Sir William Gibson Craig, 2nd Baronet, PC,

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 ...

(2 August 1797 – 12 March 1878), 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 politician.

Life

He was born the first son of Sir James Gibson-Craig, 1st Baronet, and his wife, Anne Thomson. He was educated at the High 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 ...

and then privately in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. William became an

in 1820. He was

Lord Clerk Register The office of Lord Clerk Register is the oldest surviving Great Officer of State in Scotland, with origins in the 13th century. It historically had important functions in relation to the maintenance and care of the public records of Scotland. To ...

and Keeper of the Signet from 1862 until his death. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1863. He was the

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east- central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinbu ...

from 1837 to 1841 and for

from 1841 to 1852. He was a Junior Lord of the Treasury in Lord John Russell's government from 1846 to 1852. He became a member of the Highland Society in 1824. In 1828 he was elected 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 ...

his proposer being Thomas Allan. He lived in Riccarton House to the south-west of

Family

His younger brother,

James Thomson Gibson-Craig James Thomson Gibson-Craig (12 March 1799 – 18 July 1886) was a Scottish book collector and writer to the Signet. Early life, education, and career Gibson-Craig was born on 12 March 1799 as the second son of James Gibson (1765–1850), and ...

WS (1799–1886) was also a Fellow of the

. He was married to Betsy Vivian. They had six children. One of his grandchildren was the

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Dorothy Brooke.

Publications

*''On Howard's Wheel Plough''

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson Craig, William 1797 births 1878 deaths Members of the Faculty of Advocates Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Edinburgh constituencies Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Whig (British political party) MPs for Scottish constituencies UK MPs 1837–1841 UK MPs 1841–1847 UK MPs 1847–1852 19th-century Scottish people Scottish knights Paintings by Henry Raeburn