1793 in Scotland

Events from the year 1793 in Scotland.

Incumbents

Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Robert Dundas of Arniston
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Robert Blair

Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord Succoth
• Lord Justice General – The Viscount Stormont
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Braxfield

Events

• 2 January – Radical Thomas Muir of Huntershill arrested on a charge of sedition but released on bail.
• 20 July – Stornoway-born explorer Alexander Mackenzie's 1792–1793 Peace River expedition to the Pacific Ocean reaches its goal at Bella Coola, British Columbia, making him the first known person to complete a transcontinental crossing of northern North America.
• 17 August – 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameronian Volunteers) raised at Fort William from members of Clan Cameron by Alan Cameron of Erracht.
• 24 August – Thomas Muir arrested at Portpatrick on his return from France.
• 31 August – Thomas Muir sentenced to penal transportation for 14 years.
• Little Cumbrae Lighthouse built.
• Piershill Barracks in Edinburgh and Queen's Barracks in Perth completed, originally for cavalry regiments.

Births

• 6 March – William Dick, founder of Edinburgh Veterinary College (died 1866)
• 3 April – Alexander Nicoll, Orientalist (died 1828 in Oxford)
• 1 June – Henry Francis Lyte, Anglican divine and hymn-writer (died 1847 in Nice)
• James Browne, man of letters (died 1841)

Deaths

• 5 January – John Howie, biographer (born 1735)
• 2 February – William Aiton, botanist (born 1731)
• 20 March – William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, judge and politician (born 1705)
• 2 April or May – Colin Macfarquhar, bookseller and printer, co-founder of Encyclopædia Britannica (born 1744 or 1745?)
• 11 June – William Robertson, historian and Principal of the University of Edinburgh (born 1721)
• 16 October – John Hunter, surgeon (born 1728)
• James Small, inventor (born 1740)

The arts

• 27 July – Robert Burns sets out on his first Galloway tour.
• August – Burns writes "Scots Wha Hae".

References