Monarch Victoria
Edward VII Children 5 Party Liberal Party Spouse(s) Lilias, Lady Kinross Died January 22, 1905 | Preceded by Sir William Adam Role Politician Preceded by James Robertson Name John 1st | |
 | ||
Succeeded by Andrew Murray, 1st Viscount Dunedin Education University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Academy | ||
John Blair Balfour, 1st Baron Kinross (11 July 1837 – 22 January 1905) was a Scottish lawyer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1899.
Contents
Life
Balfour was born in Clackmannan, the son of Rev. P Balfour Minister of Clackmannan and his wife Jane Ramsay Blair, daughter of John Blair. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and Edinburgh University, becoming an advocate of the Scottish bar in 1861. He served as Advocate Depute from 1870 to 1872, and in 1880 was made a Queen's Counsel. He was a Deputy Lieutenant for Edinburgh.
At the 1880 general election, Balfour stood unsuccessfully for parliament at Ayrshire North but in a by election six months later was elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Clackmannan and Kinross. He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland in 1880 and in 1881 he succeeded this appointment by becoming Lord Advocate, a post he held for four years. In 1882 he became a Privy Counsellor.
In 1892, on the return of the Liberals to power, Balfour was again appointed Lord Advocate, finally resigning on the fall of Lord Rosebery's government in 1895. In 1899 he was appointed Lord Justice General of Scotland and Lord President of the Court of Session. In the 1902 Coronation Honours list it was announced that he would receive a barony, and on 15 July 1902 he was created Baron Kinross, of Glascune in the County of Haddingtonshire. He took the oath and his seat in the House of Lords the following month, on 7 August.
Balfour died 22 January 1905, at Rothsay Terrace, Edinburghin Edinburgh, and was buried in the "Lords Row" in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh. His descendants are buried with him.
Family
Balfour married Lilias Oswald Mackenzie daughter of Donald Mackenzie, styled Lord Mackenzie, a Lord of Session, in 1869. They had one son, Patrick Balfour, 2nd Baron Kinross (1870-1939).
He married secondly in 1877 the Hon. Marianne Eliza Moncrieff, daughter of James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff. The couple had five children, 4 sons and 1 daughter.