Christie, Alexander, ARSA
1807 – 1860
The eldest of four sons born to David Christie, Writer and Isobel Don his wife who were married in October 1803. She was the daughter of Gilbert Don a hairdresser in Forfar. His brothers were William Gilbert (b.1809-01-20), David (b.1811-01-19) and John Cockburn (b.1812-04-29). All four were alive when their father died on 1823-09-29 at his home 20 Forth Street aged 55. He may be the Alexander Christie, Coach Painter, residing at 27 East Crosscauseway, St Cuthbert's Parish, whose Banns to marry Margaret Bruce of Castlebarns, daughter of the late John Bruce, Brewer's Servant in Edinburgh, were three times proclaimed with no objection offered in December 1828. In 1833 he entered the Trustees Academy as a student under Sir William Allan, whose Assistant he became in 1843. He succeeded Thomas Duncan RSA as Master there on Duncan's death in 1845 and resided in Duncan's former flat at 2 Darnaway Street as well as taking on Duncan's studio at 33 Abercromby Place. This latter space he leased for a number of year's to the RSA to house its School of the Living Model. Christie was elected an Associate Member of the RSA in 1848 and styled himself History and Portrait Painter. John Cockburn Christie, by then a Writer to the Signet, registered Alexander's death and was named as his sole executor and universal legatory but renounced these offices due to an ante-nuptial contract entered into on 1857-10-23 between Alexander and Mary Wood Duncan, the daughter of John Duncan a Merchant in Manchester. She is not named on Alexander's death certificate which simply states that he was married. Contemporary obituary notices are disappointingly thin in terms of biographical detail but do indicate that he left an infant child by Mary Duncan at his death. He is buried in Canongate Kirkyard.
