Alexander Abercromby (Scottish politician) facts for kids

Alexander Abercromby of Glassaugh (born November 5, 1678, in Fordyce, Banffshire; died December 23, 1728) was an important Scottish figure. He was an army officer and a politician. He served in the Scottish Parliament and later in the British Parliament.

Who Was Alexander Abercromby?

Alexander Abercromby was born in a part of Scotland called Banffshire. He was the third son in his family, but he became the eldest surviving child. His parents were Alexander Abercromby and Katherine Dunbar.

Family Life

Around 1703, Alexander married Helen Meldrum. They had two sons and four daughters. One of their sons was named Patrick Abercromby. A very interesting fact is that one of his daughters, Catherine, later became the great-grandmother of a famous poet named Lord Byron.

Homes and Hobbies

In 1699, Alexander inherited a large house called Tullibody House near Stirling from his cousin. He made many changes to this house in 1710 to make it better. Later, in 1719, he also bought another nearby castle called Menstrie Castle.

Alexander Abercromby loved books! He collected many of them and had a very large private library. Even today, you can sometimes find old books with his special bookplate (a label showing who owned the book) in libraries.

Alexander's Career

Alexander Abercromby had two main careers: he was an army officer and a politician.

In the Army

From 1706, Alexander was an officer in a famous army group called the 21st Foot, also known as the Royal Scots Fusiliers. In 1711, he worked as an "ADC" (which stands for Aide-de-Camp) for the Duke of Marlborough in a region called the Low Countries. An ADC is like a personal assistant to a high-ranking military officer.

Alexander kept moving up in the army. He reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel, which is a senior officer position. In 1721, he retired from the army and received "half-pay," which means he got half of his salary even after he stopped working.

In Politics

Alexander Abercromby was also very active in politics.

• Early Roles: In 1701 and 1702, he was a "Commissioner justiciary for the Highlands." This meant he helped with legal matters and justice in the Highland areas of Scotland.
• Scottish Parliament: In 1706, he was chosen as a "Shire Commissioner" for Banffshire in the Parliament of Scotland. This was like being a representative for his local area in the Scottish government.
• British Parliament: A very big change happened in 1707. Scotland and England joined their parliaments together in something called the Act of Union. After this, Alexander became one of the first Scottish representatives in the new British House of Commons. This was the main law-making body for Great Britain.
• Member of Parliament: He continued to be elected as a "Member of Parliament" (MP) for Banffshire many times. He was elected in 1708, 1710, 1713, 1715, and 1722. He decided not to run for election in 1727.
• Fort William: From 1726, he also held an important position as the "Lieutenant Governor of Fort William." This meant he was in charge of a military fort in Scotland.

Later Life

Alexander Abercromby passed away on December 23, 1728. He had a long and important career, serving both his country in the army and as a politician.