Portrait of William Fairlie, full-length, in a dark red coat, holding an open letter inscribed 'Fairlie Esq.' in his left hand,

William Fairlie (1754-1825) was the third son of John Fairlie and his wife, Agnes, daughter of Mungo Mure, of Bruntwood. He was a highly successful merchant in the service of the East India Company, with the firm of John Fergusson and Co., and with his own importing company, Fairlie and Co., East India Merchants and Agents which had offices at 9 Broad Street Buildings in the City of London. He was known as the 'Prince of Indian Merchants' and Fairlie Place in Calcutta is named after him. He married Margaret Ogilvy (see lot 29) in 1798, by whom he had three sons, William, John (see lot 31) and James Ogilvy (see lot 29) and two daughters, Agnes Maria and Margaret Eliza (see lot 29). In 1812 the family are recorded as having moved into 9 Park Crescent, near Regents Park. Both William Fairlie and his wife are buried at the parish Church of Marylebone where there is a memorial tablet to them in the Crypt.