Sir John Anstruther, 4th Baronet and 1st Baronet PC (27 March 1753 – 26 January 1811) was a Scottish politician. The second son of Sir John Anstruther, 2nd Baronet, he was knighted in 1797, raised to the

Baronetage of Great Britain Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James I ...

in 1798, and also succeeded as 4th Baronet in the

Baronetage of Nova Scotia Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James ...

on the death of his elder brother, Philip, in 1808. He served as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Anstruther Burghs, in Fife, from 1783 to 1790, 1796–1797 and 1806–1811, and for

Cockermouth Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cocke ...

, in Cumberland, from 1790 to 1796. He was appointed a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...

in 1806.

Life

He was born on 27 March 1753, the second son of Sir John Anstruther of Elie House, Fife. He was educated at Glasgow University under John Millar, and called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1779. He practised chiefly before the House of Lords in Scotch appeals and was M.P. for Cockermouth, 1790–96. He was an active supporter of

Charles James Fox Charles James Fox (24 January 1749 – 13 September 1806), styled ''The Honourable'' from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned 38 years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was the arch-riv ...

, and one of the managers appointed to conduct the

Impeachment of Warren Hastings The impeachment of Warren Hastings, the first governor-general of Bengal, was attempted between 1787 and 1795 in the Parliament of Great Britain. Hastings was accused of misconduct during his time in Calcutta, particularly relating to mismanageme ...

, his duty being to sum up the evidence on the charge relating to Benares, and to open the charge relating to presents. In 1797 he was appointed Chief Justice of Bengal and created a baronet in 1798. From 1799 to 1807 he was President of the

Asiatic Society The Asiatic Society is a government of India organisation founded during the Company rule in India to enhance and further the cause of "Oriental research", in this case, research into India and the surrounding regions. It was founded by the p ...

of Bengal. In 1806 he returned to Britain, was sworn on the privy council and re-entered parliament the same year as member for the Anstruther

district of burghs The Act of Union 1707 and pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) from Scotland to be elected from districts of burghs. All the parliamentary burghs (burghs represented in the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland) ...

. In 1808 he succeeded to his father's baronetcy in addition to his own. He died in London 26 January 1811 and was succeeded by his son Sir John Carmichael-Anstruther, 5th Baronet, who also took his place as MP for Anstruther Burghs.

Family

His daughter Marion Anstruther (1797-1859) married his nephew Robert Anstruther WS (1803-1867) and is buried with him in Dean Cemetery.Anstruther grave, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Anstruther, John, 4th Baronet 1753 births 1811 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow Members of Lincoln's Inn Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Cumbria MPs Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Scottish constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies UK MPs 1806–1807 UK MPs 1807–1812 British India judges Presidents of The Asiatic Society 19th-century Scottish politicians John, 4th Baronet