The Hon. Robert MacFarlane, Lord Ormidale FRSE (30 July 1802 – 3 November 1880) was a Scottish law lord and a Senator of the College of Justice. In 1868 he brought about a reform in the Court of Session ending technicalities in pleading, to try to focus upon justice in its broadest sense.

Life

He was born in Glen Douglas near

Luss Luss (''Lus'', 'herb' in Gaelic) is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on the west bank of Loch Lomond. The village is within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. History Historically in the County of Dunbarton, its origina ...

Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Pe ...

on 30 July 1802, the son of Anne Campbell (1771–1827) and Parlane MacFarlane (1771–1827). He was christened in Luss on 25 August 1802. He studied law at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

(1816–1819) and 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 ...

(1819–1821), and was apprenticed to James Greig WS at 9 Abercromby Place in Edinburgh. He was created a

Writer to the Signet The Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet is a private society of Scottish solicitors, dating back to 1594 and part of the College of Justice. Writers to the Signet originally had special privileges in relation to the drawing up of document ...

(WS) in 1827. After spending some years in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

he returned to Scotland and was created an advocate in 1838. Successful in civil cases he was created

Sheriff of Renfrew 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 ...

shire in 1853. In 1862 he was created a

Lord of Session 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 given the title Lord Ormidale. In 1863 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposer being

John Hutton Balfour John Hutton Balfour (15 September 1808 – 11 February 1884) was a Scottish botanist. Balfour became a Professor of Botany, first at the University of Glasgow in 1841, moving to the University of Edinburgh and also becoming the 7th Regius Kee ...

. At this time he was living at 14 Moray Place, a huge Georgian townhouse on the

Moray Estate The Moray Estate in Edinburgh was an exclusive early 19th century building venture attaching the west side of Edinburgh's New Town. Built on an awkward and steeply sloping site, it has been described as a masterpiece of urban planning. Back ...

in west Edinburgh. He died at Hartrigge House in

Jedburgh Jedburgh (; gd, Deadard; sco, Jeddart or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the historic county of Roxburghshire, the name of which was randomly chosen for Operation Jedburgh in s ...

on 3 November 1880. He is buried with his wife, who predeceased him, in

Warriston Cemetery Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh. It lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly-formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping si ...

in north Edinburgh.

Family

On 21 October 1843 he married Grace Addison Greig (1827–1880) from Eccles, Berwickshire, the daughter of his employer, James Greig WS. They had eight children. Their son

George Lewis MacFarlane George Lewis MacFarlane, Lord Ormidale LLD (1854–1941) was a 19th/20th century Scottish law lord who served as a Senator of the College of Justice. Life He was born at 31 Heriot Row in Edinburgh on 22 March 1854, the son of Robert MacFar ...

(1854–1941) also became a Senator of the College of Justice, as the second Lord Ormidale in 1910.

Publications

*''The Practice of the Court of Session in Jury Cases'' (1837) *''Practical Notes on the Structure of Issues in Jury Cases'' (1844)

Arms

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacFarlane, Robert 1802 births 1880 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Senators of the College of Justice Scottish sheriffs 19th-century Scottish judges