Education
He was educated at Edinburgh High School, then at Edinburgh University under Professor James Pillans.
He was educated at Edinburgh High School, then at Edinburgh University under Professor James Pillans.
He served as Advocate-Depute, Sheriff of Elginshire, and Principal Clerk of Session. He was a skilled decipherer of ancient Scottish records and helped to compile, edit and index Acts of the Scottish Parliament 1124 - 1707. He was said to be tall, handsome but very shy.
Born in Durris Castle to John Innes of Leuchars WS and Euphemia Russell.
His middle name, Nelson, is almost certainly to mark Horatio Nelson"s then very recent victory at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798. He then did further studies at Aberdeen, Glasgow Universities, and at Balliol College, Oxford (1817-1820) graduating Bachelor in 1820.
He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1822, and was appointed Professor of Constitutional Law and History in the University of Edinburgh in 1846. In the 1830s he was living in Allan Ramsay"s former house, Ramsay Lodge, at the top of the Royal Mile (later absorbed into Ramsay Gardens).
From 1840 to 1852 he was Sheriff of Moray during which time he had to deal with protesters angry at the export of potatoes from their district to mitigate the effects of the Irish potato famine.
He resigned this role in 1852 to succeed Thomas Thomson in the role of Principal Clerk of Session in the Scottish Court of Session. In 1858 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Scotland. His proposer was James Thomson Gibson Craig.
He served as the Society"s Vice-President 1862-1869.
In later life Innes lived in Inverleith House in northern Edinburgh. The house still exists and forms the centre-piece of Edinburgh"s Royal Botanical Gardens, formed from his former garden grounds.
He died unexpectedly whilst on a "Highland Tour" in Killin in northern Stirlingshire on 31 July 1874, but was returned to Warriston Cemetery in Edinburgh for burial on 5 August. In 1826 Innes married Isabella Rose, daughter of Hugh Rose of Kilravock.
They had nine children: five boys and four girls.
Their children included engineer West. K. Burton, the artist Mary Rose Hill Burton and the chemist Professor Cosmo Innes Burton FCS FRSE.
Faculty of Advocates]
In 1843 he became a member of the Edinburgh Calotype Club one of the world"s first photographic societies. He was also a member of the Spalding Club, Maitland Club and Bannatyne Club.