{{Short description|Scottish landowner, advocate, philosopher and amateur astronomer (1818–1892)}} {{Use British English|date=May 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Alexander Forbes Irvine | image = AlexanderForbesIrvine20thLairdofDrum.jpg | image_size = | birth_date = 18 February 1818 | birth_place = Schivas House, Tarves, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | death_date = 4 April 1892 | death_place = Drum Castle, Scotland | occupation = Landowner, advocate, philosopher, amateur astronomer | spouse = Anna Margaretta Forbes-Leslie (m. 1848) | children = 2 | parents = Margaret Hamilton and Alexander Forbes Irvine, 19th Laird of Drum | education = Marischal College, University of Aberdeen; University of Edinburgh | known_for = Prominent member of Clan Irvine, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Principal Clerk of the Justiciary Court, Sheriff of Argyll, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh }} '''Alexander Forbes Irvine, 20th Laird of Drum''' [[FRSE]] JP DL LLD (1818–1892) was a Scottish landowner, advocate, philosopher and amateur astronomer. He was a prominent member of [[Clan Irvine]] and held the family seat of [[Drum Castle]] until his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0370164600052184| title=Reference at cambridge.org}}</ref>
==Life== [[File:MA(1829) p.210 - Drum - John Preston Neale.jpg|thumb|Drum Castle in 1829 (by John Preston Neale)]] [[Image:Drum Castle.jpg|thumb|right|Drum Castle in 2007]] Irvine was born at Schivas House near the village of [[Tarves, Aberdeenshire|Tarves]] in [[Aberdeenshire]] on 18 February 1818, the son of Margaret Hamilton of the Hamiltons of Little Earnick, and Alexander Forbes Irvine, 19th Laird of Drum. He was a friend of his near neighbour, [[Cosmo Innes]], and their careers followed very parallel paths. Other friends included [[William Forbes Skene]] of Rubbislaw and Sir David Lindsay.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0370164600052184| title=Reference at www.cambridge.org}}</ref>
He was home tutored rather than attending school, then studied law first at [[Marischal College]] in the [[University of Aberdeen]] then at the [[University of Edinburgh]]. He passed the Scottish bar as an advocate in 1848 and rose to be Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. He was Principal Clerk of the Justiciary Court from 1867 to 1874, and [[Sheriff of Argyll]] from 1874 to 1891.
Irvine inherited the [[Drum Castle|Drum Estate]] in 1861, on the death of his father. In 1875/1876, he arranged for a restoration of the courtyard, and the addition of an arched entrance and angle tower.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irvinehistory.com/Drum_Castle/Drum_Castle.htm| title=Drum Castle| access-date=26 January 2020| archive-date=8 February 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208232152/http://irvinehistory.com/Drum_Castle/Drum_Castle.htm| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/200334097-drum-castle-drumoak#.Xi3noWhKhPY| title=Drum Castle}}</ref> He was also partly responsible for a restoration of the chapel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/478/name/Drum+Castle+Chapel+Drumoak+Grampian| title=Drum Castle Chapel| access-date=26 January 2020| archive-date=26 January 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126192936/http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/478/name/Drum%2BCastle%2BChapel%2BDrumoak%2BGrampian| url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 1878, Irvine was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were Sir Alexander Grant, [[Charles Neaves, Lord Neaves]], [[Edward Sang]] and [[Peter Guthrie Tait]]. He twice served as Vice President to the Society: 1883 to 1887 and 1890 to 1892.<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|access-date=28 December 2016|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 1886, he co-founded the New [[Spalding Club]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0370164600052184| title=Reference at www.cambridge.org}}</ref> In 1887 the University of Edinburgh awarded him an honorary doctorate ([[LLD]]).
Irvine died at [[Drum Castle]] on 4 April 1892, "the head of one of the oldest families in Great Britain".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article217778807 |title=Personalities |newspaper=[[Glen Innes Examiner and General Advertiser]] |volume=XIX |issue=1029 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=19 July 1892 |access-date=16 May 2026 |page=2 (Supplement to the Glen Innes Examiner) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
==Family==
In 1848 Irvine married Anna Margaretta Forbes-Leslie, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Leslie of [[Rothienorman]], a noted amateur archaeologist.
Their children were Alexander Charles Quentin Hamilton Irvine, and Francis Hugh Forbes Irvine, 21st Laird of Drum.
==Artistic recognition==
Irvine was painted by [[George Reid (Scottish artist)|George Reid PRSA]].
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irvine, Alexander Forbes}} [[Category:1818 births]] [[Category:1892 deaths]] [[Category:Scottish lawyers]] [[Category:People from Tarves]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]] [[Category:19th-century Scottish landowners]] [[Category:Lairds]]