Archibald Alison 1st Baronet 
Biography of Archibald Alison 1st Baronet
Sir Archibald Allison
Sir Archibald Alison (1792-1867) was Rector of the University, 1850 to 1852.
Born in Shropshire, Alison studied at the University of Edinburgh and became a lawyer and, in 1834, Sheriff of Lanarkshire. A Tory in his politics, Alison was involved in repressing militant cotton spinners and trade unions during the strikes and public disorder of the 1830s and he defended the institution of slavery and the rights of the Confederacy to secede from the USA in the 1860s. He was a frequent contributor to Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine and was the author of the ten-volume History of Europe during the French Revolution, (published 1833-42).
Alison defeated the future Prime Minister Lord Palmerston in the 1850 rectorial election. He was created a baronet in 1852.
Summary
Archibald Alison 1st Baronet
Historian and Lawyer
Born 29 December 1792, Kenley, England.
Died 23 May 1867.
University Link: Rector
Occupation categories: historians; lawyers; politicians
NNAF Reference: GB/NNAF/P153372
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Record last updated: 28th Jan 2008
Country Associations
England
Place of Birth
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Associated Documents
- Rector (1850 - 1852): Inaugural Address,
Inaugural Address (20 pages, 2798kb)