James Roberton, Lord Bedlay (c. 1590 – May 1664) 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, ...

and

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

. He was born to Archibald Roberton of Stainhall, youngest son of John Roberton 9th Laird of

Earnock Earnock was an ancient estate in an area south of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, Scotland. It extended from the western side of Strathaven Road to the western extremity of the Parish of Hamilton. Etymology Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account o ...

, and Elizabeth Baillie, daughter of Robert Baillie of

Jerviston Jerviston is a country estate on the north-eastern edge of the Scottish town of Motherwell in North Lanarkshire which is now occupied by ''Colville Park Country Club''. The estate was once the location of a small castle (Laird's House) construc ...

.Earnock and its Early Proprietors, Hamilton Advertiser, n.d. July 1874 He inherited

Bedlay Castle Bedlay Castle is a former defensive castle, dating from the late 16th and 17th centuries. It is located between Chryston and Moodiesburn in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The castle is just off the A80 road, around 8 miles to the north-east of ...

from his father, who bought it from

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, the 8th Lord Boyd. He became Lord Bedlay upon the occasion of being raised to the judicial bench in 1661.

Education

Described as a man of great learning and integrity, Roberton matriculated at the

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

in March 1605 and graduated M.A. in 1609.

Positions

He was appointed Regent (Professor) of Philosophy and Humanity of the University of Glasgow in 1618.Who, Where and When: The History and Constitution of the University of Glasgow, pg 75
He passed as advocate and was appointed a judge of the

Admiralty Court Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offences. Admiralty courts in the United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland The Scottish court's earliest ...

and a Justice-Deputy in 1626, a position he held without fee from 1626 to 1637. Several petitions to parliament finally resulted in back-pay and annual income in 1644. On 3 April 1646 he was chosen as

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of University of Glasgow and designated James Roberton, ''judex'', to distinguish him from namesake James Roberton, professor of Physiology. Roberton served on

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotlan ...

’s committee of war 1644 – 1648 and was commissary of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

1646 – 1650. Upon the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

Roberton was appointed judge and made an ordinary

Lord of Session 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) ...

on 5 April 1661.

Allegiances

During

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

’s

Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...

Roberton declined the

Oath of Abjuration Abjuration is the solemn repudiation, abandonment, or renunciation by or upon oath, often the renunciation of citizenship or some other right or privilege. The term comes from the Latin ''abjurare'', "to forswear". Abjuration of the realm Abj ...

and retired. His lands were not forfeit. Upon the Restoration, Roberton never took the oath. He petitioned the court their indulgence regarding his age and sickness for his non-attendance, asserting he had no scruples with the covenant. The Court granted him the privilege of appearing whenever his health would allow.

Family and associations

Roberton and his wife had three children. Their son Archibald retoured as heir on 17 June 1664. Their daughter Elizabeth married James Dunlop of Garnkirk, and their daughter Jean Dunlop married Patrick Coutts, grandfather of

Coutts Coutts & Co. is a London-headquartered private bank and wealth manager. Founded in 1692, it is the eighth oldest bank in the world. Today, Coutts forms part of NatWest Group's wealth management division. In the Channel Islands and the Isle of ...

founders Thomas and James. Their youngest daughter Jean married John Rae of Auchingraymount. Roberton's sister Margaret married Scottish professor of divinity David Dickson.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberton, James 1590s births 1664 deaths Members of the Faculty of Advocates People from North Lanarkshire Senators of the College of Justice Alumni of the University of Glasgow Rectors of the University of Glasgow