George Fergusson, Lord Hermand (25 August 1743–9 August 1827) was a Scottish

advocate 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, ...

and judge.

Life

He was born on 25 August 1743, the eighth son of Jean Maitland, only child of James, viscount Maitland, and grand-daughter of John, fifth earl of

Lauderdale Lauderdale is the valley of the Leader Water (a tributary of the Tweed) in the Scottish Borders. It contains the town of Lauder, as well as Earlston. The valley is traversed from end to end by the A68 trunk road, which runs from Darlington to E ...

, and her husband,

Sir James Fergusson, 2nd Baronet Sir James Fergusson of Kilkerran, 2nd Baronet, Lord Kilkerran (1688–1759) was a Scottish judge. Biography Fergusson was the eldest son of Sir John Fergusson, 1st Baronet, of Kilkerran (whom he succeeded to the Fergusson Baronetcy in 1729), ...

of Kilkerran in

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

. His elder brother was

Sir Adam Fergusson, 3rd Baronet Sir Adam Fergusson, 3rd Baronet of Kilkerran, FRSE LLD (7 May 1733 – 25 September 1813) was a Scottish advocate and politician. He was described as able but humourless. Together with contemporaries such as Robert Dundas he was part of what was c ...

. George attended James Mundell's School in

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 ...

then the

High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

1755–56. He then studied law at 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 ...

. He was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates on 17 December 1765. He practised at the

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for 34 years with considerable success. In 1783, with his brother Adam and many other notable Edinburgh figures of the

Scottish Enlightenment The Scottish Enlightenment ( sco, Scots Enlichtenment, gd, Soillseachadh na h-Alba) was the period in 18th- and early-19th-century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By the eighteenth century ...

, he was a founder member 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 ...

. On the death of Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield, Fergusson was made an ordinary lord of session, and took his seat on the bench as "Lord Hermand" on 11 July 1799. He was also appointed a lord justiciary on 4 August 1808, in the place of Sir William Nairne of Dunsinnam. He resigned both these offices in 1826. Fergusson was both eccentric and a heavy drinker. An etching of Hermand by John Kay is in the first volume of 'Original Portraits' (No. 156). His portrait also appears along with those of the other judges in the 'Last Sitting of the Old Court of Session, 11 July 1808' (vol. ii. No. 300).Original old antique Victorian print
c1790-c1900 LAST SITTING OLD COURT SESSION JULY 1808
''

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''. . Retrieved 18 February 2012 He died at the family estate of Hermand House in West Calder west of

, on 9 August 1827.

Family

Fergusson married Graham (sic), daughter of William McDowall of Garthland, who survived him by several years. They had no children.

References

Sources

* * 1743 births 1827 deaths 18th-century Scottish people 19th-century Scottish people Hermand Founder Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People from Ayrshire People educated at James Mundell's School People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh Members of the Faculty of Advocates Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Younger sons of baronets {{Scotland-law-bio-stub