John Inglis, Lord Glencorse, presents a traditionally heroic figure as an energetic Victorian judge. This may be partly based on the splendid portrait of him by Sir George Reid, where he sits dressed as Lord Justice General, the magnificent robes negligently open, the face commanding. Inglis's story is well covered in the ODNB, so there is no need to rehearse it here. It may be pointed out he was counsel for Madeleine Smith, and more significantly, as Lord Advocate, ensured the passing of the Universities (Scotland) Act of 1858. This reformed the Scottish universities, created the first version of the modern degree of LL.B., and introduced a structure with which we still in theory live. He became Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, though a Glasgow and Oxford graduate.
Readers of the blog may be interested to know that his family silver is being sold by Bonhams, the first three lots in their Scottish Sale Part II on 29 August, the rest in their silver sale on 20 September. Much of the silver bears the helm and mantled crest below the motto recte faciendo securus granted to him in 1867.
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