James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff

Wikipedia Biographical Summary

James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff FRSE (29 November 1811 – 27 April 1895), was a Scottish lawyer and politician.

The son of Sir James Wellwood Moncreiff, 9th Baronet, a Scottish judge, he was educated at Edinburgh University and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1833.

He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland in 1850, and Lord Advocate from 1851 to 1852, from 1852 to 1858, from 1859 to 1866 and from 1868 to 1869. He was Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1858 to 1869. He was appointed Lord Justice Clerk from 1869 to 1888.

He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1869. He was Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1868 to 1871, and held the degrees of LLD from both Edinburgh and Glasgow universities. He was Member of Parliament for Leith Burghs from 1851 to 1859, for Edinburgh from 1859 to 1868 and for Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities in 1868.

Moncreiff was created a Baronet, of Tulliebole in the County of Perth, in 1871 and raised to the Peerage as Baron Moncreiff of Tulliebole in the County of Perth, in 1874. He succeeded his elder brother as 11th Baronet, of Moncreiff, in 1883."

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 May 2012, 22:20 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Moncreiff,_1st_Baro...> [accessed 26 September 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 660

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The son of Sir James Wellwood Moncreiff, 9th Baronet, a Scottish judge, and Ann, daughter of George Robertson, R. N.

He was educated at Edinburgh University was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1833. He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland in 1850, and Lord Advocate from 1851 to 1852, from 1852 to 1858, from 1859 to 1866 and from 1868 to 1869. He was Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1858 to 1869. He was appointed Lord Justice Clerk from 1869 to 1888.

He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1869. He was Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1868 to 1871, and held the degrees of LLD from both Edinburgh and Glasgow universities.

He was Member of Parliament for Leith Burghs from 1851 to 1859, for Edinburgh from 1859 to 1868 and for Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities in 1868.

During his long career in parliament Moncreiff guided the passing of over a hundred acts of parliament, and his name will ever be associated with the reform of legal procedure and mercantile law. As lord advocate he was engaged as public prosecutor in many important cases, notably the trials of Madeline Smith, Wielobycki, and the directors of the Western bank. In 1856, he defended the 'Scotsman' in the libel action raised by Mr. Duncan McLaren, one of the members for the city of Edinburgh. In January 1857, he was presented with the freedom of his native city for the part he took in regard to the Municipal Extension Act. In 1859, he became lieutenant-colonel of the first rifle volunteer corps in Scotland that of the city of Edinburgh. In 1860, he benefited Edinburgh by passing the annuity tax bill a subject in which, as a free churchman, he took the keenest interest and in the following year he benefited Scotland by carrying the important bill relating to burgh and parochial schools. In 1861 he was engaged as leading counsel in the defence of Sir William Johnston, one of the directors of the Edinburgh and Glasgow bank, and in 18631 he was counsel in the famous Yelverton case.[1]

For nineteen years Lord Moncreiff occupied the judicial bench, presiding over the trials in the justiciary court of Chantrellf (1878), the Citv of Glasgow bank directors (1878), the dynamitards (1883), and the crofters (1886).[1]

Extrajudicially he was occupied in many other matters. As a lecturer he was in great request, and delivered numerous orations in Edinburgh and Glasgow on subjects of literary, scientific, and political interest to the Philosophical Institution, Royal Society, Juridical Society, Scots Law Society, and other bodies. Moncreiff also published anonymously in 1871 a novel entitled 'A Visit to my Discontented Cousin,' which was reprinted, with additions, from 'Fraser's Magazine.' He was also a frequent contributor to the 'Edinburgh Review.'[1]

In 1858 he received the degree of LL.D. from Edinburgh University : from 1868 to 1871 he was rector of Glasgow University, from which he received the degree of LL.D. in 1879, and in 1869 he was appointed a member of the privy council. On 17 May 1871 he was created a baronet ; on 1 January 1874 he was made a baron of the United Kingdom ; in 1878 he was appointed a royal commissioner under the Endowed Institutions (Scotland) Act, and in 1883 he succeeded his brother as eleventh baronet of Tullibole.[1]

In September 1888, he resigned the position of lord justice-clerk, and took up the preparation of his 'Memorials,' which are yet to be published. On these he was engaged till his death on 27 April 1895.

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