ABSTRACT
In August of the year 1812 it was reported, somewhat peevishly, that ‘The Staffords seem to have turned their thoughts entirely to economy and the society of Scotch agents.’ 1 At approximately that date James Loch entered the service of the House of Sutherland. Thenceforward, until his death in 1855, Loch was the major instrument in the direction and execution of the economic policies of the family. An Edinburgh intellectual, lawyer, economist, financial expert, M.P., estates commissioner, political agent, apologist, family historian and antiquarian, as well as trusted friend, Loch was a dominant influence in the life of the family. He as much as anyone determined the uses of the Sutherland fortune.
