He had made his money trading tea during the Napoleonic wars, and used this to buy the estate of Comely Bank. He was by then living at Comely Bank in the Stockbridge district of Edinburgh and he had other estates which he had bought but he was to retire from trade in 1800 to look after these interests.
He had amassed his wealth through trading tea during the Napoleonic conflicts, and utilized it to acquire the Comely Bank estate. At that time, he resided at Comely Bank in Edinburgh's Stockbridge district and owned other estates that he managed before retiring from trade in 1800.