Sir Archibald Macdonald, 1st Baronet

Sir Archibald Macdonald, 1st Baronet (13 July 1747 – 18 May 1826) was a British lawyer and politician.

Archibald Macdonald was the posthumous son of Sir Alexander Macdonald, 7th Baronet, and younger brother of the 8th baronet (see Baron Macdonald), but was brought to England in the aftermath of Culloden to complete his education at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He was called to the bar at Lincolns Inn in 1770. In 1777, he married Lady Louisa Leveson-Gower daughter of the Earl Gower, then Lord President of the Council.

He was Member of Parliament for Hindon in Wiltshire (1777–1780) and then for Newcastle-under-Lyme (1780–1792), a seat where his father-in-law had a strong influence. In politics, he followed the political lead of his father-in-law.

He was appointed as second judge of the Carmarthen circuit in Wales in 1780. He was knighted on 27 June 1788. He was promoted to Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1790, the least important of the Westminster law courts. He served in this post until he retired in 1813, due to failing eyesight. He also served as the prosecutor in Thomas Paine's sedition trial over the publication of Rights of Man in 1792.

On his retirement from the court he was created a baronet on 27 November 1813.

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