William Gibson-Craig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir William Gibson Craig
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Portrait by Henry Raeburn
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| Member of Parliament for Edinburgh | |
| In office 1841–1852 |
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| Member of Parliament for Midlothian | |
| In office 1837–1841 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 August 1797 |
| Died | 12 March 1878 (aged 82) |
| Political party | Whig |
| Profession | Advocate, Politician |
Sir William Gibson Craig (born August 2, 1797, died March 12, 1878) was an important Scottish politician. He was also a lawyer, known as an "advocate" in Scotland. He held a very important job called the Lord Clerk Register for Scotland. This role involved keeping official records for the country.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Gibson Craig was born in 1797. He was the first son of Sir James Gibson-Craig, who was the first Baronet of his family. His mother was Anne Thomson.
William went to school at the High School in Edinburgh. After that, he continued his education privately in Yorkshire, England.
Career as a Lawyer and Politician
In 1820, William became an advocate. This means he was a lawyer who could speak in court in Scotland. He joined the Highland Society in 1824. In 1828, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a group for important thinkers and scientists in Scotland.
Serving in Parliament
William Gibson Craig became a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent an area in the UK Parliament. He was part of the Whig party. The Whigs were a major political group in Britain at the time.
- From 1837 to 1841, he was the MP for Midlothian.
- From 1841 to 1852, he was the MP for Edinburgh.
He also served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury. This was a role in the government that helped manage the country's money. He held this position from 1846 to 1852 under Lord John Russell's government.
Important Government Roles
From 1862 until his death, Sir William held two very important jobs. He was the Lord Clerk Register and the Keeper of the Signet. The Lord Clerk Register is in charge of Scotland's public records. The Keeper of the Signet looks after the official seal used for legal documents.
In 1863, he was made a Privy Counsellor. This is a special honor given to people who have served the country well. Privy Counsellors advise the King or Queen.
Home and Family Life
Sir William Gibson Craig lived at Riccarton House. This was a large Gothic-style mansion located southwest of Edinburgh. Sadly, this grand house was torn down in the 20th century. Today, the land where it stood is part of the Riccarton Campus for Heriot Watt University.
His Family
William had a younger brother named James Thomson Gibson-Craig. James was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Sir William was married to Betsy Vivian. They had six children together. One of his grandchildren was Dorothy Brooke. She became known as a philanthropist, which means she gave money and time to help others.
