In 1855 he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple and was a JP for Fife.
[2] He was an extensive writer on jurisprudence and other topics including religion and women's rights.
[4] However, in 1886 he stood as a Liberal Unionist and was defeated by future prime minister H. H.
Kinnear married Sarah Harriet Frith in 1852.
She died in 1866 and he married Teresa Bassano of Venice in 1868.