David MacGill, McGill or Makgill, Lord Cranston Riddell (1532–1595) was a 16th-century Scottish judge and

Senator of the College of Justice The senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court of Session); ...

and

Lord Advocate of Scotland , body = , insignia = Crest of the Kingdom of Scotland.svg , insigniasize = 110px , image = File:Official Portrait of Dorothy Bain QC.png , incumbent = Dorothy Bain KC , incumbentsince = 22 June 2021 , appointer = Monarch on the advice ...

from 1582 to 1595.

Life

He was born around 1532 in or near

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, the son of James MacGill of Nesbit, an Edinburgh burgess, and

Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...

1570/71 and his wife, Helen Wardlaw. He was born in the family home of

Oxenfoord Castle Oxenfoord Castle is a country house in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located north of Pathhead, Midlothian, and south-east of Dalkeith, above the Tyne Water. Originally a 16th-century tower house, the present castle is largely the result of m ...

on the Cranstoun Riddel (Cranston Riddell) estate south-east of

Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; gd, Dail Cheith, IPA: �t̪alˈçe is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-cent ...

. His eldest brother was

James MacGill Sir James MacGill, Lord Rankeillor of Nether Rankeillour. (died 1579) was a Scottish courtier and Senator of the College of Justice. Sworn of the Privy Council by Mary, Queen of Scots in 1561, he became her Lord Clerk Register (Keeper of the S ...

, Lord Rankeillor. In June 1582 he was elected a Senator of the College of Justice and took the title Lord Cranston Riddell. He died in or near Edinburgh on 13 February 1595. His place on the Senate was taken by his eldest son, also David MacGill in 1597, who continued the title Lord Cranston Riddell, causing some confusion between father and son.

Family

On 11 May 1557 he married Elizabeth Forester of

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population ...

. They had at least six children, the eldest being David Makgill (1558-1607). His second son, Sir James MacGill was also a Senator and also known as Lord Cranston Riddell. He was later created

Viscount of Oxfuird Viscount of Oxfuird is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1651 for Sir James Makgill, 1st Baronet, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Makgill of Cousland, also in the Peerage of Scotland, with remainder to his "heirs mal ...

.An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice

Life

Family

References

See also