Our Legal Heritage

"Take that, sir. By God, sir, you shall more of this yet!,” cried Scottish banker George Morgan as he struck a merchant on the head with his umbrella. The incensed victim, David Landale, replied through the crisp Kirkcaldy air in measured breaths: "You are a coward, sir, a poor, silly coward."

Original painting by George Willison (1741-1797), engraved by Valentine Green (1739-1813). Original mezzotint print, published 1770. Print commemorating the victory of Archibald Douglas in the House of Lords. A portrait of Douglas appears in the medallion, supported on a plinth by a figure of J

From Dublin to Dundee and Belfast to Birmingham, the labouring poor of 19th century Britain and Ireland had to contend with the widespread scourge of child-stripping – the theft of their children’s clothing by heartless thieves who faced the full rigour of the law when apprehended. Local

A complex and compelling figure of the 19th century, Sir Archibald Alison was many things; a criminal lawyer, prolific historian, High Tory political thinker, and staunch upholder of law and order in turbulent times. Born to Rev. Archibald Alison and Dorothea Gregory - herself a former companion of

In October of 1739 an Irish merchant vessel, the William, slipped out of Donaghadee harbour near Belfast and sailed into infamy. Its stated goal of collecting Norwegian timber shrouded the dark mission of its master William Davidson – to kidnap Scottish crofters and sell them into slavery in t

Michael Upton concludes his discussion of Robert Louis Stevenson's lawyerly credentials. Yesterday we marked the 150th anniversary of Robert Louis Stevenson’s admission to the Faculty of Advocates with the first part of this discussion of the assertion once made by the Times Literary Supp

Michael Upton marks the 150th anniversary of Robert Louis Stevenson calling to the Scottish bar.

Robert Macduff-Duncan WS recalls the two-century-long history of the Society of Procurators and Solicitors in the City and County of Perth. On 8th July 1825, the Society of Procurators in Perth was formally instituted. In 1857, the members petitioned for a Royal Charter, and here we are, in 2025 pro

Tucked away in the gallery of the coffee lounge library in the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow building lies a remarkable and often overlooked piece of the city’s legal and social history: the mortification boards. These black-painted wooden panels, with their gilt lettering and formal

Hostilities ended in Europe 80 years ago today on 8 May 1945. This was commemorated as Victory in Europe Day (VE). Along with everyone else, the legal profession in Scotland was impacted by the deaths of a number of its members. To remember those who died, the WS Society compiled a list of their mem

The Society of Advocates in Aberdeen is a professional body of legal practitioners in Aberdeen and the northeast of Scotland, incorporated by three Royal Charters in 1774, 1799, and 1862. The Society’s roots date back to at least the 16th century, and historically it was responsible for the tr

The Trustees of the Clark Foundation for Legal Education have written a short series of articles on the valuable work it has supported over the last 34 years. The first looks at the life of Jean Clark MBE. To begin, it is only fitting that we focus on the Clark Foundation’s founder, Jean Clark

During the annual meeting of the Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow in 1954, the Dean, Sir Spencer Muirhead, made the observation that the Faculty's officer was the only one present at Queen Elizabeth's Coronation who was not carrying a ceremonial staff or mace.  Recognising the importance of su

The idea of the public interest and the desirability of a fatal accident inquiry developed and appeared in new law at the end of the 19th century. Heavy industrial occupations, and other sorts of similar manual work with inherent dangers might have been thought to be the basis of attention for the l

In the first of our occasional series highlighting Scotland’s legal treasures, we examine a charter in the keeping of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow which is a remarkably early example of a woman asserting her rights.