The Hon. Robert MacFarlane, Lord Ormidale

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 Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

(30 July 1802 – 3 November 1880) was a Scottish lawyer 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 (, 'herb') 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 original name is ''Clacha ...

Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire () or the County of Dumbarton is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbar ...

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 The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

(1816–1819) and 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 ...

(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 documen ...

(WS) in 1827. After spending some years in

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he returned to Scotland and was created an advocate in 1838. Successful in civil cases he was created Sheriff of Renfrewshire in 1853. In 1862 he was created a

Lord of Session The senators of the College of Justice in Scotland 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 ...

and given the title Lord Ormidale. In 1863 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 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 Edinburgh University, University of Edinburgh and also becomin ...

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

Moray Estate The Moray Estate, also known as the Moray Feu, is an early 19th century building venture attaching the west side of the New Town, Edinburgh. Built on an awkward and steeply sloping site, it has been described as a masterpiece of urban plannin ...

in west Edinburgh. He died at Hartrigge House in

Jedburgh Jedburgh ( ; ; or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Roxburghshire. History Jedburgh began as ''Jedworð'', the "worth" or enclosed settlem ...

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

Warriston Cemetery Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in List of graveyards and cemeteries in Edinburgh, 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 o ...

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 (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