John Anderson

John Anderson 1893-1962, Scottish-Australian philosopher, b. Scotland. A graduate of the Univ. of Glasgow, he taught (1918-27) at the universities of Cardiff, Glasgow, and Edinburgh before becoming professor of philosophy at the Univ. of Sydney, Australia (1927-58). His extreme concern for independence of thought led to a controversial academic career because he attacked many institutions (including Christianity, social welfare, and Communism) for encouraging servility. Philosophically he warred against ultimates of every sort, but his philosophy was inclusive rather than negative, stressing the complexity of experience—a complexity not reducible to any ultimate units or wholes—and the limits of any one description of it. His articles were collected in Studies in Empirical Philosophy (1962).

Anderson, John (c.1760–1820), entrepreneur. Arriving in Cork from his native Scotland in 1780, Anderson quickly established himself as a merchant in the city. A £500 investment multiplied quickly and by 1789 he could successfully bid for, and establish, the first Irish mail coach service. This proved both reliable and profitable. In 1791, borrowing £40,000, Anderson purchased a large Co. Cork estate, including the town of Fermoy. The town, which Anderson largely rebuilt, became the centre of his mail coach organization. In 1800 Anderson opened the Fermoy Bank. Later he reputedly declined a baronetcy, though the title was subsequently bestowed on his son. In 1807 he purchased, in partnership, the nearby Barry estates. However, this investment ultimately proved disastrous. The property was heavily mortgaged, and land values fell. In 1816 the Fermoy Bank closed and its proprietor was bankrupted. Anderson's attempts to revive his fortunes failed, and he died in reduced circumstances in 1820.

Neal Garnham

Anderson, John MacVicar (1835–1915). Glasgow-born Scots architect, articled to his uncle, William Burn, whose partner he became: he continued to practise after Burn's death in 1870. As well as carrying out additions to various London clubs, he was responsible for the handsome Classical façade of Coutts's Bank in the centre of the Nash terrace at The Strand, London (demolished), and the British Linen Bank (now Bank of Scotland), Threadneedle Street (both 1903).

Bibliography

A. S. Gray (1985)