3 Scottish 19Th Century Miniature Portrait Silhouettes Of The Bayley Children

Three Scottish 19th century miniature portrait silhouettes of the Bayley children
Painted on paper and heightened in gold, depicting Thomas Bayley, Edward Bayley and Margaret Bayley, of Stirlingshire. In their original stained pine moulded frames with hand written notes of names and location to the back.
Scottish, circa 1850
Each 15.5cm H, 12.5cm W.

Portraits of 3 of the Bayley children, executed at Manuel House, Muiravonside, Stirlingshire (with the county boundaries redefined this is now West Lothian), the home of their uncle Thomas Elder Baird, Advocate. The children of Marion Spottiswood Bayley (nee Baird) and Isaac Bayley, Solicitor, of Edinburgh. The Bairds were the children of George Husband Baird who was the eighteenth Principal of Edinburgh University (1761–1840), a position he took at the age of just 33 and held for 47 years.

Both George and Thomas are commemorated on a gravestone in the Muiravonside Churchyard (the parish church in the village where Manuel house is) on which they are both stated as living at Manuel House. The inscription reads:

"The Very Reverend George Husband Baird, D.D.
Of Forneth and Manuel
Sometime Minister of Dunkeld and of the New Greyfriars, the New North
And of the High Churches in Edinburgh
Professor of Oriental Languages in the University of Edinburgh
And for forty seven years
Principal of that University
Born 13th July 1761, died 14th January 1840
And of Thomas Elder Baird, Advocate
His eldest son
Born 30th September 1795, died 18th January 1876"

According to the 1841 Census the Bayley Children were
George Bayley, born c1832
Edward Bayley, born c1837
Thomas Bayley, born c1838
Margret Bayley, born c1840