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Patrick Colquhoun (14 March 1745 – 25 April 1820) was a Scottish merchant, statistician, magistrate, and founder of the first regular preventive police force in England, the Thames River Police. ==Early life== Colquhoun, a descendent of the Scottish Clan Colquhoun of Luss, was born in Dumbarton in 1745.〔(Clan Colquhoun and Patrick Colquhoun ), "by David Minor"〕 Orphaned at the age of 16, his relatives sent him to America, setting him up in the lucrative commercial trade in Virginia. In 1766, the 21-year-old Colquhoun returned to Scotland, settling in Glasgow and going into business on his own in the linen trade. Ten years later, with the outbreak of the American Revolution, Colquhoun sided against the rebels and, along with 13 other local businessmen, funded a Glasgow regiment to contribute to the government’s war effort.〔( Significant Scots: Patrick Colquhoun ), ''Electric Scotland''. Retrieved 4 February 2007.〕 He built an estate in the West End (now part of Kelvingrove Park) and, on 22 July 1775, married his cousin Janet, the daughter of James Colquhoun, the Provost of Dumbarton. Between 1782 and 1784, Patrick Colquhoun himself served as the Lord Provost of Glasgow. He also founded the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturing during that time, and made himself the first chairman. He was awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University of Glasgow in 1797.〔George Stewart, (Patrick Colquhoun ), ''Curiosities of Glasgow citizenship, as exhibited chiefly in the business career of its old commercial aristocracy''. Glasgow: James Maclehose, 1881. Retrieved on 7 February 2007.〕 Colquhoun was an avid statistician, and collected economic data. He used this information to lobby the government on behalf of the country’s industries, particularly cotton and muslin. His findings formed the basis of numerous pamphlets and treatise that he wrote promoting legal reform and business generally. On one occasion, he traveled to Manchester and compiled statistics on the cotton trade. He presented his findings to Prime Minister William Pitt in 1789, but they were not acted upon because of the war with France. These activities brought Colquhoun increasingly into contact with the political sphere and to the attention of government and in 1785 he moved to London to seek a government position, and was appointed Magistrate in the East End.〔“Patrick Colquhoun: (Statistics of Cotton Manufacture in Great Britain, 1771-1789 ); (Significant Scots: Patrick Colquhoun ), ''Electric Scotland''. Retrieved 4 February 2007.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Patrick Colquhoun」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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