland, England
Died26 March 1988(1988-03-26) (aged 77)
Guildford, Surrey, England
BattingRight-handed
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1938–1939Cheshire
1938Scotland
1944/45Europeans
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 2
Runs scored 19
Batting average 4.75
100s/50s –/–
Top score 13
Catches/stumpings 1/–
Source: Cricinfo, 28 February 2019

Early life and career

Fairbairn was born at Longhirst in Northumberland, the fourth of five children of Robert Fairbairn and his wife, Christina Robertson.[1] His family moved to Perth in Scotland, where he attended the Perth Academy.[2] His father was employed as head gamekeeper to Lord Forteviot at Dupplin Castle in Perthshire.[3] After leaving school, he joined the Clydesdale Bank in Perth at 17.[2][4]

In his youth, Fairbairn was active as a sportsman in the Perth area. He played cricket for the Dupplin and Perthshire clubs, and came to prominence in junior football as an inside-forward for St Johnstone YMCA.[3] In June 1930, he signed for Scottish Football League club St Johnstone as an amateur.[5] He made his senior debut in a 1–1 home draw against King's Park on 23 August 1930, but was "severely barracked" by a Muirton Park crowd disappointed by both his and the team's performance.[6]

After the Clydesdale Bank transferred Fairbairn to their head office in Glasgow, he continued his cricket career as an opening batsman for West of Scotland, and also played football for "one of the Queen's Park elevens".[7]

He was a recipient of the Beckett & Whitehead Prizeman from the Institute of Bankers in 1934, the same year in which he joined the Midland Bank.[8] While still employed by the Midland Bank at Bolton,[9] he played minor counties cricket in England for Cheshire in 1938 and 1939, making seven appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.[10] His debut in first-class cricket came for Scotland against Yorkshire at Harrogate.[11]

WWII and later career with Clydesdale Bank

Fairbairn joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1939,[8] He was a sub lieutenant until September 1940, when he was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant.[12] He served in the RNVR until 1946, leaving the reserve with the rank of Lieutenant commander.[8] While serving in the reserve, Fairbairn played one first-class cricket match in British India for the Europeans against the Parsees in the 1944/45 Bombay Pentangular at Bombay.[11] After leaving the reserve, he returned to his profession in banking. He was an assistant general manager for Clydesdale Bank in 1951.[8]

Fairbairn was knighted for services to development in Scotland in the 1975 Birthday Honours.[13] He was chairman of Clydesdale Bank from 1975 to 1985.[8] He died at Guildford in March 1988.

References
  1. "Fairbairn, Sir Robert Duncan". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  2. Designer. Society of Industrial Artists and Designers. 1977. p. 22.
  3. "Perth man's banking distinction". The Courier and Advertiser. Dundee. 22 August 1934. Retrieved 3 March 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. Munn, Charles W. (1988). Clydesdale Bank: The First One Hundred & Fifty Years. HarperCollins Publishers Limited. p. 312. ISBN 0004356578.
  5. "A Saint now". The Evening Telegraph. Dundee. 4 June 1930. Retrieved 3 March 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. Nomad (27 August 1930). "Saints in the Doldrums". Perthshire Advertiser. Retrieved 3 March 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Perth young man's banking appointment". Perthshire Advertiser. 3 November 1934. Retrieved 3 March 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. Who Was Who. A. & C. Black. 1981. p. 243. ISBN 0713633360.
  9. Kemp, Arnold (2013). The Hollow Drum: Scotland Since the War. Neil Wilson Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 978-1906000400.
  10. "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Robert Fairbairn". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  11. "First-Class Matches played by Robert Fairbairn". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  12. "No. 34987". The London Gazette. 8 November 1940. p. 6439.
  13. "No. 46593". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 June 1975. p. 7369.
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