He was born in Edinburgh on 21 June 1791. His father was the minister William Greenfield FRSE but the family changed their name to Rutherfurd, his mother"s maiden name (Janet Rutherfurd, Mrs Bervie), in 1799 after his father was disgraced in a sex scandal.
University of Edinburgh. Royal High School.
Educated at the Royal High School and Edinburgh University, he became an advocate in 1812. In the 1830s he is listed as an advocate living at 9 Street Colme Street on the Moray Estate in Edinburgh"s west education He resigned office in September 1841 on William Peel"s accession to power.
He was appointed Rector of Glasgow University in 1844.
He played an active part in parliamentary proceedings relating to Scotland, and proposed the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. He was reappointed Lord Advocate in 1846, and was responsible for legislation amending the law of entail in Scotland in 1848.
He served on the Royal Commission on the British Museum (1847-1849). He was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice, as Lord Rutherfurd and a Privy Counsellor in 1851.
From 1851 to 1854 he was a Lord of Session.
He died at home at Street Colme Street on 13 December 1854. He is buried beneath a magnificent red granite pyramid on Lord"s Row against the western wall of Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh. She died in 1852 and is buried with him.
They had no children.
Faculty of Advocates. 13th United Kingdom Parliament. 14th United Kingdom Parliament.
15th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland from 1837, becoming Lord Advocate in 1839 and Member of Parliament for Leith burghs in the same year.
