__NOTOC__ Andrew Aldcorn (c.1792 – 13 August 1877) was a Scottish medical practitioner and

Free Church of Scotland In contemporary usage, the Free Church of Scotland usually refers to: * Free Church of Scotland (since 1900), that portion of the original Free Church which remained outside the 1900 merger; extant It may also refer to: * Free Church of Scotland (1 ...

elder, who became an Australian politician. He served as a nominated member of the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...

from August to November 1853. He was also a member of the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House ...

for one term between 1858 and 1859. He played a leading role in the settlement of

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Early life

Aldcorn was born in

Oban Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...

, Argyll, the son of a John Aldcorn, a Scottish carpenter, and his wife Margaret, ''née'' Marshall. He qualified in Medicine in Glasgow, Scotland, was awarded MD in 1829, and practiced in Oban between 1819 and 1837.

Famine Relief

He was an active Presbyterian and sat for many years in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland but in 1843 joined the breakaway group who formed the new Free Church. In that year he also gave evidence to the Poor Law Inquiry Commission, on the dismal conditions of the poor in the Parish of Oban. Later, during the famine years in the Western Highlands he was prominent in the Free Church Synod of Argyll's petition to the government for aid, and in commandeering the schooner ''Breadalbane'', normally used to ferry clergy to the Isles, to distribute relief. "If there were ever a memorial put up to honour people who did their best to bring aid to famine victims in the Highlands and Islands, his name would surely have a prominent place."

Otago Settlement

In 1847 he was Secretary to the Committee of the Free Church scheme to establish a colony in New Zealand, which led to the establishment of the Otago settlement in 1848.

Victorian Legislative Council

Aldcorn himself had invested in a farming enterprise in Victoria

Port Phillip District The Port Phillip District was an administrative division of the Colony of New South Wales from 9 September 1836 until 1 July 1851, when it was separated from New South Wales and became the Colony of Victoria. In September 1836, NSW Colonial Sec ...

around 1841 (then still part of New South Wales). and in 1853 came out to the colony to inspect his investment. On 29 August 1853, Aldcorn was nominated to the Victorian Legislative Council replacing

Archibald Michie Sir Archibald Michie , (1813 – 21 June 1899) was an English-born Australian lawyer, journalist, Agent-General, Attorney-General of Victoria (Australia), Attorney-General of Victoria and politician. Biography Michie was born in Maida Vale, Lon ...

. He remained a member until resigning in November 1853.

New South Wales

Aldcorn established a successful medical practice in the Shoalhaven district from around 1854. At the

1858 Events January–March * January 9 ** Revolt of Rajab Ali: British forces finally defeat Rajab Ali Khan of Chittagong. ** Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide. * January 14 – Orsini affair: Pi ...

election Aldcorn contested the seat of St Vincent and was elected unopposed. He retired from public life at the

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election in 1859. He died in 1877.Obituary in ''Otago Witness'', 6 October 1877.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldcorn, Andrew 1790s births 1877 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia People from Oban 19th-century Australian politicians