The majority of his verses were written to be sung at festive gatherings in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The interest in his work is chiefly local, partly because he wrote nearly all in the Scots dialect, partly because the topics were connected with the legal society of the Scottish capital; but in a few instances, notably in the 'Annuity,' the rich humour and happy expression appeal to a wider circle. Outram collaborated with 'Christopher North' in the 'Dies Boreales,' which followed the 'Noctes Ambrosianæ.' He also printed for private circulation a collection of legal anecdotes.
[Editions of the 'Lyrics' referred to above; Songs of the Edinburgh Angling Club; biographical notes kindly supplied by Aleaxander Sinclair, esq., of the 'Glasgow Herald,' and J. D. Outram, esq., advocate, Edinburgh.]
OUTRAM, Sir JAMES (1803–1863), baronet, lieutenant-general Indian army, second son of Benjamin Outram [q. v.], of Butterley Hall, Derbyshire, and his wife Margaret, daughter of Dr. James Anderson of Mounie, Aberdeenshire, and granddaughter of a Scottish judge, Sir William Seton, lord Pitmeddon, was born at Butterley Hall on 29 Jan. 1803. Mrs. Outram, who by the sudden death of her husband was left in very straitened circumstances, was a woman of great self-reliance and independence. With her young family she resided for three years at Worksop, then for two years at Barnby Moor, and in 1810 removed to Aberdeen. Outram was educated first at Udny, then at Mr. Esson's school in Aberdeen, and finally at Marischal College. In 1819 he received a direct Indian cadetship, and sailed for India in May in the ship York, in company with a fellow-cadet, afterwards Major-general Stalker. He arrived in Bombay on 15 Aug., and was temporarily posted to the 4th native infantry, with rank as ensign from 2 May 1819. He joined the regiment at Púna, and accompanied it to Savandrúg, returning to Bombay in September, when he was gazetted a lieutenant in the 1st grenadier native infantry, to date from 4 Aug. He joined the 2nd battalion of his regiment at Púna in December, but was shortly afterwards transferred to the 12th regiment on its embodiment at the same place, and became acting-adjutant in July 1820. He accompanied the regiment to Baroda in February 1821, but towards the end of the year was compelled to take sick leave to Bombay. On returning to rejoin his regiment at Káthiáwar in February 1822, he had a narrow escape of his life. The native boat in which he had embarked was blown up by the explosion of some fireworks which Outram had taken on board. Outram was much scorched about the face, but otherwise uninjured.
In November 1822 Outram arranged with his brother Francis, a second lieutenant in the Bombay engineers, that they should put by out of their pay as subalterns an allowance for their mother. At Rajkot, where his regiment was quartered, he became an enthusiastic sportsman; and his shikar-book for the seasons of 1822–3 and 1823–4 shows a record of seventy-four ‘first spears’ out of 123 gained by a party of twelve. He also killed four nílgáí, two hyenas, and two wolves in these two seasons, the nílgáí having been obtained in seven runs at the cost of four horses. In April 1824 he moved with his regiment to Malegáon in Khandesh, but, on a general reorganisation of the army in the spring of this year, his regiment was converted into the 23rd native infantry, and Outram was appointed to the 44th native infantry, and gazetted adjutant on 1 Aug. He, however, effected an exchange back to his old regiment, renumbered the 23rd, and was continued in the appointment of adjutant.
Towards the end of 1824 Outram was permitted to join Lieut.-colonel Deacon's expedition against Kittúr, a native state which had lapsed to the paramount power on the death of the Deshai without heirs, but had resisted the British government, and repulsed a small force sent to take possession. Outram's brother Francis served in the same expedition, and both brothers distinguished themselves. Kittúr was besieged, and surrendered on 5 Dec. 1824, when the expedition returned to Bombay, and Outram rejoined his regiment at Malegáon the following February. In March 1825 Outram was sent, with two hundred men of the 11th and 23rd native infantry regiments, to seize the hill fort of Malair between Surat and Malegáon, an insurrection having broken out in the western districts of Khandesh. Directing his junior officers—Ensigns Whitmore and Paul—to attack in front before daybreak with 150 men, he took fifty men to the rear, and, assaulting shortly after the front attack commenced, created a panic. The garrison fled, the leader and many of his adherents were cut down, and the rest escaped to the hills completely disorganised. Outram's services on this occasion were acknowledged by the government, and also in general orders by the commander-in-chief. In further recognition of his services and merit, he was placed, on 22 April 1825, at the disposal of the collector and political agent in Khandesh, to command a Bhîl corps, to be raised in
