Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde, (22 February 1853 – 2 October 1928) was a Scottish politician, judge, and georgist

land value tax A land value tax (LVT) is a levy on the value of land (economics), land without regard to buildings, personal property and other land improvement, improvements upon it. Some economists favor LVT, arguing it does not cause economic efficiency, ec ...

activist.

Life

He was the son of John Ure,

lord provost A lord provost () is the convenor of the local authority, the civic head and the lord-lieutenant of one of the principal cities of Scotland. The office is similar to that of a lord mayor. Only the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirlin ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, and his wife Isabella. He studied law at the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

he was admitted to membership of the

Faculty of Advocates The Faculty of Advocates () is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary. The Faculty of Advocates is a const ...

in 1878. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for

Linlithgowshire West Lothian, also known as Linlithgowshire (its official name until 1925), is a counties of Scotland, historic county in the east central Lowlands of Scotland. until 1925. It is bounded geographically by the River Avon, Falkirk, Avon to the wes ...

from 1895 to 1913. He became a

queen's counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1897. He provided as solicitor general for Scotland from December 1905 to 1909, and as Lord Advocate from February 1909 to 1913. He was an enthusiastic supporter of

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

's 1909–10 budget. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1909. In 1909, he conducted the prosecution of Oscar Slater for murder; the conviction was later quashed on appeal. He lived at 31 Heriot Row, a large Georgian townhouse, in Edinburgh's Second New Town. On leaving Parliament, he was raised to the bench as Lord Strathclyde and appointed Lord Justice General, a post he held until 1920. He was raised to the Peerage as Baron Strathclyde, of Sandyford in the County of Lanark, in 1914. In 1917, he was appointed to the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

as a Knight Grand Cross. He is said to have been skilled in cross-examination, and was more suited to life as an advocate than as a judge. He retired to his father's house of Cairndhu in

Helensburgh Helensburgh ( ; ) is a town on the north side of the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, situated at the mouth of the Gareloch. Historically in Dunbartonshire, it became part of Argyll and Bute following local government reorganisation in 1996. Histo ...

in 1920 and died there in 1928. He is buried in Helensburgh Cemetery.

Notable trials

Ure famously prosecuted alleged murderer, Oscar Slater, now seen as a serious mistrial. Slater was sentenced to death in 1909. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Following a campaign by

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

and others, Slater received a pardon, but only after having served 18 years in Peterhead Prison.

Family

In 1879, he married Margaret McDowell Steven; their only child was a daughter, Christobel Helen Ure, who died in 1918, before the Baron's death. The peerage therefore became extinct on his death.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strathclyde, Alexander Ure, 1st Baron 1853 births 1928 deaths Nobility from Argyll and Bute Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Ure, Alexander Ure, Alexander Senators of the College of Justice Lord advocates Solicitors general for Scotland Barons Strathclyde Ure, Alexander Ure, Alexander Ure, Alexander Ure, Alexander Ure, Alexander Ure, Alexander Lords President of the Court of Session Lords Justice-General Members of the Faculty of Advocates Scottish King's Counsel 19th-century King's Counsel Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Barons created by George V Alumni of the University of Glasgow