British politician (1784–1855)
Portrait by Henry Raeburn , 1816 Forglen House Sir Robert Abercromby, 5th Baronet of Birkenbog and Forglen , FRSE , DL (4 February 1784 – 6 July 1855) was a Scottish politician and landowner.
Life
Detail of inscription on memorial for Robert Abercromby (Forglen House ) He was the son of Sir George Abercromby, 4th Baronet , and Jane Ogilvy, the daughter of Alexander Ogilvy, 7th Lord Banff . He succeeded to the titles on the death of his father in 1831.[ 1] family seat , which was Forglen House in Turriff , Aberdeenshire .
From 1812 to 1818 he was the Member of Parliament for Banffshire .
During the first quarter of the 19th century, Abercromby purchased most of the town and lands of Fermoy in Ireland from fellow Scotsman John Anderson . His grandson, Sir Robert John Abercromby, 7th Baronet is recorded as the owner of 434 acres of land in County Cork during the 1870s.[ 3] [ 4]
In 1822 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposer being David Brewster .[ 5] Deputy lieutenant for Banffshire and Kirkcudbrightshire.[ 6]
In 1839 he commissioned Aberdeen architect John Smith to totally remodel Forglen House.
His town residence was at 18 Coates Crescent in Edinburgh 's West End.[ 8]
He died at Forglen on 6 July 1855.[ 9]
Family
On 22 October 1816 he married Elizabeth Stephenson Douglas (1795-1863), only daughter of Samuel Douglas of Netherlaw, Kirkcudbrightshire . They had 15 children of which the first 7 were daughters. The eighth child, George Samuel Abercromby (22 May 1824 – 14 November 1872) became 6th baronet on his father's death.
In 1839, a daughter, Georgina Charlotte, died aged only 16 (she is buried in St Johns churchyard in Edinburgh ).
In 1852, a daughter, Roberta Henrietta Abercromby, married Sir Edwin Hare Dashwood, 7th Baronet .
In 1853, a daughter, Constance Helena Abercromby, married Lt.-Col. Hon. James Ogilvy-Grant (later 9th Earl of Seafield), MP for Elginshire and Nairnshire.
In 1862, a daughter, Frances Emily Abercromby, married William Forbes-Sempill, 17th Lord Sempill .[ 1]
Artistic recognition
He was portrayed by Sir Henry Raeburn .[ 9]
See also
References
Citations
^ a b Reitwiesner
^ "Family: Abercromby" . National University of Ireland, Galway. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014 .^ "Estate: Abercromby" . National University of Ireland, Galway. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014 .^ Waterston, C. D. (2006). Former fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783-2002 : biographical index ISBN 0-902198-84-X OCLC 83595094 . ^ Walford, Edward (1857). Records of the Great and Noble. Original and Selected Memoirs of Nearly One Thousand Celebrated People 67– 68. ^ Edinburgh Post Office directory 1845
^ a b "Sir Robert Abercromby, of Birkenbog, 5th Baronet b. 4 Feb 1784 Forglen, Banffshire, Scotland d. 6 Jul 1855 Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: MacFarlane Clan & Families Genealogy" . www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info .
Bibliography
External links
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