Blinshall Street was named after the Rev Dr James Blinshall, who was Minister of the Third Charge (St. Paul’s) in Dundee from 1764 till his death in 1803. He was the son of David Blinshall, Minister of Lamington; studied at Aberdeen University; was licensed by the Presbytery of Biggar in 1744; and became Minister of the English Church, Amsterdam, in 1758, having D.D. conferred upon him.
In 1764 he was appointed to Dundee, where he took an active interest especially in Gilbert Guthrie’s Mortification, dated 1674, for educational purposes. The funds were chiefly derived from ten acres of land in the Westfield of Dundee; but when Dr. Blinshall found that the town Council, without warrant, were about to take over these lands, he protested along with the Kirk Session against this unlawful proceeding, and was successful. In commemoration of this action three of the streets on the ground were named respectively, Guthrie Street, Blinshall Street and Session Street.