Name Charles Lord Died April 5, 1763 | Role Advocate | |
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.