ABERCROMBY, THE HONOURABLE ALEXANDER (Lord Abercromby), a judge in the courts of session and justices in Scotland, was the youngest son of George Abercromby, of Tullibody, Esq. of a respectable family in Clackmannanshire, and was born on the 15th October 1745. Mr Abercromby was early destined for the profession of the law, and with this
view he was educated at the university of Edinburgh, where he passed through the requisite course of languages, philosophy, and law, and was admitted advocate in the year 1766: but neither during the time of his education, or for some years after he entered his professional career, did he give much promise of those eminent abilities and that assiduous application which afterwards distinguished him as a pleader and a judge. The vivacity of his disposition, and the sprightliness of his manners, led him to prefer the gay amusements of life, and the society of men of fashion and pleasure, to the arduous prosecution of philosophical studies, and to the less inviting and more barren paths of legal disquisitions. When, however, either during his academical course, or the first years of his practice at the bar, occasions required the exertion of his talents, the quickness of his perception, and the acuteness and strength of his understanding, enabled him to display such powers of attention and application to business as are seldom acquired but by regular and uniform habits of industry, and by the force of constant application. But, to attain that distinction and eminence to which he aspired, and to secure that independence which the patrimony of a younger son of a family, more respectable than opulent, could not afford him, he found it necessary to withdraw from those scenes of amusement and pleasure, and to seclude himself from that society which his gaiety and agreeable manners had enlivened and entertained, and to think seriously of applying to the labours of his profession. With much credit to himself, and with undiminished vigour of mind, he threw off the character of the man of fashion, and devoting his time and talents to the toilsome detail of business as a lawyer, by his successful efforts he soon gave solid proofs of the distinguished abilities which he possessed. About this time, he was engaged as counsel in a cause in which public curiosity and opinion were much interested and divided. This cause, which was of a very intricate nature, afforded an opportunity of making a more eminent display of his professional talents. By a speech which he delivered on this occasion, conspicuous for accurate discrimination, strength of argument, and impressive eloquence, he gave a favourable preface of his future celebrity. The marks of approbation which he now received probably taught him to appreciate those talents which had hitherto remained concealed or unemployed, and encouraged him to call them forth into exertion.
In 1780, Mr Abercromby resigned the office of sheriff-depute of Stirlingshire, which he had held for several years, and accepted of that of deputy-advocate, with the hope of extending his employment in the line of his profession. In this step he was not disappointed; for his reputation and business rapidly increased, and soon raised him to the first rank of lawyers at the Scotch bar. In the midst of the laborious duties of his profession, Mr Abercromby did not entirely preclude himself from indulging in the elegant amusements of polite literature. He was one of that society who set on foot two periodical papers, the Mirror and Lounger, published at Edinburgh; the former in 1779, and the latter in 1785. To the Mirror he contributed ten papers, and to the Lounger nine. The names of the authors have been published in the late
editions of these works, which renders it unnecessary to point out those papers of which Mr Abercromby was the author.
In May 1792, he was appointed one of the judges of the court of session, and in December following he was called to a seat in the court of justices. Lord Abercromby continued to discharge the arduous duties of these important offices till summer 1795, when he was seized with a pectoral complaint, of which he died on the 17th November the same year, at Exmouth in Devonshire, where he had gone for the recovery of his health.
As a lawyer, Lord Abercromby had acquired great reputation. His papers on law-cases were distinguished for precision and perspicuity. His speeches were elegant, animated, and eloquent. With the most pathetic feeling he pled the cause of the unfortunate; while he could assume the severe tone of virtuous indignation in rebuking injustice and oppression. With such qualifications, added to the strictest attention and punctuality, he could not fail to become an able and respectable judge. In this high station, his deportment was grave, dignified, and decided. His elocution was solemn and deliberate; and his opinions, delivered in this manner, had an impressive effect. Avoiding a detail of circumstances, and never arguing the cause as a lawyer, he pronounced with brevity and precision the opinion of a judge drawn from its striking and prominent features. His only writings are the papers in the periodical publications already alluded to. They are marked by an easy turn of expression, manly and virtuous sentiments, and, when the subject required it, by delicate irony or unaffected tenderness. (Phil. Trans. Edin.).