Monteith was also photographed by Hill & Adamson and by his second wife, Frances, who herself was an early pioneer of calotype photography and some of whose pictures ended up in an album by David Brewster.

It has been matter of surprise that with qualities so fitted apparently to command permanent success at the bar, he failed to maintain his practice.

This was to a large extent attributable to a severe attack of illness, which continued throughout almost the whole of the years 1840–1841, and which withdrew him during that period from the active duties of his profession, and interrupted the prosperous career in which he seemed to have entered.

In part also, however, it arose from the circumstance that he could not sufficiently submit himself to some of the factitiously conventional rules of which an advocate's devotion to his profession is tried at the Scottish bar, or rather by the Edinburgh agents.

Monteith never appears to have enjoyed the favour of the Inner Council, by which the exercise of Scottish professional patronage was directed; and with the exception of the Sheriffdom of Fife, bestowed on him in 1838, while Lord Murray was Lord-Advocate, a situation far within his merits, he received no appointment from Government.

[2][3] Although the Sheriffship of Fife was the only remunerative office ever conferred on him, he had several times an opportunity of giving his gratuitous services on subjects of public importance.

He served also on the Lunacy Commission, whose labours brought fully to light the evils, as they secured the overthrow of that fearful system of confinement in private houses which had previously so largely prevailed.

In the sermon a character was described of great moral excellence, and as he listened, he wished his sister could be present to hear how differently Chalmers judged of human nature from the way in which she did.