George Fergusson (Lord Hermand)

Biographical Summary

"Son of Sir James Fergusson of Kilkenan, Baronet, one of the Senators of the College of Justice, was admitted advocate 17th December 1765. He was appointed a judge in the room of Robert Macqueen of Braxfield, and took his seat by the title of Lord Hermand, 11th July 1799; and on the resignation of Lord Dunsinnan, was also constituted a Commissioner of Justiciary, 4th of August 1808. He resigned both of these offices in 1826, and died at Hermand 9th August 1827."

SOURCE: An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice: From Its Institution in MDXXXII; by George Brunton, David Haig; 1832; Page 544

Wikipedia Biographical Summary

"George Fergusson, Lord Hermand FRSE (1743–1827) was a Scottish advocate and judge...

...Fergusson was the eighth son of Sir James Fergusson of Kilkerran, bart., by his wife Jean Maitland, only child of James, viscount Maitland, and granddaughter of John, fifth earl of Lauderdale. He was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates on 17 December 1765. He practiced at the bar for thirty-four years with considerable success. On the death of Robert Macqueen of Braxfield, Fergusson was made an ordinary lord of session, and took his seat on the bench as Lord Hermand on 11 July 1799. He was also appointed a lord justiciary on 4 August 1808, in the place of Sir William Nairne of Dunsinnam.[2] He resigned both these offices in 1826, and died at Hermand, in the parish of West Calder, on 9 August 1827, upwards of eighty years of age...

...Fergusson was eccentric and a heavy drinker. An etching of Hermand by Kay is in the first volume of ‘Original Portraits’ (No. 156). His portrait also appears along with those of the other judges in the ‘Last Sitting of the Old Court of Session, 11 July 1808’ (vol. ii. No. 300)."

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'George Fergusson, Lord Hermand', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 May 2012, 06:06 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Fergusson,_Lord_He...> [accessed 27 August 2012]

Other References

• Biographical index of former fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783-2002, pt. 1. A-J, page 310