Andrew Skene

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". ...

(1784–1835) was a Scottish advocate who rose to the highest level for his profession: Solicitor General for Scotland.

Life

He was born in

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on 28 February 1784 the son of Prof George Skene of Rubislaw

MD (1741-1803), Professor of Natural Philosophy at

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has been the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. The building was constructed for and is on long-term lease fr ...

and Jane Moir of Stoneywood. In 1811 he was appointed Counsel for the City of Aberdeen in place of John Burnett Judge Admiral, for all legal matters in Scotland. In 1823 he was a co-founder of the Bannatyne Club along with his brother-in-law Sir Henry Jardine and

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 ...

. In 1829 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 Alexander Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank. He was elected Solicitor General for Scotland in 1834, replacing

Henry Cockburn, Lord Cockburn Henry Thomas Cockburn of Bonaly, Lord Cockburn ( ; 26 October 1779 in Cockpen, Midlothian – 26 April/18 July 1854 in Bonaly, Midlothian) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and literary figure. He served as Solicitor General for Scotland between 183 ...

. He lived at 74 Great King Street in Edinburgh's Second New Town and died there on 2 April 1835, aged only 51. He is buried in New Calton Burial Ground on the east side of the city centre. The extremely fine marble monument was sculpted by Patric Park.

Family

There is sometimes confusion over the family of Andrew Skene and that of James Skene of Rubislaw. James Skene was the youngest surviving child of George Skene of Rubislaw (1736-1776), an Aberdeenshire landowner and erstwhile lawyer, and Jean Skene (née Moir of Stoneywood) (1741-1820). They had seven children: Margaret (born 1767), Helen (1768-1841), Catherine (1769-1838) who married Henry Jardine the, King's Remembrancer, George (1770-1791), and James (1775-1864) who inherited his father's estate at Rubislaw. Two daughters, Jean and Maria, did not survive infancy. As a widow, Jean Skene moved to Edinburgh c. 1783 with her five remaining children. They lived at various addresses including Riddell's Court in the Old Town and George Street and South Castle Street in the New Town., Andrew Skene never married.

Artistic recognition

He was painted by Colvin Smith in 1835 during his role as Solicitor General. The painting is held by the

National Gallery of Scotland The National (formerly the Scottish National Gallery) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by William Henry Playfa ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skene, Andrew 1784 births 1835 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People from Aberdeen People associated with Edinburgh Burials at the New Calton Burial Ground Solicitors general for Scotland Members of the Faculty of Advocates