The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or variations) is an honorific Style (form of address), style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire, and the Commonwealt ...

Alexander Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank of Garvock and Pitliver (2 March 1777–30 November 1861), was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

, landowner and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

. After 1854 he took the surname Maconochie-Welwood.

Life

Maconochie was born on 2 March 1777 in "Society" a district in south Edinburgh,

Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, 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 Edinburgh council ar ...

(now known as the Pleasance), the eldest son of Elizabeth Welwood of Garvock and

Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank The Hon Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank FRSE FSA (Scot) (1748–1816) was a Scottish advocate, academic jurist, judge and agriculturalist. Life The only son of Alexander Maconochie of Meadowbank, Kirknewton, Midlothian, and his wife Isabell ...

. He was educated at the

Royal High School, Edinburgh The Royal High School (RHS) of Edinburgh is a co-educational school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland. It serves around 1,400 pupils drawn from four feeder pr ...

, and probably at 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 ...

. He was admitted as an

in 1799, and in 1800 admitted to the Highland Society. He served as

Sheriff of Haddington The Sheriff of Haddington, or Sheriff of East Lothian, was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order in Haddington, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following t ...

from 1810 and

Solicitor General for Scotland His Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland () is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Scottish Government on Scots Law. They are also responsible for the Crown Office and P ...

from 1813, and as

Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (), is the principal legal adviser of both the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolution, devolved powers of the Scottish P ...

from 1816 to 1819. He was Member of Parliament for Yarmouth,

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

, England, from 1817–1818, and for the

Kilrenny Kilrenny () is a village in Fife, Scotland. Part of the East Neuk, it lies immediately to the north of (but inland and separate from) Anstruther on the south Fife coast. The first element of the name is from the Scottish Gaelic ''cill'', mean ...

district of Anstruther Burghs from 1818 to 1819. He made his Parliamentary debut during a period of considerable unrest in both Scotland and England in 1817, choosing to mark it by announcing the existence of a seditious conspiracy of weavers in the suburbs of Glasgow. The ensuing prosecutions were spectacularly unsuccessful, however, and caused considerable embarrassment, both to the government and to Maconochie himself, who, as Lord Advocate, was directly responsible. In 1817 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 Sir William Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet, Thomas Allan,

Sir David Brewster Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA Scot FSSA MICE (11 December 178110 February 1868) was a British scientist, inventor, author, and academic administrator. In science he is principally remembered for his experimental work in physical optic ...

and Sir

Henry Jardine Sir Henry Jardine of Harwood WS FRSE (30 January 1766 – 11 August 1851) was a solicitor, antiquarian and a founder member of the Bannatyne Club in 1823, with his friend Sir Walter Scott. Life He was born in Edinburgh on 30 January 1766. He ...

. He served as a Councillor of the Society during 1822-5 (Literary section) and 1835–7. In February 1827 he co-founded the Edinburgh Theatrical Fund with

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

and served as its first President. This body provided funds for "the relief of decayed actors". In the 1830s, his city address is listed as 13 Royal Circus Edinburgh's New Town. His rural estate Meadowbank from which he took the name of his title was located in

West Lothian West Lothian (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. The modern counci ...

. Meadowbank House passed to him from his father and circa 1835, he paid for the Scottish architect

William Henry Playfair William Henry Playfair Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE (15 July 1790 – 19 March 1857) was a prominent Scottish architect in the 19th century who designed the Eastern, or Third, New Town, Edinburgh, New Town and many of Edinb ...

to redesign the house in

Scottish baronial style Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th-century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...

. In part because of his rather indifferent record, especially after further embarrassment in the

Court of Session The Court of Session is the highest national court of Scotland in relation to Civil law (common law), civil cases. The court was established in 1532 to take on the judicial functions of the royal council. Its jurisdiction overlapped with othe ...

in 1819, he was appointed a lord of session and justiciary as ''Lord Meadowbank'' 1819, and resigned in 1843. With the same title as his father, he was subject of one of Scots law's better puns. When he quizzed one advocate as to the difference between 'likewise and also', he received the reply that just as his father had been Lord Meadowbank, so was he, 'also but not likewise'. He assumed the additional surname of ''Welwood'' on succeeding to his cousin's estates in 1854. Maconochie-Welwood died on 30 November 1861 at Meadowbank House (now named Kirknewton House), Kirknewton, West Lothian, and was interred at a private burial ground at Meadowbank House.

Artistic Patronage

He was patron to the Edinburgh artist William Crawford.

Family

In 1805 he married Anne Blair the eldest daughter of Lord President

Robert Blair, Lord Avontoun Robert Blair of Avontoun FRSE (1741–1811) was a Scottish advocate and judge who served as Solicitor General for Scotland from 1789 to 1806, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1801 to 1808, and Lord President of the Court of Session from 180 ...

. The couple had children including: * Allan Alexander Maconochie (1806–1885). * Isabella Cornelia (b. 1807, d. 1888) * Robert Blair Maconochie (b. 21 May 1814, died 4 October 1863) who married Charlotte Joanna * Mary Anne Maconochie, who married Steuart Bayley Hare of Calderhall, father of Lt Col Hare.Logie: A Parish History Menzies Fergusson 1905 * Henry Dundas Maconochie-Welwood, b. 1820, died 1852 in

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

while working for the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

* Anne (b. 1822, d. 1882) * Elizabeth (d. 1881). File:13 Royal Circus, Edinburgh.jpg, Lord Meadowbank's Edinburgh townhouse at 13 Royal Circus File:LordMeadowbank.jpg, Lord Meadowbank, engraved by Henry Hoppner Meyer, after a painting by Allen William File:Grave of Alexander Machonichie Welwood, Kirknewton.jpg, Grave of Alexander Machonichie Welwood, Kirknewton File:Grave of Isabella, Anne and Elizabeth Machonochie Welwood, Kirknewtown.jpg, Grave of daughters Isabella, Anne and Elizabeth at Kirknewton House File:Grave of Robert Blair Maconochie and Charlottee Joanna, Kirknewton.jpg, Grave of second son Robert Blair Maconochie File:Grave of Henry Dundas Maconochie, Kirknewton.jpg, Grave of son Henry Dundas Maconochie, who died 1842 before his father

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maconochie, Alexander 1777 births 1861 deaths 19th-century Scottish judges Nobility from Midlothian People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Members of the Faculty of Advocates Scottish sheriffs Lord advocates Solicitors general for Scotland Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies Scottish antiquarians Meadowbank 19th-century Scottish landowners UK MPs 1812–1818 UK MPs 1818–1820 Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland