He was born in
Edinburgh on 16 December 1775 one of 12 children and second son of Isabella and William Fullerton Esq of
Carstairs. He was raised in a large house on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh's Southside. His elder sister Elizabeth married
William Fullerton-Elphinstone a Director of the
East India Company. He attended the
High School in Edinburgh and then studied law at the
University of Edinburgh, qualifying as an advocate on 17 February 1798. In 1816 he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were
John Playfair,
Thomas Thomson, Sir
David Brewster and
John Gordon. He became a
Senator of the College of Justice on 17 February 1829, and adopted the title Lord Fullerton, succeeding
John Clerk, Lord Eldin. He then lived at 27 Melville Street in a newly built townhouse in Edinburgh's west end. In the
Disruption of 1843 Fullerton spoke largely in the defence of the established
Church of Scotland within the lengthy legal debates. His arguments failed, therefore permitting the split. He died at home 33 Moray Place on the
Moray Estate in
Edinburgh on 3 December 1853 in
Edinburgh. His biography was written by
Lord Strathclyde. ==Family==