Our first President was born in 1869 on his father's farm "Robinsland” in the parish of West Linton, Peeblesshire. He was educated in West Linton and started working as an apprentice with the British Linen Bank in Peebles. After joining the London and Brazilian Bank he was sent to Pernambuco in 1891 and subsequently went to Rio. He married during his first leave and returned to Brazil to work in Campinas and later in Sao Paulo. In 1912 he joined the recently formed Banco Comercial do Estado de São Paulo (today Banco ltaú) becoming the Bank's Vice-President.

In addition to being our President, he was a director of Lidgerwood & Co. Ltd, The Brazil and Paraná Plantations Syndicate Ltd, Cia. Americana de Seguros and director of the Hospital Samaritano. His son Bill became Hon Secretary of the Society in 1926 and his grandson is a member today and was recently the Chairman of the British and Commonwealth Community Council. Our first President died in London in 1933, after a serious operation, from which he never recovered.