Alexander Jeffrey (c. 1806–1874) F.S.A. (Scot) was a solicitor and local historian who spent most of his adult life in Jedburgh, Roxburghshire. He was known as the Historian of Roxburghshire.The Annals of a Border Club (Jedforest) and Biographical Notices of the Families Connected Therewith.1899. Page 42. "Mr Jeffrey, who proposed him, has frequently been mentioned in this volume as the Historian of Roxburghshire."Three articles from the Scotsman newspaper. 1927, 1934 and 1939. References 17 and 18 also say Jeffrey was the Historian of Roxburghshire.
Early life Jeffrey's parents were Alexander Jeffrey (c1770-) and Janet Smeaton (1770–1857). They were both born in Duns, Berwickshire and also married there. Jeffrey (senior) was employed as a farm steward. He subsequently worked in various parts of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire. The family finally settled in the Lilliesleaf, Roxburghshire. They had nine children, Thomas (1793–1871), Rachel (1795–1862), Mary (1798-), Robert (1801–1860), Hannah (1803–1871), Alexander, Janet (1807–1884), Mary (1809-c1850) and James (1816–1878).
Jeffrey was born in Eccles Parish, Berwickshire, in approximately 1806. He went to school in the villages of Maxwellheugh, Morebattle and, lastly, Lilliesleaf. His school education was rudimentary. However, he eagerly consumed any reading material he could find. As an adult, he claimed that he was largely self-taught. Jeffrey went to work as a miller at Lilliesleaf Mill. He became a full miller at the age of fourteen. The family attended the Seceder Anti-burgher Presbyterian Meeting House at Midlem. The minister, the Reverend James Inglis, noticed Alexander's appetite and aptitude for education. Inglis provided him with his personal books, including volumes by Burns and Shakespeare.
Jeffrey wanted to work with his brain rather than his brawn. He knew that manual labour in the countryside was not for him. Jeffrey longed to move to a more urban location where his talents could be put to better use.
Solicitor Jeffrey, around 1825, was employed by James Curle, a solicitor in Melrose. He worked there for more than a year. Jeffrey then went to Edinburgh for several years to work for George Scott, S.S.C. Whilst living in Yetholm, Roxburghshire, in November 1829, Jeffrey applied to be a lawyer before the Sheriff Court of Roxburghshire. He was rejected on that, and indeed, on several subsequent applications. Jeffrey, his wife Katharine, and two young children moved to Jedburgh in 1833. Around this time, he made a successful application to be a lawyer before the Burgh Court of Jedburgh. Mr Woods, Jedburgh's town clerk, employed Jeffrey as managing clerk in his office. Through the influence of Mr Woods, Jeffrey was finally allowed to practise before the Sheriff Court of Roxburghshire in 1838.
Jeffrey was considered to be a very able criminal defence lawyer. He made many successful appearances before the courts of Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire, showing great knowledge of the principles and practise of the law.Collection of newspaper court reports. From 1832 to 1874.
The case that established his position as a solicitor of ability arose from a dispute between the town council of Jedburgh and the town's bakers.Court Report. 12-13 Jan 1843. Town Council of Jedburgh vs Bakers of Jedburgh. Court report. The latter had, for over one hundred years, been obliged to mill their grain in the mills owned by the town council and also to pay tax on that grain to the council. The right of the council to make these demands had never been directly questioned, but the bakers often tried to evade these obligations. Around 1839, the council decided to apply to the court of session to have these rights formally acknowledged by law. The action, on the advice of Jeffrey, was resisted by the bakers. Jeffrey was well suited to defend the case. He had worked in the town clerk's office and also had an extensive knowledge of Jedburgh's history because of his antiquarian pursuits. The case dragged on for several years and was eventually decided in the bakers favour after a jury trial in January 1843 in Edinburgh. This resulted in the burgh's bankruptcy and the sale of all its property. The demand for Jeffrey's professional services increased rapidly as a consequence of his work on this case.
Jeffrey and the handba' ban. The town's magistrates passed a byelaw to outlaw the playing of handba' (before the February 1849 Candlemas game). The justification was that cholera was rife in the country and there was a concern that a large gathering of people would lead to an outbreak in Jedburgh. The inhabitants ignored the ban and played the Candlemas game as normal. Fourteen people were tried and found guilty of breaking the law. The penalty was a 10 shilling fine or six days in jail. Jeffrey appealed, in June 1849, to the High Court in Edinburgh. He argued that the byelaw was enacted via powers granted under a statute of George IV and that this statute was never adopted by Jedburgh (Jedburgh had adopted, during the reign of Victoria, an amended version of the George IV statute). Therefore, the byelaw was not legal. The judge, Lord Justice Clerk John Hope, agreed with Jeffrey and the convictions were overturned. He said, as part of his judgement, “I, for one, should hesitate to encourage the abolition of an old and customary game, which from time immemorial had been enjoyed by the community.” Repeal Of Handba’ Ban. Local historian Jeffrey was an acknowledged expert on the history/archaeology of the Scottish Borders. He wrote several books and contributed many articles to the publications of various antiquarian societies. He became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland on 30 November 1859.Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland. Volume 4. 1862. p. 10. Society's membership list. Jeffrey was elected a member of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club on 26 June 1862.History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Society Volume 5. 1868. Page 481. Society's membership list.
