James Weir a Wine, Tea and Spirit Merchant of Burgh Quay and Bray
James Weir married Agnes Thomson
born circa 1806 13 Jul 1839 born 9 Sep 1796
Scotland Lesmahagow Lesmahagow
died 30.10.1898 (92) died 29.12.1894 (98)
at St Cloud's, Avoca Ave at St Cloud's, Avoca Ave
buried Deansgrange buried Deansgrange
James Weir born circa 1806 in Scotland married Agnes Thomson on 13 Jul 1839 at
Lesmahogow in the county of Lanarkshire. Agnes was the daughter of William Thomson
and Agnes Weir. They moved to Dublin after they were married and James worked for
Messrs Findlaters of Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street) and in 1840 he leased 6/7
Burgh Quay from fellow Presbyterian Alexander Findlater and named it The Scotch House.
From here he traded as a grocer, tea, wine and spirit merchant. The Scotch House also had
a spacious bar on the first floor called the Oak Tavern. They had a branch at 8 Main Street,
Bray run by Ralph Valentine who would later become chairman of the company. James and
Agnes lived at St Cloud's, Avoca Avenue from 1860 and where Agnes died on 29 Dec 1894.
James sold his business to James Anderson Merry who would later be one of his executors and
they continued to trade as James Weir & Co. James was a generous benefactor during his lifetime to
hospitals and Scotch Churches. He made a considerable donation towards the building costs of the
Presbyterian Church in Kingstown in 1864. He was also key in getting the River Liffey cleaned and
flushed out stating that it was 'so dirty it would cause fever to the inhabitants of Dublin'.
James died on 30 Oct 1898 at St Cloud's, his wife's niece Elizabeth Thompson the informant and left
personal estate of over 165K. After specific bequests, the residuary was to be divided between hospitals
in the vicinity of Dublin at the discretion of the executors. Hospitals grappled for their share and over
100K was divided between them.
Cork Street Fever Hospital built The James Weir Home for Nurses, 103-4 Cork Street, to accommodate
50 nurses. The architect was William Mansfield Mitchell of Glenart, Stillorgan.
Coombe Hospital received 6k with which they built a 'Chronic Department"
Mercer's Hospital received 5K with which they built the 'James Weir Ward' for children.
Harcourt Street Children's Hospital received 2K with which they built a new 'Extern Department' and
The Royal Hospital for Incurables also got 2K.
The rest of his fortune was left to his relatives all over the globe; nephews, children of his deceased
brother William, and to his wife's nieces and nephews. His wife's niece Elizabeth Thompson, who had
lived with him received 1K plus 26K worth of railway shares.
The Scotch House had a tradition of being taken over by a member of staff, Davy Byrne of Duke Street
fame served part of his apprenticeship there, and was part owner from 1923 until his death in 1938. It
then went into the sole ownership of another employee Peter Foley. It was auctioned in 1955 selling for
33,700 to Hugo Dolan, owner of the Ouzel Galley Bar. It was demolished and an office development was
constructed on the site by G & T Crampton in 1982.
Legacies of John Weir
£1,000 to the following
Mrs Rachel Sandiland
Children of late Andrew Brown
Mrs Grace Barr formerly Steele
Children of John Steele son of Mary Steele in equal parts
7 Children of Isabella Fallow sister of Agnes*
John Steele Fallow son of James Fallow and Janet Steele
James Fallow 09.06.1815 -1900
William Thompson Fallow 25.03.1817 – 1899
Rachel Weir Fallow 28.05.1819 -1888 died 1888 before James Weir
John Weir Fallow 30.06.1821 -1896 Gavin Fallow 16.05.1829 -1919
Janet Fallow 18.05.1823 -1904
Mary Nancy Fallow 12.11.1826
Agnes Fallow 05.11.1831 -1922
£1,000 to each of the 6 Children of brother Thomas Weir deceased
James Weir
Francis Weir
Andrew Weir
Agnes Weir
Elizabeth Weir
Margaret Weir
£1,000 to the following
Presbyterian Orphan Society
Presbyterian Church
Royal Hospital for Incurables
Adelaide Hospital
Stewarts Hospital
Solicitors Benevolent Association
Coombe Hospital
Meath Hospital
Sir Patrick Dun’s
City of Dublin Hospital
£100 to the Minister of York Street Presbyterian Church for the poor of Kingstown
* John Steele Fallow married 16.06.1814 Isabella Thomson born 1782 at Lesmahagow
died 1841 died 10.07.1870 Canada
© June Bow & Karen Poff – October 2021
James Weir married Agnes Thomson
born circa 1806 13 Jul 1839 born 9 Sep 1796
Scotland Lesmahagow Lesmahagow
died 30.10.1898 (92) died 29.12.1894 (98)
at St Cloud's, Avoca Ave at St Cloud's, Avoca Ave
buried Deansgrange buried Deansgrange
James Weir born circa 1806 in Scotland married Agnes Thomson on 13 Jul 1839 at
Lesmahogow in the county of Lanarkshire. Agnes was the daughter of William Thomson
and Agnes Weir. They moved to Dublin after they were married and James worked for
Messrs Findlaters of Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street) and in 1840 he leased 6/7
Burgh Quay from fellow Presbyterian Alexander Findlater and named it The Scotch House.
