Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gibson, Alexander (d.1656)
GIBSON, Sir ALEXANDER, Lord Durie (d. 1656), Scottish judge, was eldest son of Sir Alexander Gibson (d. 1644) [q. v.], by Margaret, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Craig of Riccarton. He was made a clerk of session conjointly with his father upon the latter's promotion to the bench in 1621. He opposed Charles I's policy respecting the service-book, protested against the royal proclamations of 1638, and petitioned the presbytery of Edinburgh against the bishops, November 1638. He was commissary-general of the forces raised to resist Charles I in 1640, but was afterwards knighted 15 March 1641, and made lord clerk register 13 Nov. 1641. He was made a commissioner of the exchequer 1 Feb. 1645, and sat on the committee of estates (1645–8). He became lord of session in 1646, when he took the title of Lord Durie. He was deprived of his offices in 1649 by the act of classes, after joining ‘the engagement.’ He was one of the Scottish commissioners chosen to attend the English parliament in 1652 and 1654. Lamont writes in 1650, ‘Both Durie and his lady was debarred from the table because of their malignancie.’ He died in June 1656. He was twice married; first to Marjory Hamilton, by whom he had one daughter; secondly to Cecilia, daughter of Thomas Fotheringham of Powrie, by whom he left Sir Alexander Gibson of Durie, knt., commissioner to parliament in England for Fife and Kinross 1656–9, and for Fife 1659, who died at Durie 6 Aug. 1661.
[Brunton and Haig's College of Justice, pp. 317–18; Lamont's Diary (Maitland Club, 1830); family memoranda.]