Richard Lawson of High Riggs, (c. 1450–1507) was a Scottish landlord, diplomat and lawyer who was made

Lord Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...

in 1492 and Justice-Clerk-General to the King in 1504. He was the father of James Lawson, an MP of the Scottish Parliament, and the grandfather of

James Lawson, Lord Lawson James Lawson, Lord Lawson was a 16th-century Scottish lawyer and politician. He was both a Senator of the College of Justice from 1532 and Provost of Edinburgh in 1532. He was one of the first nine Senators of Justice, at the point of their creat ...

, who was made Lord Provost of Edinburgh in 1532.

Career

Lawson was trained as a lawyer and largely served the country in the role of ambassador in treaties with England and as King's Council. He served as Town Clerk in Edinburgh in 1482. He was Justice-Clerk from 1489 and was still in post described as Justice-Clerk-General to the King in January 1504/5. He was one of the counsellors appointed for managing the affairs of King James IV. Along with Alexander Home of that Ilk,

Chamberlain of Scotland Holders of the office of Lord Chamberlain of Scotland are known from about 1124. It was ranked by King Malcolm as the third great Officer of State, called ''Camerarius Domini Regis'', and had a salary of £200 per annum allotted to him. He ancien ...

, and others, he was one of the Commissioners appointed to ratify the treaty concluded at

Coldstream Coldstream ( gd, An Sruthan Fuar , sco, Caustrim) is a town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. A former burgh, Coldstream is the home of the Coldstream Guards, a regiment in the British Army. Description Coldstream l ...

on 5 October 1488 for a three years' truce with England. On 30 May 1490 he was one of the Commissioners of the King who, with 300 horsemen, had a Safe-Conduct for two months to enter England, remain and return. On the 25th June 1492 he was one of the King's Commissioners who concluded a new 7 year treaty with England, and on 28 July the next year was again a Commissioner in a party of ambassadors to England for 6 months; and yet again on 22 May 1495 he was one of the Ambassadors, with 100 horsemen, who had a Safe Conduct to England for 6 months. He was one of the ambassadors of Scotland, who concluded a new 7 year treaty with England, at Ayton, Berwickshire, on 30 September 1497, ratified by King James on 10 February 1497/8 in the presence of Don Pedro de Ayala, Prothonotary of the King & Queen of Spain and their ambassador to Scotland.

Family

He owned a country estate known as Cairnmuir House in the

Pentland Hills The Pentland Hills are a range of hills southwest of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around in length, and runs southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. Etymology The name is first recorded for the farm of Pentlan ...

which he gave to his eldest son, Richard Jr, in October 1504. Another son, Robert Lawson, was killed in action at the

Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...

in 1513. Another son, James Lawson, was elected as an MP of the Scottish Parliament in 1528 and again in 1532. His grandson

, became both 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); ...

and Provost of Edinburgh in 1532.Notes from the Old Edinburgh Club: vol 18

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, Richard, of High Riggs 1450 births 1507 deaths Lawyers from Edinburgh Lord Provosts of Edinburgh Year of birth uncertain