Respected members of Edinburgh society, Francis Brodie's family were descended from the Brodies of Brodie Castle in Moray. The first son of the barrister, Ludovick Brodie of Whytfield, Francis Brodie trained for 10 years as an apprentice before developing his extremely successful Edinburgh workshop and becoming an important, respected figure in the city.
Francis's accomplishments are perhaps overshadowed by his now infamous son, William Brodie commonly known as Deacon Brodie - as he was elected as Deacon of Wrights and Masons around 1781.
William worked at his father's workshop, going on to inherit his father's practice upon his death and establishing his own reputation as an accomplished cabinetmaker. William or Deacon Brodie's famed 'double life' as a thief and gambler led to his execution in 1788. He is thought to have been the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’.