He was the son of Alexander Falconer, an
Elgin merchant, and Jean King. His grandfathers were the Reverend William Falconer (the son of Right Reverend
Colin Falconer,
Bishop of Argyll (1679–80) and
Bishop of Moray (1680–86)), and William King of Newmill,
Provost of Elgin (1690–1700). He was appointed
coadjutor bishop of
Caithness and
Orkney and
consecrated at
Alloa on 10 September 1741 by
Thomas Rattray,
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, with bishops
Robert Keith and
Robert White serving as co-
consecrators. He was elected the
Bishop of Moray on 10 November 1742, and accepted the
see on 12 January 1743. He left Elgin in 1746 and took up residence in
Edinburgh. He was unanimously elected
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church at
Forfar on 24 June 1762, and also became the
Bishop of Edinburgh on 25 October 1776. He resigned the see of Moray before May 1778 and the office of Primus in September 1782, but retained the see of Edinburgh. Bishop Falconer died in office on 15 June 1784, aged 77. ==Styles==