Sir William Rae, 3rd Baronet

Sir William Rae, 3rd Baronet (14 April 1769 – 19 October 1842),[1] was a Scottish politician and lawyer.

The Rae family grave, Inveresk

Life

He was born at Old Assembly Close off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, son of Margaret Stewart, youngest daughter of John Stewart of Blairhall and David Rae, Lord Eskgrove.[2] He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh and studied law at the University of Edinburgh from 1785, qualifying as an advocate in 1791.

His first major role was as Sheriff of Orkney and Shetland in 1801, but in 1809 he transferred to an equivalent post as Sheriff of Edinburgh, which he held until 1819.[3] He succeeded his father to the baronetcy in 1815.

He was Member of Parliament for Anstruther Burghs, in Fife, from 1819 to 1826, Harwich, Essex, England, from 1827 to 1830, Buteshire in 1830 and from 1833 to 1842, and for Portarlington, Queen's County, Ireland, from 1831 to 1832.

He served as Lord Advocate from 1819 to 1830 and from 1834 to 1835. He was made a Privy Councillor on 19 July 1830.[1]

Grant's Old and New Edinburgh tells us that he was present at the Great Edinburgh Fire of 1824, actively trying to extinguish the flames of the building on the Royal Mile at the head of Old Assembly Close as it was "the house of his birth".[4]

He died aged 73 at St Catherines, near Mortonhall in south Edinburgh on 18 October 1842.[3]

He is buried with his father and mother on the south-west corner of St Michael's church in Inveresk. The stone is modest.

Family

In 1793 he married Mary Stuart.

Sources

  • Lee, Sidney, ed. (1896). "Rae, William (1769-1842)" . Dictionary of National Biography. 47. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

References

  1. "Privy Councillors". Leigh Rayment's Peerage pages. Retrieved 9 April 2008.
  2. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1773
  3. Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
  4. Grants Old and New Edinburgh
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Alexander Maconochie
Member for Anstruther Burghs
1819–1826
Succeeded by
James Balfour
Preceded by
Nicholas Conyngham Tindal
John Charles Herries
Member for Harwich
18271830
With: John Charles Herries
Succeeded by
George Robert Dawson
John Charles Herries
Vacant
alternating constituency (with Caithness)
Title last held by
Lord Patrick Crichton-Stuart to 1826
Member for Buteshire
18301831
Vacant
alternating constituency
Title next held by
Charles Stuart from 1832
Preceded by
Sir Charles Ogle, Bt
Member for Portarlington
18311832
Succeeded by
Thomas Gladstone
Preceded by
Charles Stuart
Member for Buteshire
1833–1842
Succeeded by
James Stuart-Wortley
Legal offices
Preceded by
Alexander Maconochie
Lord Advocate
1819–1830
Succeeded by
Francis Jeffrey
Preceded by
John Murray
Lord Advocate
1834–1835
Succeeded by
John Murray
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
David Rae
Baronet
(of Esk Grove)

1815–1842
extinct

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