George Neilson was born in 1858 and was educated at King William's College on the Isle of Man. He passed as a law-agent in 1881 an in 1889 became a Fellow of the Scottish Academy as well as President of the Glasgow Juridical Society. From 1891-1910 he was Procurator Fiscal of Police of Glasgow, and then from 1910-1923 he was Stipendiary Magistrate of Glasgow. He obtained an honorary LLD from the University of Glasgow in 1903 . Neilson held a number of offices in public life. He was President of the Glasgow Archaeological Society from 1907-1911, President of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow 1913-1915 and of the Walter Scott Club 1914-1918, as well as Rhind Lecturer in Archaeology in 1912 . He published several books during his life, including: Trial by Combat in 1890, Annals of Solway in 1899 and the Alliterative Poet in 1902.
From the guide to the Papers of George Neilson, 1858-1923, legal historian, 1420-1923, (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections Department)
