SIR HENRY WELLWOOD, Baronet, D.D., an eminent Scottish divine, was the son of the Rev. Sir William Moncreiff and Catherine Wellwood, and was born on the 7th February 1750, at Blackford, a parish in Perthshire, of which his father was minister. After completing his elementary education at the parochial school of Blackford, he repaired to the university of Glasgow in 1768, with the view of pursuing his studies for the Scottish church. In the midst of a brilliant collegiate career he had the misfortune to lose his father. The patrons of the charge thus left vacant at once resolved to reserve the living for young Sir Harry, who had already given such promise of future eminence. He removed to Edinburgh in 1768 to prosecute his theological studies; and on the 16th August 1771 was ordained minister of his native parish. The superior talents of the young preacher early attracted the attention of the Scottish metropolis; and in October 1775 he was appointed minister of St Cuthbert's parish in the city of Edinburgh. Here he commenced the arduous duties of his office with great zeal, and continued to labour with remarkable energy, at once for the spiritual advancement of his parish and for the general good of the Scottish church. He was possessed of talents which might have won for him a bright reputation in any of the higher walks of public distinction, but he preferred the more exalted, if less ambitious career of fulfilling the pious duties of the Christian pastor, and of freeing his church from what he conceived to be serious barriers to her spiritual progress. "Had he not preferred his church to every other object," says Lord Cockburn, "there is no public honour to which he might not have fought his way." (Life of Lord Jeffrey, vol. i., p. 188). When Sir Harry entered upon public life the moderate party was dominant in the Scottish church, and political independence was seldom to be met with. Worldly interest and his own secular rank might have inclined him to the majority, but he at once took a decided position with the liberal and evangelical party. He soon became their leader and oracle; and among the people his "mere name," says Cockburn, "was a tower of strength." He was unanimously chosen moderator of the General Assembly of his church in 1785, and during his subsequent career had the same honour repeatedly conferred upon him. He possessed great power and energy as a debater, and was distinguished for soundness of judgment and unflinching integrity. The writer just quoted, who knew Sir Harry well, remarks in his Memorials of his Time, p. 234.—"In comparison with him every other churchman who has appeared since I knew the world must withdraw. Nothing that I could say would express one-half of my affectionate and reverential admiration of this great man." He shone more on the platform than in the pulpit; and public speaking, rather than literary labour, seemed to be his peculiar sphere. As a writer he was comparatively feeble. His Life of Dr John Erskine is in no way remarkable; and his three volumes of sermons do not possess very high merits. They were published in 1829 and 1831, with a brief memoir by his son, Lord Moncreiff. His opinions were uniformly liberal and charitable, and he was characterized by very great benevolence. He took a deep interest in whatever was calculated to relieve suffering or encourage merit. Among his personal friends he numbered the most distinguished names in Scotland during his time. He died in August 1827, leaving his title to his son James Wellwood Moncreiff, who had been chosen Dean of Faculty during the previous year. Sir James was born in 1776, and was educated at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Oxford. He devoted himself entirely to the law, but inherited much of his father's zeal for the evangelical cause of the Presbyterian Church and for the politics of the Scottish Whigs. He was a man of an energetic mind, and was distinguished for great zeal and purity. So exceedingly conscientious was he, that Lord Jeffrey, who had the greatest regard for him, used to call him "the whole duty of man." He was raised to the bench under the title of Lord Moncreiff in 1829. He died on the 30th of March 1851.