{{Short description|British politician (1828–1912)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} [[File:Sir_Robert_Pullar.jpg|thumb|Sir Robert Pullar by John Everett Millais]] '''Sir Robert Pullar''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRSE}} (18 February 1828 – 9 September 1912)<ref>{{Rayment-hc|p|1|date=March 2012}}</ref> was a Scottish Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom.

==Life==

Pullar was born at Burt's Close in Perth on 18 February 1828, the eldest of nine children of John Pullar (1803–1878), a dyer, and his wife Mary Walker.<ref name=odnb1>{{cite book|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 45|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=533|isbn=0-19-861395-4}}Article by John McG. Davies.</ref> His father founded the firm Pullars of Perth and was also at one point Provost of Perth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mackintosh-architecture.gla.ac.uk/catalogue/name/?nid=PullJSons|title = Mackintosh Architecture: Biography}}</ref> In the summer of 1828 the family moved to 36 Mill street in Perth.<ref>Perth Post Office Directory 1837</ref> This was as a reaction to complaints regarding noxious smells while they were working at Burt's Close, Mill Street being further out of town.<ref>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Robert Pullar</ref> He was educated in Perth at Stewart's Academy in Atholl Street, Greig's Academy in Stormont Street, and at Perth Academy, also doing continuation classes in French and German.

thumb|upright|Shop sign for Pullars of Perth, Perth Museum He was apprenticed under his father in 1841, a junior partner in 1848<ref name=odnb1/> and ultimately senior partner in the local family firm of Pullars Dyeworks.<ref name=www>{{cite book|title=Who Was Who, 1897-1916|year=1988|publisher=Black & Co|page=580|isbn=0-7136-2670-4}}1988 reprint</ref> In 1857 the firm formed a relationship with the inventor William Perkin to be the first manufacturer to successfully introduce purple aniline dye. The firm also branched into dry cleaning, a technique he learned from Germany, establishing a plant in Tulloch in 1882.<ref name=odnb1/> He was known as an extensive and generous donor to local charities and other local causes and a benevolent employer, although in the last year of his life there was a major strike in the firm when he refused to discuss wage rises.<ref name=odnb2>{{cite book|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 45|page=534}}</ref> He was a J.P. for the County of Perth.<ref name=odnb1/> He travelled widely in Russia, Scandinavia, America and the Middle East.<ref name=odnb1/>

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1880. His proposers were Sir James Falshaw, William Lauder Lindsay, John Duns and James Sime.<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=24 January 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> At this time he lived at 6 St Leonards Bank in Perth and ran the North British Dyeworks on Kinnoull Street.<ref>Perth Post Office Directory 1880</ref> He was knighted by Queen Victoria in the 1895 Birthday Honours.<ref name=www />

Although his family were originally Baptists he seemed to favour the Free Church and in 1900 joined the newly created United Free Church of Scotland<ref>ODNB: Robert Pullar</ref> worshipping at St Leonards Church on Marshall Place facing the South Inch.

In 1905 he received an honorary doctorate (LLD) from St Andrew's University.<ref name=odnb1/>

He was elected unopposed at a by-election on 12 February 1907 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Perth. In his politics he was a radical Liberal and supported free trade and Irish home rule. He stood down in January 1910.<ref name="craig1885-1918">{{cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |authorlink= F. W. S. Craig |title=British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 |orig-year=1974 |edition= 2nd |year=1989 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-27-2 |page=518 }}</ref> At the time of his election, he was six days short of his 79th birthday, making his possibly the oldest parliamentary debut of an MP in the 20th century. He rarely spoke in debates and was criticized by local trade unions for failing to support measures to help the unemployed.<ref name=odnb2/>

In 1911 he received Freedom of the City of Perth.

thumb|upright|The grave of Sir Robert Pullar, Wellshill Cemetery in Perth He died at home, "Tayside" on Isla Road, of a seizure on 9 September 1912 aged 84. He was buried with his wife at Wellshill Cemetery, Perth, close to his parents.<ref name=odnb2/> The grave nears at the southern end of the terraced step midway across the southern east–west path.

==Family==

He was older brother to Laurence Pullar, James Pullar and Edmund Pullar, and uncle to Frederick Pullar.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.scottish-places.info/people/famousfirst4230.html |title= Frederick (Fred) Pattison Pullar |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Scottish Places |publisher= |access-date= 15 October 2025 |quote=}}</ref>

In 1859 he married Helen Mary Daniell (1829&ndash;1904), daughter of Charles Daniell of Wantage, Berkshire, England, by whom he had two sons, Rufus Daniell Pullar (1861&ndash;1917) and Albert Evans Pullar (1865&ndash;1945).<ref name=www /> Rufus and his family are buried alongside his parents.

==Artistic recognition==

His portrait was painted by John Everett Millais.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-robert-pullar-mp-for-tayside-129420|title=Sir Robert Pullar, MP for Tayside &#124; Art UK}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | sir-robert-pullar | Sir Robert Pullar }}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef | before = Robert Wallace }} {{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Perth | years = 1907 – January 1910 }} {{s-aft | after = Frederick Whyte }} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pullar, Robert}} Category:1828 births Category:1912 deaths Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies Category:Scottish Liberal Party MPs Category:UK MPs 1906–1910 Category:People educated at Perth Academy Category:19th-century Scottish businesspeople