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lay in the direction of figures and finance more than of law alone, 
and that he possessed a singular proficiency in dealing with them. 
The offer therefore of a partnership with Mr. Archibald Borthwick 
— one of the ablest accountants in Edinburgh — was readily accepted 
by him ; and the partnership so constituted, of two men of great 
powers, and in very many of their special qualities the complement 
of each other, became one of the outstanding firms of Edinburgh, 
recognised as such by all professions. The arrangement, however, 
only lasted until 1857, when the crash of the Western Bank failure 
led all interested in that calamity to cast about for suitable men to 
extricate matters, and Baleigh was selected along with other three, 
who are now each at the head of leading Scottish banks. 
The changes in his professional life, which are not always a 
favourable experience, proved remarkably so with him. He got an 
insight in business of quite unwonted range and variety ; and he 
was just the man to extract and utilise the best elements out of 
such a career. 
It was not therefore surprising that when in 1859 the office of 
Manager of the Scottish Widows’ Fund Life Assurance Society 
became vacant, the Directors sought to secure his services. The 
offer somewhat perplexed him. His professional prospects were so 
good that he felt it was a doubtful step to enter upon this new 
life, and he asked and obtained time to consider the proposal. After 
consultation with friends on whose judgment he relied, he closed 
with the offer, and became Manager of a Society which, even at 
that time, stood in the very highest rank among Scottish offices, 
and which, under his management, was to acquire the position of 
unapproached pre-eminence which it holds in Great Britain. It was 
not only, however, the large increase of its business which gave 
such universal public confidence, but the knowledge of his skill in 
manipulating and investing large sums of money, and in devising 
and working out the best ways of distributing the very large profits 
which accumulated during each septennial period. 
Although never taking a public part in political or ecclesiastical 
affairs, for which, he had little leisure and no taste, he took a deep 
interest in all such matters — held very decided views regarding 
them — and was often consulted, and always ready with his counsel. 
In the year 1880 the labours and responsibilities of his business 
