George Moir FRSE (1800–1870) was a Scottish advocate and author, amateur artist and early photographer.

Life

The son of George Moir, a

vintner A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes: *Cooperating with viticulturists *Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to dete ...

running "The Old Ship Inn", he was born in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

, and educated in the city. Moving to

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

, he entered a lawyer's office and qualified as an advocate in 1825. In 1824, when Moir was working on an article for the '' Edinburgh Review'', a friend suggested that he might seek information from Sir William Hamilton. They met in the

Advocates' Library The Advocates Library, founded in 1682, is the law library of the Faculty of Advocates, in Edinburgh. It served as the national deposit library of Scotland until 1925, at which time through an Act of Parliament the National Library of Scotland ...

, and formed a lifelong friendship. On 2 July 1825 Moir was admitted advocate. In 1826 Hamilton proposed Moir as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh - he resigned from the Society in 1837. In the 1830s, he made the acquaintance of

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

who found him "become a conservative, settled everywhere into ''dilettante'', not very happy, I think; dry, civil, and seems to feel ''unheimlich'' in my company". Craigenputtock by George Moir

In the 1830s he is listed as living at 63 Northumberland Street in Edinburgh's Second New Town. In 1830 he married his wife, Flora Towers (d.1858), and this was presumably their family home. From 1835 to 1840 Moir was Professor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, appointed on the occasion when Carlyle was unsuccessful. He was an early photographer and member of the

Edinburgh Calotype Club The Edinburgh Calotype Club (1843 – c.1850s) of Scotland was the first photographic club in the world. Its members consisted of pioneering photographers primarily from Edinburgh and St Andrews. The efforts of the Club's members resulted in ...

. He continued in practice at the Scottish bar, and in 1855 was appointed sheriff of Ross and Cromarty, a post which in 1859 he exchanged for the shrievalty of

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling, gd, Siorrachd Sruighlea) is a historic county and registration countyRegisters of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling. It borders Perth ...

. In 1864 the

Faculty of Advocates The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary. The Faculty of Advocates is a constit ...

chose Moir as Professor of Scots law at the

, however due to bad health he resigned in less than a year. Moir gave up his

shrievalty A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

in 1868, and died at his house at 14

Charlotte Square 300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intend ...

,Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1869-70 Edinburgh, on 19 October 1870. He is buried in the churchyard of St John's Episcopal Church, at the west end of Princes Street.

Works

Originally a Whig in his politics, Moir later sided with the Tories, and became a regular contributor to ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

''. His works are: *''Schiller's Piccolomini and Wallenstein'', translated, with a critical preface, Edinburgh, 1827; dedicated to Hamilton. *''Schiller's Thirty Years' War'', translated, with biographical notice, 2 vols. Edinburgh, 1828. *''The Appellate Jurisdiction of Scotch Appeals'', Edinburgh, 1851. *''Magic and Witchcraft'', London, 1852. Extracts from Moir's lectures were incorporated by William Guthrie in the 14th edition of John Erskine's ''Principles of the Law of Scotland'', 1870. Moir also contributed articles on poetry and modern romance to the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'' which, with William Spalding's article on rhetoric, were published as ''Treatises on Poetry, Modern Romance and Rhetoric'' (1839). *''Magia e Stregoneria'', Lulu Press, Raleigh (NC), 2018, Italian version of ''Magic and Witchcraft'' (1852), translated by Rev. Marco Lupi Speranza, .

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Moir, George 1800 births 1870 deaths Scottish lawyers People from Aberdeen Academics of the University of Edinburgh