Background
Robert Fergusson was born in Dumfries, the eldest son of Alexander Fergusson, Esq., of Craigdarroch and Orraland House, Kirkcudbrightshire, who was an eminent advocate.
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Robert Fergusson
Edit ProfileEducation
He was educated at Edinburgh and studied law at Lincoln"s Inn, being called to the bar in 1797.
Career
He was 17th Laird of the Dumfriesshire Fergussons, seated at Craigdarroch (Moniaive, Dumfriesshire). His great-grandfather was Alexander Fergusson, the husband of Annie Laurie of folksong fame. On his release he decided it would be wise to leave the country and therefore moved to India where he worked as a barrister for some 30 years in the Supreme Court of Judicature at Calcutta.
He was made acting Advocate-General of Bengal in 1817 when Edward Strettell left for England due to ill-health, holding the post until Robert Spankie arrived as Strettell"s successor.
When Spankie returned to England in 1823, Fergusson succeeded him as Advocate-General. On his return to Britain he was elected Member of Parliament for the Stewardtry of Kirkcudbright in 1826, sitting until 1838.
He was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1834 and Judge Advocate General from 1835 to 1838. Dwarkanath Tagore, the great Bengal entrepreneur, was apprenticed under him in 1810, and Fergusson was one of the 2 leading influences in his life.
Membership
8th United Kingdom Parliament. 9th United Kingdom Parliament. 10th United Kingdom Parliament.
11th United Kingdom Parliament.
12th United Kingdom Parliament. 13th United Kingdom Parliament.
