George Cranstoun, Lord Corehouse (28 November 1770 – 26 June 1850) was a Scottish

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

, judge and satirist.

Life

Cranstoun was likely born at his father's estate, Longwarton. He was baptised in

Ancrum Ancrum ( gd, Alan Crom) is a village in the Borders area of Scotland, 5 km north west of Jedburgh. The village — which currently has a population of around 300 — is situated just off the A68 trunk road on the B6400 which runs through A ...

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...

, Scotland, the second son of the Hon. George Cranstoun of Longwarton, seventh son of

William Cranstoun, 5th Lord Cranstoun William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

, and Maria, daughter of Thomas Brisbane of Brisbane, Ayrshire. He was originally intended for the military profession, however was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates on 2 February 1793, was appointed a depute-advocate in 1805, and sheriff-depute of

Sutherland Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...

in 1806. He was chosen dean of the Faculty of Advocates on 15 November 1823, and was raised to the bench on the death of

Lord Hermand George Fergusson, Lord Hermand (25 August 1743–9 August 1827) was a Scottish advocate and judge. Life He was born on 25 August 1743, the eighth son of Jean Maitland, only child of James, viscount Maitland, and grand-daughter of John, fif ...

in 1826, under the title of Lord Corehouse, from his residence

Corehouse Corehouse is a country house and estate, located to the south of Lanark, Scotland. The estate is by the Corra Linn Falls on the River Clyde, and close to the World Heritage Site of New Lanark. The house was designed by Sir Edward Blore for Geor ...

near the fall of

Corra Linn The Falls of Clyde is the collective name of four ''linn'' ( Scots: ''waterfalls'') on the River Clyde near New Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Falls of Clyde comprise the upper falls of Bonnington Linn, Corra Linn, Dundaff Linn, and t ...

on the

River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...

. In 1832–3 Lord Corehouse is listed as living at 12 Ainslie Place on the Moray Estate in Edinburgh's fashionable west end. In January 1839, while apparently in perfect health, he was suddenly struck with paralysis, which compelled him to retire. He died 26 June 1850. Corehouse18

Associations and works

His accomplishments as a Greek scholar secured him the friendship of

Lord Monboddo James Burnett, Lord Monboddo (baptised 25 October 1714; died 26 May 1799) was a Scottish judge, scholar of linguistic evolution, philosopher and deist. He is most famous today as a founder of modern comparative historical linguistics. In 1767 ...

. While attending the civil law class in 1788 Cranstoun met Walter Scott, and a friendship continued through life. Scott read the opening stanzas of the '' Lay of the Last Minstrel'' to William Erskine and Cranstoun. While practising at the bar Cranstoun wrote a satire, 'The Diamond Beetle Case,’ in which he caricatured the manner and style of several of the judges in delivering their opinions.

Family

His second sister, Jane Anne, afterwards Countess of Purgstall, was a correspondent of Walter Scott, and his youngest, Helen D'Arcy, author of ''The Tears I shed must ever fall'' and wife of Dugald Stewart.

References

1770 births 1850 deaths 18th-century Scottish people 19th-century Scottish people Place of birth missing

Scottish satirists Deans of the Faculty of Advocates Scholars of Greek language Scottish scholars and academics Scottish sheriffs {{Scotland-law-bio-stub