Robert Whyte (judge)

Born in Wigtonshire, Scotland,[1][2] Whyte's parents intended for him to enter the ministry, and with that end in view he was highly educated at Edinburgh.

[1] He reportedly taught for several years as a professor of languages in William and Mary College,[1][2] although the accuracy of this account is disputed.

[1] During his tenure, Whyte was "one of the Court's foremost advocates of English law as providing guidance".

The entry on the minutes of the Supreme Court on the announcement of his death bears testimony as to the high regard of his successors for "his integrity, his firmness, his legal erudition, his eminent ability, and his conscientious discharge of his duties".

[1]On the reorganization of the court after the adoption of the Constitution of 1834, advancing years and the possession of what was then a large fortune disinclined him to further judicial work; and he retired.