John Mackintosh (philanthropist)

22 Prince Edward's Road in Gibraltar, birthplace, home and place of death of John Mackintosh.

John Mackintosh was born in Gibraltar on 15 July 1865 at 22 Prince Edward's Road, where he spent most of his life. His father, John Mackintosh, a native of Scotland, had settled in Gibraltar to do business as a general merchant. Mackintosh's father died whilst his son was still a boy. His mother, Adelaide Peacock, came from an old Gibraltarian merchant family who were also of Scottish descent. Mackintosh went on to marry Victoria Canepa on 30 June 1909, whose mother was one of the seven Saccone sisters, an affluent family of the times. The couple had an only daughter, Adelaide.[3]

When still young John Mackintosh went to work in the City of London, showing great ability as a businessman and returning to Gibraltar to join his uncle John Peacock in the cotton goods and shipping trade as Peacock & Company. He later entered into partnership with C.W. Mathiesen, Consul for Denmark and shipping agent. This partnership was later followed by that of Crusoe & Mackintosh. The firm prospered as it developed its extensive coal business. Eventually John Mackintosh bought out Crusoe and traded as Mackintosh & Company, a company which he formed into a limited company in 1923, later to be taken over in 1934 by Pyrmont Limited.[3]

Aside from his coal business, John Mackintosh delved into other business activities. He also acquired control of the Chellew Shipping Company, a Cornish company that owned and managed cargo ships. He later formed the Calpean Shipping Company through which he had three cargo ships built during the 1930s, the SS Auretta, the SS Justitia and the MV Statira. He also had a controlling interest in a Newcastle upon Tyne coal business called Thos.H Seed & Company. Mackintosh held the position of Consul for Denmark and Norway for many years. He enjoyed spending his summers abroad in San Sebastian, Switzerland and Pau. Well read and fond of music, Mackintosh was an approachable and popular man.[3]

John Mackintosh was very public spirited and would support various causes. He was deeply interested in the welfare of his native Gibraltar and addressing the needs of the aged, sick and poor.[3]

Victoria shared her husband's many successes, supporting him in adversity and taking care of him in his autumn years, when his health began to fail him. He died at the same house in which he was born, on 28 February 1940, and the whole fortress mourned his loss. The centrally located John Mackintosh Square was later named after him by a grateful public.[3]

John Mackintosh Square was named after the Gibraltarian philanthropist John Mackintosh.

A bust and plaque memorial to his name was unveiled on the western façade of the House of Assembly (now the Gibraltar Parliament) building facing the square in April, 1974.[3] Mackintosh was posthumously awarded the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour by Parliament for his services to philanthropy and officially announced by Mayor of Gibraltar, Solomon Levy, on National Day 2008.[4]