The Hon John Swinton, Lord Swinton (1723–1799) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and writer who rose to be a

Senator of the College of Justice The senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court of Session); ...

Life

He was the son of John Swinton of Swinton House in

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of th ...

, advocate, and his wife Mary Semple, daughter of Rev Samuel Semple, minister of Liberton. He was admitted advocate on 20 December, 1743, Appointed

Sheriff of Perth The Sheriff of Perth was historically a royal official, appointed for life, who was responsible for enforcing justice in Perth, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite upri ...

in June 1754, in April 1766 he became solicitor for renewal of leases of the bishops' tithes, and solicitor and advocate to the commissioners for plantation of kirks in Scotland. Swinton was elevated to the Scottish bench, with the title of Lord Swinton, on 21 December, 1782 replacing

Alexander Lockhart, Lord Covington The Hon Alexander Lockhart, Lord Covington also styled as Alexander Lockhart of Craighouse (1700–17 November 1782) was an 18th-century Scottish lawyer who rose to be a Senator of the College of Justice. Life He was the son of Euphemia Montg ...

, and later, on the promotion of Lord Braxfield in 1788, was also made a

lord of justiciary The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court in Scotland. The High Court is both a trial court and a court of appeal. As a trial court, the High Court sits on circuit at Parliament House or in the adjacent former Sheriff Cour ...

. At this time he had legal offices on Browns Square on the southern edge of Edinburgh. He also owned Dean House on the west side of Edinburgh. Swinton House, his main country residence, burned down in 1797 and was not rebuilt until after his death. He retained both appointments till his death, at his residence, Dean House, Edinburgh, on 5 January 1799.

Works

Swinton published: * ''Abridgment of the Public Statutes relative to Scotland, &c., from the Union to the 27th of George II'', 2 vols. 1755; to the 29th of George III, 3 vols. 1788–90. * ''Free Disquisition concerning the Law of Entails in Scotland'', 1765. * ''Proposal for Uniformity of Weights and Measures in Scotland'', 1779. * ''Considerations concerning a Proposal for dividing the Court of Session into Classes or Chambers; and for limiting Litigation in Small Causes, and for the Revival of Jury-trial in certain Civil Actions'', 1789.

Family

Swinton married Margaret, daughter of John Mitchelson of Middleton. They had six sons and seven daughters. His eldest son, also John Swinton and 28th of that Ilk, was

Sheriff of Berwick The Sheriff of Berwick was historically a royal official, who was responsible for enforcing justice in Berwickshire, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite uprising of 1745, ...

from 1793 to 1809. His fourth son, Lt Col Robert Swinton (1773-1821), is memorialised in St John's Churchyard on

Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. His last surviving son,

George Swinton Captain George Sitwell Campbell Swinton (10 May 1859 – 17 January 1937) was a long-serving Scottish politician and officer of arms. Life and work Swinton was born at 7 Darnaway Street on the Moray Estate in west Edinburgh, the seco ...

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

, served as Chief Secretary to the Bengal Civil Service and died in 1854, being buried in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

the site of old Dean House.Insciptioon on grave of George Swinton, Dean Cemetery

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Swinton, John 1723 births 1799 deaths Members of the Faculty of Advocates Swinton Scottish writers Paintings by Henry Raeburn Scottish sheriffs