As an historian, he will be most remembered for his four volume "History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts". In the course of his legal work he had to travel widely throughout the Scottish Borders. Jeffrey never failed to take the opportunity to examine and take notes of what he found interesting. In 1853, he began to arrange his papers with a view to publication. It was originally intended to be a two volume work, the first of which was published in March 1855. The second was due to be published in the summer of that year but was not issued until November 1857. The preface to the second volume says that the author had not found it possible to complete his work in two volumes and that a third would be published by the end of 1858. However, it was not completed until the following year. Again, Jeffrey said in the preface of that book that he needed yet another volume to conclude his History and that would be finished by 1860. It did not appear until 1864.
The work was not a financial success. When it was first announced, he had little trouble building up a subscription list and the earlier volumes sold well. However, the delays in publication meant that the subscription list was much reduced because of death and removals. There were also withdrawals because of the additional cost as a result of its increased size. All four volumes had different printers and publishers.
That a man with a demanding job could spare the time to produce such a significant tome shows he had a great love for his subject. Although the work was a monetary failure, it did make his name as a local historian. The press reviewed each volume with great regard.Various newspaper articles. Reviews of Jeffrey's History of Roxburghshire. Volumes 1–3 were praised in an article published in the much respected Edinburgh ReviewEdinburgh Review. 1860. Pages 496–513. Review of Volumes 1–3 of Jeffrey's History of Roxburghshire.
This table itemises his known publications:-
Name Published Publisher Pages A Historic and Descriptive Account of Roxburghshire 1836 Fraser and Co., Edinburgh 424 Guide to the Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of the Border 1838 Edinburgh Rise and Progress of Science – A paper read to the Jedburgh Mechanics Institute 1843 Galashiels Lecture on the 1847 Game Laws 1847 Local Antiquities – A paper read to the Jedburgh Mechanics Institute.Local Antiquities – A paper read to the Jedburgh Mechanics Institute. 1852. Online facsimile. 1852 W. Easton, Jedburgh 48 Memorial of the Marquis of Lothian's Majority.The Marquis of Lothian's Majority. 1853. Online facsimile. 1853 W. Easton, Jedburgh 79 History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts – Volume 1History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts Volume One. 1855. Online facsimile. 1855 Walter Easton, Jedburgh 350 History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts – Volume 2History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts Volume Two. 1857. Online facsimile. 1857 J.F. Hope, London 375 History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts – Volume 3History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts Volume Three. 1859. Online facsimile. 1859 Thomas C. Jack, Edinburgh 363 History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts – Volume 4History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts Volume Four. 1864. Online facsimile. 1864 Seaton & MacKenzie, Edinburgh 453 History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Society – Jedburgh paperHistory of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. 1862. Pages 344–356. Jeffrey's paper on Jedburgh. 1862 13 History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Society – Ancrum paperHistory of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. 1864. pp. 128–133. Jeffrey's paper on Ancrum. 1864 6
Newspaper publisher/editor Jeffrey was a frequent contributor to various local/regional newspapers on all the topical issues of the day. He was, nominally, the first editor of Jedburgh's Teviotdale Record.Border Magazine. Volume 10. 1905. pp. 177–178. Article marking the fiftieth anniversary of Jedburgh's Teviotdale Record. The first issue was published on 31/July/1855. However, in reality, the paper's owner, William Easton, was the active editor. He was the publisher of two short lived periodicals – the Border Spy and the Border Observer.Jedburgh Gazette and Border Courier. 5/Dec/1874. p. 1. Jeffrey's short obituary. Jeffrey was probably the publisher of The Tablet, which dealt with local issues in a caustic manner.
He made speeches in Jedburgh, and other nearby towns, in support of a campaign to increase the number of people eligible to vote in elections for the House of Commons. Jeffrey also wrote many newspaper articles about the subject. When the Reform Act 1832 became law, the electorate increased by 50%–80%, giving one adult male in six the right to vote. He was a reporter for the Kelso Mail. In this capacity, he attended all the public meetings in the counties of Roxburgh, Berwick and Selkirk during the election contests of 1832 and 1834.
The Jedburgh Border Games were first held in 1853 as part of the celebrations of the coming of age of the 8th Marquis of Lothian. Jeffrey wrote the official report of the proceedings.First Border Games Report.
Family