Adam Gifford

Adam Gifford, Lord Gifford FRSE (/ˈɡɪfərd/; 29 February 1820 Edinburgh – 20 January 1887) was a Scottish advocate and judge. He was founder of the Gifford Lectures.

Adam Gifford was born in Edinburgh on 29 February 1820 to parents James Gifford (1780-1862), who was an affluent grocer and Treasurer of the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, and his wife, Katherine Ann West (1786-1873). He was a twin, his brother being John Gifford (1820-1895). His childhood home was at 22 Union Place in the east end of the New Town.

He went to school at Edinburgh Institution (now known as Stewart's Melville) and in 1835 he was apprenticed to be a solicitor with his uncle, Alexander Gifford SSC at 2 Hill Square on the south side of the city. He then studied Law at Edinburgh University and was called to the bar as an advocate in 1849.

He was a Radical in politics, and expected no appointment from Government, until he was made an advocate depute in 1861, under Palmerston. He prosecuted cases for the Crown including Jessie McLauchlan in the 1863 Sandyford murder case. He was appointed Sheriff of Orkney and Shetland in 1865, but delegated his duties to a resident sheriff-substitute and continued his private practice as an advocate.

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