View source for Sir Alexander Falconer, 1st Lord Falconer of Halkerton

{{Short description|Scottish judge}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
'''Sir Alexander Falconer, 1st Lord Falconer of Halkerton''' (1595–1671), was a Scottish judge.
==Life==
Falconer was the eldest son of Sir Alexander Falconer of Halkertoun, by his wife Agnes Carnegie, eldest daughter of [[David Carnegie of Colluthie]].
On 9 July 1639 he succeeded [[Adam Cunningham, Lord Woodhall|Lord Woodhall]] as an ordinary [[lord of session]].
King Charles I granted Sir Alexander a yearly pension of £200 with the title, for his ability, integrity, and affection for administration of Justice.
In November 1641 was appointed anew by king and parliament to be judge "ad vitam aut culpam". He represented [[Kincardineshire (Parliament of Scotland constituency)|Kincardineshire]] in the convention 1643–4, and in the parliaments of 1644–5, 1645–7. He was a commissioner for the loan and tax in 1643, and a member of the committee of war for Kincardineshire in 1643, 1644, and 1646, and for [[Forfarshire]] in 1648. He was a commissioner for the plantation of kirks in 1644, a commissioner of the exchequer in 1645, a member of the committee of estates in 1645 and 1647, and a colonel for [[Aberdeenshire]] in 1648.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Falconer, Alexander|volume=18}}</ref>
His rise and influence in the Scottish government was recognized on 20 December 1646, when he was created "[[Lord Falconer of Halkerton]]", with destination to himself and his heirs-male whatsoever.
On 15 February 1649 he was deprived of his seat in the [[College of Justice]], and "ordained to lend money for the public use", on account of his accession to the "[[Engagers|engagement]]". He appears, however, as Baron Falconer in the list of Scots nobility in 1650, and was a commissioner of supply for [[Kincardineshire]] in 1656 and 1659.<ref name="DNB"/>
Falconer was reappointed to his seat in the College of Justice at the [[English Restoration|Restoration]], and retained it till his death. In 1661 he was a commissioner of excise, and a member of the commission for visiting the [[university of Aberdeen]]. He appears as sitting in parliament as Lord Halkertoun till 1669, and died 1 October 1671.<ref name="DNB"/>
==Family==
Falconer married Anne, only daughter of [[John Lindsay, 9th Lord Lindsay of Byres]], by whom he had one son;<ref name="DNB"/> and one daughter Agnes, who married [[George Ogilvy, 2nd Lord Banff]].<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Ogilvy, Alexander (d.1727)|volume=42}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Balfour Paul|first=James|authorlink=James Balfour Paul|title=The Scots Peerage, Volume II|url=https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun02paul#page/18/mode/2up|year=1905|publisher=D. Douglas|page=19}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
;Attribution
{{DNB|wstitle=Falconer, Alexander|volume=18}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
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[[Category:1595 births]]
[[Category:1671 deaths]]
[[Category:Nobility from Aberdeenshire]]
[[Category:Senators of the College of Justice]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish judges]]
[[Category:Peers of Scotland created by Charles I]]
[[Category:Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1643–44]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1644–1647]]