Miss Ferrier was the fourth and youngest daughter of James Ferrier, Writer to the Signet, and was born at Edinburgh, 7th of September 1782.  Her father was bred to that profession in the office of a distant relative, Mr. Archibald Campbell of Succoth (great grandfather of the present Archbishop of Canterbury).To his valuable and extensive business, which included the management of all the Argyll estates, he ultimately succeeded.  He was admitted as a member of the Society of Writers to the Signet in the year 1770.  He was also appointed a Principal Clerk of Session through the influence (most strenuously exerted) of his friend and, patron, John, fifth Duke of Argyll, [1] and was a colleague in that office with Scott.  He also numbered among his friends Henry Mackenzie, the “Man of Feeling,” Dr. Hugh Blair, and last, though not least, Burns the poet.  His father, John Ferrier, had been in the same office till his marriage with Grizzel, only daughter and heiress of Sir Walter Sandilands Hamilton, Bart., of Westport, county Linlithgow. [2] John Ferrier was the last Laird of Kirklands, county Renfrew, subsequently sold to Lord Blantyre.  Mr. James Ferrier was the third son of his parents, and was born 1744. [3] Miss Ferrier was in the habit of frequently visiting at Inveraray Castle in company with her father, and while there had ample opportunity afforded her of studying fashionable life in all its varied and capricious moods, and which have been preserved to posterity in her admirable delineations of character.  Her reason for becoming an authoress is from her own pen, as follows, and is entitled a preface to The Inheritance:—­

[1] To this nobleman, in his later years, Mr. Ferrier devoted much of his time, both at Inveraray and Roseneath.  He died in 1806.  His Duchess was the lovely Elizabeth Gunning.  Mr. Ferrier died at 25 George Street, Edinburgh, January 1829, aged eighty-six.  Sir Walter Scott attended his funeral.  After his death Miss Ferrier removed to a smaller house, in Nelson Street.

[2] Sir Walter’s father, Walter Sandilands of Hilderston, a cadet of the Torphichen family (his father was commonly styled Tutor of Calder), assumed the name of Hamilton on his marriage with the heiress of Westport.

[3] His brothers were:  William, who assumed the name of Hamilton on succeeding his grandfather in the Westport estate.  He was in the navy, and at the capture of Quebec, where he assisted the sailors to drag the cannon up the heights of Abraham; m.  Miss Johnstone of Straiton, co.  Linlithgow; died 1814.  Walter; m.  Miss Wallace of Cairnhill, co.  Ayr, father of the late Colonel Ferrier Hamilton of Cairnhill and Westport.  Ilay, major-general in the army; m. first Miss Macqueen, niece of Lord Braxfield, second, Mrs. Cutlar of Orroland, co.  Kirkcudbright.  He was Governor of Dumbarton Castle, and died there 1824.