John Balfour, 1st Baron Kinross
Encyclopedia
John Blair Balfour, 1st Baron Kinross, PC
, QC
(11 July 1837 – 22 January 1905) was a Scottish
lawyer and Liberal
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1899.
Balfour was born in Clackmannan
, the son of Rev. P Balfour Minister of Clackmannan and his wife Jane Ramsay Blair, daughter of John Blair. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy
and Edinburgh University, becoming an advocate
of the Scottish bar
in 1861. He served as Advocate Depute from 1870 to 1872, and in 1880 was made a Queen's Counsel
. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
for Edinburgh.
At the 1880 general election
, Balfour stood unsuccessfully for parliament at Ayrshire North but in a by election six months later was elected Liberal
Member of Parliament
for Clackmannan and Kinross
. He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland
in 1880 and in 1881 he succeeded this appointment by becoming Lord Advocate
, a post he held for four years. In 1882 he became a Privy Counsellor
.
In 1892, on the return of the Liberals to power, Balfour was again appointed Lord Advocate, finally resigning on the fall of Lord Rosebery's government in 1895. In 1899 he was appointed Lord Justice General and Lord President of the Court of Session
, and in 1902 was created Baron Kinross, of Glascune in the County
of Haddingtonshire.
Balfour died aged 67 in Edinburgh
and was buried in the city's Dean Cemetery
.
Balfour married Lillias Oswald Mackenzie daughter of Lord Mackenzie in 1869. He married secondly in 1877 Hon. Marianne Eliza Moncrieff, daughter of James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(11 July 1837 – 22 January 1905) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
lawyer and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1899.
Balfour was born in Clackmannan
Clackmannan
Clackmannan District 1975-96From 1975, Clackmannan was the name of a small town and local government district in the Central region of Scotland, corresponding to the traditional county of Clackmannanshire, which was Scotland's smallest...
, the son of Rev. P Balfour Minister of Clackmannan and his wife Jane Ramsay Blair, daughter of John Blair. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
and Edinburgh University, becoming an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
of the Scottish bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1861. He served as Advocate Depute from 1870 to 1872, and in 1880 was made a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for Edinburgh.
At the 1880 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
, Balfour stood unsuccessfully for parliament at Ayrshire North but in a by election six months later was elected Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Clackmannan and Kinross
Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire (UK Parliament constituency)
Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire were constituencies of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918....
. He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
in 1880 and in 1881 he succeeded this appointment by becoming Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
, a post he held for four years. In 1882 he became a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
.
In 1892, on the return of the Liberals to power, Balfour was again appointed Lord Advocate, finally resigning on the fall of Lord Rosebery's government in 1895. In 1899 he was appointed Lord Justice General and Lord President of the Court of Session
Lord President of the Court of Session
The Lord President of the Court of Session is head of the judiciary in Scotland, and presiding judge of the College of Justice and Court of Session, as well as being Lord Justice General of Scotland and head of the High Court of Justiciary, the offices having been combined in 1836...
, and in 1902 was created Baron Kinross, of Glascune in the County
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
of Haddingtonshire.
Balfour died aged 67 in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and was buried in the city's Dean Cemetery
Dean Cemetery
The Dean Cemetery is a prominent cemetery in the Dean Village, in Edinburgh, Scotland.-Dean House:It stands on the site of Dean House , part of Dean Estate which had been purchased in 1609 by Sir William Nisbet, who became in 1616 Lord Provost of Edinburgh. The Nisbets of Dean held the office of...
.
Balfour married Lillias Oswald Mackenzie daughter of Lord Mackenzie in 1869. He married secondly in 1877 Hon. Marianne Eliza Moncrieff, daughter of James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff
James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff
James Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff FRSE , was a Scottish lawyer and politician.The son of Sir James Wellwood Moncreiff, 9th Baronet, a Scottish judge, he was educated at Edinburgh University and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1833.He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland in...