John Abercromby, 5th Baron Abercromby of

Tullibody Tullibody () is a village set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth near to the foot of the Ochil Hills within the Forth Valley. The village is southwest of Alva, Clackmannanshire, Alva, northwest of Alloa and ...

(15 January 1841 – 7 October 1924) was a Scottish soldier and

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

Life

Abercromby was born in

House as the son of George Abercromby, 3rd Baron Abercromby, and Louisa Penuel Forbes, and had two brothers and a sister. He was educated at

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

as a boarder. Around 1860 he received a commission in the Rifle Brigade but resigned in 1870 having risen no higher than Lieutenant. During this period he saw no conflict but was posted in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

for a year. After leaving the army in 1870 he devoted himself to languages, travel, and folklore. In 1904 he introduced the term beaker into the archaeological lexicon to describe the copper age drinking vessels being found all over western Europe. He moved to

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in 1895 living at 62 Palmerston Place. In 1898 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) 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 establis ...

. His proposers were Lt Col Frederick Bailey, Alexander Buchan, John McLaren, Lord McLaren, and

Peter Guthrie Tait Peter Guthrie Tait (28 April 18314 July 1901) was a Scottish Mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and early pioneer in thermodynamics. He is best known for the mathematical physics textbook ''Treatise on Natural Philosophy'', which he ...

. In 1911 he was still living at 62 Palmerston Place in

's fashionable West End. He received an honorary doctorate from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

with an honorary Doctorate of Law (LLD) in later life. On 3 October 1917, following the death of his elder brother George, he succeeded as the fifth Lord Abercromby. Prior to this he was styled the Hon. John Abercromby. He supported the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usu ...

and served as its president from 1913 to 1918. His will provided for the foundation of the Abercromby Chair of Archaeology at Edinburgh University, a post occupied by

Vere Gordon Childe Vere Gordon Childe (14 April 189219 October 1957) was an Australian archaeologist who specialised in the study of Prehistoric Europe, European prehistory. He spent most of his life in the United Kingdom, working as an academic for the Universi ...

and

Stuart Piggott Stuart Ernest Piggott, (28 May 1910 – 23 September 1996) was a British archaeologist, best known for his work on prehistoric Wessex. Early life Piggott was born in Petersfield, Hampshire, the son of G. H. O. Piggott, and was educated ...

. He died on 7 October 1924 and is buried in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and o ...

in Edinburgh at its east side, close to the main entrance. Tullibody House was demolished following a fire in 1961.

Family

Abercromby married his Swedish cousin, Adele Wilhelmina Marika von Heidenstern, on 26 August 1876. They had one daughter, Edla Louisa Montague Abercromby (b. 1877), who married Georges N. Nasos in 1906. John and Adele divorced in 1879 after only three years of marriage. As he had no son, the Barony of Abercromby became extinct on his death. Tullibody House

Works

* * *
vol. 1vol. 1vol. 2vol. 2
**Much of this material was first published as a series of articles by

The Folklore Society The Folklore Society (FLS) is a registered charity under English law based in London, England for the study of folklore. Its office is at 50 Fitzroy Street, London home of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. It w ...

in ''Folklore'' as 'Magic Songs of the Finns' : v.1 (1890), 17–46, 331–48; v.2 (1891), 31–49; v.3 (1892), 49–66; v.4 (1893), 27–49. *
vol. 1vol. 2

References

Sources

* * Letter of John Abercromby to Joseph Déchelette © Ville de Roanne - Musée Joseph Déchelette - Bibliothèqu
http://www.memo-roanne.fr/
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abercromby, John 5th Baron Abercromby 1841 births 1924 deaths Nobility from Clackmannanshire Military personnel from Clackmannanshire People educated at Harrow School 5 Scottish archaeologists Scottish soldiers Rifle Brigade officers Younger sons of barons Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Burials at the Dean Cemetery

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland