Boston Public Library - Electric Scotland

26 ARCHIBALD ALISON.
his remains a heap of stones is still to be seen, and nigh to
the grave there is a rich spring of water which is well known
at the present day as " the Trumpeter's well." ^
Akciiibald Alison. It is believed by many that this Archil)akl Alison
was the grandfather of another Alison who became a successful merchant
in Edinburgh, and was elected Lord Provost of the city. From
him an illustrious race of Alisons are descended, viz., the Rev. Dr. Alison,
of Edinburgh, author of the well known treatise on "Taste;" and
from the reverend author of "Taste" have s^jrung Dr. Alison, of Edinburgh,
of medical fame, and Sheriff Alison, of Glasgow, the historian,
whose son is the present General Sir Archibald Alison of Crimean renown.
Although we cannot vouch for the correctness of this connection, yet
here we add the following extract of that branch of the Alisons from the
volume called the "Scottish Nation."
Alison is the name of a family possessing a baronetcy of the United
Kingdom, conferred in 18-52 on Sir Archibald Alison, LL. D., D. C. L.,
r. R. S. He was born at Kinley, Salop, on the 29th of December, 1792.
His father, the Rev. Archibald Alison, author of "Essays on Taste," wasa
scion of the family of Alison of Xewhall, in the parish of Kettens, in
Forfarshire.
By the mother's side, he is descended lineally from Edward I and
Robert the Bruce. Sir Archibald Alison was educated at the University
of Edinburgh, and admitted an advocate in 1814. He was advocat^
depute from 1828 to 1830. He was appointed Sheriff of Lanarkshire in
18.35. The following works issued from his pen:
Principles of the Criminal Law of Scotland, 1832.
Practice of the Criminal Law.
History of Europe, 20 voumes, published in 1833.
Essays Contributed to Blackwood's Magazine.
Principles of Population, 1840.
England in 1815 and 1845, or a Sufficient and Conferacted Currency.
Life of the Duke of Marlborough, 1847.
Sir Archibald Alison married, in 1825, Elizabeth Glencairn, youngest
daughter of Lieut. Col. Patrick Tytler, second son of William Tytler,
Esq., of Woodhouselee.
Issue: Archibald Alison, born January 21, 1826. Lieutenant-colonel
in the army; military secretary to Lord Clyde when commander-in-chief
in India. Lost an arm at Lucknow, and has a medal and clasps for his
services in the Crimea. (He is now General Sir Archibald Alison.)
Frederick Montague Alison, the second son of Sir Archibald Alison,
was born May 11, 1835; is a captain in the army and aid-de-camp to the
same commander.
His only daughter is Ellen Frances Catherine, married to Cutlar Ferguson
of Craigdarroch.
Sir Archibald Alison's brother, William Pulteney Alison, M. D., LL. D.,
F. R. S., was professor of practice of physic in the University of Edinburgh
and first physician to the Queen in Scotland. He retired from his
chair in 1855 and died in 1859.
i" Man Las sometimes been described as a child of circumstances. We
see this truth verified very strikingly in the history of the McAllisters of
Loupe, from whom the Alisons are descended. The estate of Loupe was
confiscated by the crown, but was afterward restored to the younger
brother. His descendants long continued to be chiefs of the McAllister
clan, and some of them instead of espousing the Covenanting cause,
fought on the side of Claverhouse at Killiecrankie and finally fell at the
battle of the Boyne."