From here he traded as a grocer, tea, wine and spirit merchant. The Scotch House also had
a spacious bar on the first floor called the Oak Tavern. They had a branch at 8 Main Street,
Bray run by Ralph Valentine who would later become chairman of the company. James and
Agnes lived at St Cloud's, Avoca Avenue from 1860 and where Agnes died on 29 Dec 1894.
James sold his business to James Anderson Merry who would later be one of his executors and
they continued to trade as James Weir & Co. James was a generous benefactor during his lifetime to
hospitals and Scotch Churches. He made a considerable donation towards the building costs of the
Presbyterian Church in Kingstown in 1864. He was also key in getting the River Liffey cleaned and
flushed out stating that it was 'so dirty it would cause fever to the inhabitants of Dublin'.
James died on 30 Oct 1898 at St Cloud's, his wife's niece Elizabeth Thompson the informant and left
personal estate of over 165K. After specific bequests, the residuary was to be divided between hospitals
in the vicinity of Dublin at the discretion of the executors. Hospitals grappled for their share and over
100K was divided between them.
Cork Street Fever Hospital built The James Weir Home for Nurses, 103-4 Cork Street, to accommodate
50 nurses. The architect was William Mansfield Mitchell of Glenart, Stillorgan.
Coombe Hospital received 6k with which they built a 'Chronic Department"
Mercer's Hospital received 5K with which they built the 'James Weir Ward' for children.
Harcourt Street Children's Hospital received 2K with which they built a new 'Extern Department' and
The Royal Hospital for Incurables also got 2K.
The rest of his fortune was left to his relatives all over the globe; nephews, children of his deceased
brother William, and to his wife's nieces and nephews. His wife's niece Elizabeth Thompson, who had
lived with him received 1K plus 26K worth of railway shares.
The Scotch House had a tradition of being taken over by a member of staff, Davy Byrne of Duke Street
fame served part of his apprenticeship there, and was part owner from 1923 until his death in 1938. It
then went into the sole ownership of another employee Peter Foley. It was auctioned in 1955 selling for
33,700 to Hugo Dolan, owner of the Ouzel Galley Bar. It was demolished and an office development was
constructed on the site by G & T Crampton in 1982.
Legacies of John Weir
£1,000 to the following
Mrs Rachel Sandiland
Children of late Andrew Brown
Mrs Grace Barr formerly Steele
Children of John Steele son of Mary Steele in equal parts
7 Children of Isabella Fallow sister of Agnes*
John Steele Fallow son of James Fallow and Janet Steele
James Fallow 09.06.1815 -1900
William Thompson Fallow 25.03.1817 – 1899
Rachel Weir Fallow 28.05.1819 -1888 died 1888 before James Weir
John Weir Fallow 30.06.1821 -1896 Gavin Fallow 16.05.1829 -1919
Janet Fallow 18.05.1823 -1904
Mary Nancy Fallow 12.11.1826
Agnes Fallow 05.11.1831 -1922
£1,000 to each of the 6 Children of brother Thomas Weir deceased
James Weir
Francis Weir
Andrew Weir
Agnes Weir
Elizabeth Weir
Margaret Weir
£1,000 to the following
Presbyterian Orphan Society
Presbyterian Church
Royal Hospital for Incurables
Adelaide Hospital
Stewarts Hospital
Solicitors Benevolent Association
Coombe Hospital
Meath Hospital
Sir Patrick Dun’s
City of Dublin Hospital
£100 to the Minister of York Street Presbyterian Church for the poor of Kingstown
* John Steele Fallow married 16.06.1814 Isabella Thomson born 1782 at Lesmahagow
died 1841 died 10.07.1870 Canada
© June Bow & Karen Poff – October 2021