Aeneas MacBean WS (1776–1857) was a Scottish lawyer with a prestigious office on

Charlotte Square 300px, Robert Adam's palace-fronted north side Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended ...

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 ...

. The name appears to be a corruption of McBain.

Life

Corner of Charlotte Square and Glenfinlas Street - geograph

He was born on 11 September 1776 in

Ardersier Ardersier ( gd, Àird nan Saor) is a small former fishing village in the Scottish Highlands on the Moray Firth near Fort George, between Inverness and Nairn. Its name may be an anglicisation of the Gaelic "Àird nan Saor", or "Headland of the j ...

near

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

, the son of Alexander MacBean (1745-1790), a farmer, and his wife, Rose Grant Campbeltown (1755-1830). He was baptised on 6 July 1790. His father is noted as a merchant at the time of his death. He appears in practice in Edinburgh in 1810 at 14 North Castle Street and is already listed as 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 ...

although only 20 years old. In 1815 he had premises at 65 Castle Street but within 5 years had moved to prestigious offices at 11

, part of an exceptionally large and beautiful pavilion block in a terrace by

Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 17283 March 1792) was a British neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his o ...

(the office is accessed from Glenfinlas Street). He maintained the office on Charlotte Square for four decades. He primarily dealt with wills and estates for rich clients. He appears as a trustee in the will of several famous people including

Hugh William Williams Hugh William Williams FRSE (1773–1829), known as "Grecian Williams," was a Scottish landscape painter. Life Williams was born onboard the ship of his father, Captain Williams, whilst en route to the West Indies. His mother, "Miss Lewis", die ...

. He was property agent for many wealthy highland clients. He had offices at 11

and lived at 63 Great King Street. In 1836 he was signatory to a petition against the behaviour of Henry Brougham, Lord Brougham. He died on 31 August 1857 and was buried on 4 September 1857. His grave lies on the upper terrace of St John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh on

Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...

, only 100m from his home on Charlotte Square.

Family

His paternal uncle was Rev William MacBean of Alvie (d.1818). His younger brother was Rev Hugh MacBean (1780-1851) of

Ardclach Ardclach (Gaelic: Àird Chlach) is a small crofting hamlet, close to Glenferness in the old county of Nairn, Scotland, within the Scottish council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, ...

. His nephew Aeneas MacBean (1822-1899) was also a lawyer (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 on ...

References

1776 births 1857 deaths People from Highland (council area) Scottish lawyers Burials at St John's, Edinburgh {{Scotland-bio-stub