Ogilvie, son of John Ogilvie of Whitehaven, Cumberland, who died at Duloe, Cornwall, 25 April 1839, by his wife Catharine Curwen of the Isle of Man, was born at Whitehaven 20 Nov. 1793, and matriculated from Balliol College, Oxford, on 27 November 1811.
He greatly assisted Richard Jenkyns, the master of Balliol, in improving the tone and discipline of the college, and contributed largely to giving it a foremost place in the university.
The rectory and vicarage of Ross, Herefordshire, conferred on him 6 Dec. 1839, he held till his death.
For a time he acted as domestic and examining chaplain to Archbishop Howley.
Through life he maintained a close friendship with Martin Joseph Routh, president of Magdalen College, with whom he corresponded on literary subjects from 1847 to 1854.
While lecturing on 15 Feb. 1873 he was seized with paralysis, and died in his house at Christ Church, Oxford, two days later.