Caird of The Antarctic!

We have all heard (or read previously) of Scott of the Antarctic but there is the less well-known story of James Caird Jute Baron and Philanthropist who made it all possible.

James Caird was born 7 January 1837 in Dundee. The Cairds of Dundee owned two mills in Dundee making them one of the cities wealthiest families.

Ernest Shackleton approached Caird prior to his expedition with James Caird eventually pledging £24000 (millions in totals value) towards Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic.

In honor of his patron Ernest Shackleton named one of His ship the Endurance’s lifeboats after Caird. It was this lifeboat in which Shackleton famously made an open ocean 500-mile rescue voyage after the endurance struck Ice in the Antarctic.

James Caird is the namesake to many bequests in Dundee most notably the Caird Hall and Caird Park. Caird's donations also enabled the establishment of Dundee Cancer Hospital, which at the time was at the forefront of cancer research in the UK thanks to Cairds generosity. Other foundations included The Caird Jubilee Nurses Home

 And the Royal Dundee Institute For The Blind

James Key Caird Died on the 6 March 1916 in Belmont Castle in his beloved Dundee. Caird’s greatest namesakes came to fruition after his death with the Caird Hall being opened in 1923 and Shackleton’s naming of the Caird Coast in the Antarctic after its discovery in 1915