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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, appointed on the occasion when Carlyle was unsuccessful. He was an early photographer and member of the Edinburgh Calotype Club.
He continued in practice at the Scottish bar, and in 1855 was appointed sheriff of
FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(1800–1870) was a Scottish advocate and author, amateur artist and early photographer.
Life
The son of George Moir, a vintner running "The Old Ship Inn", he was born in Aberdeen, and educated in the city. Moving to Edinburgh, he entered a lawyer's office and qualified as anadvocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...
in 1825.
In 1824, when Moir was working on an article for the ''Edinburgh Review
The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural magazines. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929.
''Edinburgh Review'', ...
'', a friend suggested that he might seek information from Sir William Hamilton. They met in the Advocates' Library, 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
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...
- he resigned from the Society in 1837.
In the 1830s, he made the acquaintance of Thomas Carlyle 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".
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, appointed on the occasion when Carlyle was unsuccessful. He was an early photographer and member of the Edinburgh Calotype Club.
He continued in practice at the Scottish bar, and in 1855 was appointed sheriff of Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty ( gd, Ros agus Cromba), sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the latt ...
, a post which in 1859 he exchanged for the shrievalty of Stirlingshire. In 1864 the Faculty of Advocates chose Moir as Professor of Scots law
Scots law () is the legal system of Scotland. It is a hybrid or mixed legal system containing civil law and common law elements, that traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. Together with English law and Northern Ireland l ...
at the University of Edinburgh, however due to bad health he resigned in less than a year.
Moir gave up his shrievalty in 1868, and died at his house at 14 Charlotte Square,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
Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...
.
Works
Originally a Whig in his politics, Moir later sided with the Tories, and became a regular contributor to '' Blackwood's Magazine''. 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'' 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