James Russell (1790–1861) was a Scottish barrister, best known as a law reporter in the English courts.

Life

He was the eldest son of James Russell of

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

; his brother John joined the

Scottish bar 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 constitu ...

, and became known as a travel writer. After graduating with distinction at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, he was called to the English bar at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

in June 1822.

Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood DL (25 December 1767 – 24 November 1841), known as Viscount Lascelles from 1814 to 1820, was a British peer, slave plantation and other land owner, chiefly inherited art collector, and Member of Parliament. ...

introduced Russell to

Lord Eldon Earl of Eldon, in the County Palatine of Durham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1821 for the lawyer and politician John Scott, 1st Baron Eldon, Lord Chancellor from 1801 to 1806 and again from 1807 to 1827. ...

, and he was appointed a reporter in the courts of the Lord Chancellor and Master of the Rolls. In 1824 he became sole authorised reporter, ceasing in 1834. Russell gradually acquired a chancery and bankruptcy practice, and

took silk In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in 1841. He ultimately became leader in the court of Vice-chancellor

James Lewis Knight-Bruce Sir James Lewis Knight-Bruce, (born James Lewis Knight; 15 February 1791 – 7 November 1866) was an English barrister, judge and politician. Life He was the youngest son of John Knight of Fairlinch, Devon, by Margaret, daughter and heiress ...

, but his eyesight failed. Russell for some years before his death was blind. He died at Roxeth House, near Harrow, on 6 January 1861, and was buried at

Kensal Green Kensal Green is an area in north-west London. It lies mainly in the London Borough of Brent, with a small part to the south within Kensington and Chelsea. Kensal Green is located on the Harrow Road, about miles from Charing Cross. To the w ...

Works

Russell published: * ''Reports in Chancery'', 1826–8, 4 vols. and 2 parts, vol. v. 1827–30. * With George James Turner, ''Reports in Chancery, 1822–4'', 1832. * With James William Mylne, ''Reports in Chancery, 1829–31, with particular cases in 1832–3'', 2 vols., 1832–7. All these works were reprinted in America. Russell also contributed to the ''

Quarterly Review The ''Quarterly Review'' was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River ...

'', and with his brother John for some years edited the ''

Annual Register ''The Annual Register'' (originally subtitled "A View of the History, Politicks and Literature of the Year ...") is a long-established reference work, written and published each year, which records and analyses the year's major events, developmen ...

''.

Family

Russell married, in April 1839, Maria, eldest daughter of the Rev. Robert Cholmeley, rector of

Wainfleet, Lincolnshire Wainfleet All Saints is an ancient port and market town on the east coast of England, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire,OS Explorer map: Skegness, Alford & Spilsby: (1:25 000): on the A52 road south-west of Skegness and north-eas ...

, with whom he had three sons and five daughters.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, James 1790 births 1861 deaths British barristers Scottish legal writers People from Stirling