Wikipedia Biographical Summary

"John McLaren (17 August 1831 – 6 April 1910), Lord McLaren, was a Scottish Liberal politician and judge.

The son of Duncan McLaren, a former Provost of Edinburgh and Member of Parliament, he was born in Edinburgh.

He was elected Member of Parliament for Wigtown Burghs in April 1880 and appointed Lord Advocate, losing his seat on seeking re-election on 20 May 1880. He failed to be elected at Berwick-upon-Tweed on 21 July 1880, but was returned for Edinburgh on 28 January 1881. McLaren's father Duncan McLaren had resigned as MP for Edinburgh, which produced the vacancy to be filled. McLaren continued to sit for Edinburgh until he was appointed as a judge, later in the year.

Under pressure from Gladstone and Sir William Harcourt, he accepted appointment to the bench in 1881 with the judicial title Lord McLaren. He was an eminently successful judge, and edited works on Scots law. He was also a student of astronomy and mathematics, and was awarded honorary degrees from Edinburgh University, the University of Glasgow and the University of Aberdeen."

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'John McLaren, Lord McLaren', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 March 2012, 18:36 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_McLaren,_Lord_McLaren&oldid=480361565> [accessed 9 November 2012]

Other References

• Waterston, Charles D; Macmillan Shearer, A (July 2006). Biographical index of former fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783-2002: Biographical Index. II. Edinburgh: The Royal Society of Edinburgh. ISBN 978-0-902198-84-5. page 602