Charles Erskine, Lord Tinwald

For other people named Charles Erskine, see Charles Erskine (disambiguation).

Charles Erskine (1680 – 5 April 1763) was Lord Advocate, a Scottish judge, and a Member of Parliament (MP).

Charles Erskine was the fourth son of Sir Charles Erskine, Baronet, of Alva, by his spouse Christian, daughter of Sir James Dundas of Arniston. He was elected Member of Parliament for Dumfriesshire in 1722, 1727 and 1734, for the Dumfries Burghs in 1734, for the Northern Burghs in 1741.

At the age of twenty he was a candidate for the office of one of the four Regents of Edinburgh University, and after an examination with several competitors obtained that appointment on 26 November 1700 until 17 October 1707. On 7 November he was appointed the first professor of Public Law in the University in 1707, despite the protests of the council. He became a member of the Faculty of Advocates on 14 July 1711.

He was Solicitor General for Scotland from 2 June 1725, Lord Advocate from 20 January 1737 to 1742. He was raised as a Lord of Justiciary, and also to the bench on 23 November 1744 as Lord Tinwald. He was also Lord Justice Clerk from 15 June 1748 until his death, at Edinburgh.

His son Charles (1716–1749) was a lawyer, and MP for Ayr Burghs from 1747 to 1749.

References

• An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice of Scotland, by Sir David Dalrymple of Hailes, Bt., with some further editing and additions, Edinburgh, 1849.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Sir William Johnstone, 2nd Bt	Member of Parliament for Dumfriesshire 1722 – 1741	Succeeded by Sir John Douglas, 3rd Bt
Preceded by Archibald Douglas	Member of Parliament for Dumfries Burghs 1734	Succeeded by William Kirkpatrick
Preceded by Sir Robert Munro, 6th Bt	Member of Parliament for Tain Burghs 1734 – 1742	Succeeded by Robert Craigie
Legal offices
Preceded by	Solicitor General for Scotland 1725–1737	Succeeded by
Preceded by Duncan Forbes	Lord Advocate 1737–1742	Succeeded by Robert Craigie
Preceded by Andrew Fletcher	Lord Justice Clerk 1748–1763	Succeeded by Sir Gilbert Eliot of Minto