1823 in Scotland

← 1822 1821 1820 1819 1818 1823 in Scotland → 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1800s 1810s 1820s 1830s 1840s
See also:	List of years in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history 1823 in: The UK • Wales • Ireland • Elsewhere

Events from the year 1823 in Scotland.

Incumbents

• Monarch — George IV

Law officers

• Lord Advocate — Sir William Rae, Bt
• Solicitor General for Scotland — John Hope

Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session — Lord Granton
• Lord Justice General — The Duke of Montrose
• Lord Justice Clerk — Lord Boyle

Events

• 14 January — The Plinian Society is inaugurated for students of natural history at the University of Edinburgh under the presidency of John Baird.^[1]
• 7 February — The Bannatyne Club is inaugurated by Sir Walter Scott and others as a text publication society to print by subscription rare texts relating to the history, literature and traditions of Scotland.
• 17 June — Charles Macintosh patents the waterproof material later used to make Mackintosh coats.^[2]
• November — The Highland Society’s Veterinary School, predecessor of the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, organises its first regular classes in Edinburgh under William Dick.^[3]
• Excise Act reduces duties on the distillation of whisky, encouraging its commercial production.
• James Smith of Deanston introduces an improved method of land drainage on slopes.^[4]
• First Hebrew congregation in Glasgow in modern times established.
• Rev. Dr. Henry Duncan completes reconstruction of the Northumbrian Ruthwell Cross.

Births

• 13 March — William Mackinnon, shipowner (died 1893 in London)
• 31 March — William Hart, painter of the Hudson River School (died 1894 in the United States)
• 28 May — Henry MacDonald, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (died 1893)
• 11 July — John Stuart McCaig of Muckairn and Soroba, creator of McCaig's Tower, Oban (died 1902)
• 28 October — William Simpson, war artist (died 1899 in London)
• Robert Boog Watson, malacologist and Free Church minister (died 1910)

Deaths

• 28 March — Ilay Campbell, judge (born 1734)
• 29 March — William Taylor, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Principal of the University of Glasgow (born 1744)
• 16 June — Archibald Elliot, architect (born 1761)
• 8 July — Sir Henry Raeburn, portrait painter (born 1756)
• 29 September — George Beattie, poet (born 1786)
• George Finlayson, naturalist (born 1790; died at sea)

The Arts

• February — A monument to poet Robert Burns (died 1796), designed by Thomas Hamilton, is opened in Alloway.^[5]
• Thomas Campbell's poem The Last Man is published.
• John Galt's novels The Entail, or The Lairds of Grippy, The Gathering of the West, Ringan Gilhaize, or The Covenanters and The Spaewife: a Tale of the Scottish Chronicles are published.
• Sir Walter Scott's novels Peveril of the Peak, Quentin Durward and St. Ronan's Well are published anonymously.
• William Tennant's poetic drama Cardinal Beaton is published.^[6]
• John Wilson's novel The Trials of Margaret Lyndsay is published.

See also

• 1823 in the United Kingdom

References

1. Browne, E. Janet (1995). Charles Darwin: vol. 1 Voyaging. London: Jonathan Cape. pp. 73–5. ISBN 1-84413-314-1.
2. Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.
3. Bradley, O. Charnock (1923). History of the Edinburgh Veterinary College. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
4. Kermack, W. R. (1944). 19 Centuries of Scotland. Edinburgh: Johnston. p. 86.
5. Rock, Joe. "The Burns Monument, Alloway". Retrieved 2014-08-27.
6. Chambers, William. "William Tennant". Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen. Retrieved 2014-08-07.