Robert Carfrae

Robert Carfrae FSAScot (1820–1900) was Curator of the Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. He accumulated a large art and coin collection. By profession he was a furniture maker, having been involved in the firms Bonnar & Carfrae and Moxon & Co. A noted numismologist he left a huge collection of Greek coins.^[1] He gives his name to the Carfrae Collection: a number of ancient Greek and Roman coins now held by the British Museum.^[2]

Life

He was born on 1 April 1820 the son of Robert Carfrae a jeweller and silversmith living at 17 Union Place at the head of Leith Walk in Edinburgh.^[3] The family were originally from East Lothian.^[4]

In 1860 he was in partnership with

From at least 1866 he was Curator of the Museum of Antiquities.[6]

In 1878 he is noted as acquiring 5 watercolours by William Blake.^[7]

In 1884 he went into partnership with John Moxon of Edinburgh creating Moxon & Carfrae.^[8][9]

In 1886 he was living at 3 Osborne Terrace, facing Donaldson's School.^[10]

His huge coin collection was split during his final years: a large proportion was sold to Thomas Coats of Paisley; a second section was auctioned at Sotheby's; and a third section was donated to the National Museum of Antiquities.^[11]

He died at Montrave, a villa in the Murrayfield area of West Edinburgh on 18 September 1900. He is buried in Dean Cemetery in the concealed lower terrace.^[12]

Family

He was married to Alison Kinghorn (1833-1905) from Liverpool. Their children Katherine and Robert both died in July 1869.^[13]

Their daughter Mary Carfrae lived 1865 to 1927. She married James Hume Notman (d.1934).^[14] Alison Carfrae was born in 1876.^{[citation needed]}

Artistic recognition

His portrait in stained glass by William Graham Boss forms one of the multiple portraits of committee members on the main stair of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.^[15]

References