Claud Irvine Boswell, Lord Balmuto facts for kids
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Claud Irvine Boswell, Lord Balmuto (1742 – 22 July 1824) was an important Scottish judge. He was known for his long career in law and his strong personality. He came from a well-known family in Scotland.
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Early Life and Family
Claud Irvine Boswell was born in 1742 at Balmuto Castle. This castle, also called Balmuto Tower, had been owned by the Boswell family since the late 1300s.
His father, John Boswell of Balmuto, was a writer to the signet in Edinburgh. This meant his father was a type of lawyer who prepared important legal documents. Sadly, Claud's father died when Claud was very young.
Claud had a famous cousin named James Boswell. This James Boswell was well-known for being a close friend and writer about Dr. Samuel Johnson.
Education and Early Career
When Claud was six years old, he went to Mr. Barclay's school in Dalkeith. After that, he studied at the University of Edinburgh.
After finishing his university studies, he became a member of the Faculty of Advocates on 2 August 1766. This meant he was officially allowed to work as a lawyer in Scotland's highest courts. While at Edinburgh University, he also became friends with Henry Hunter, who worked for him as a tutor.
In 1774, Claud Boswell helped to rebuild the Kinghorn Parish Church. He even paid for the work himself.
A Judge's Career
On 25 March 1780, Claud Boswell was chosen to be the sheriff depute for Fife and Kinross. A sheriff depute was a judge who handled local legal cases. He held this important job for 19 years.
After this long service, he was appointed a lord of session on 21 June 1799. This meant he became one of the main judges in Scotland's highest court, the College of Justice. He took the title of Lord Balmuto. He took the place of another judge, James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, who had passed away.
Lord Balmuto worked as a judge for almost 23 years. He retired in January 1822. After he retired, William Erskine, Lord Kinneder took his place on the court.
Later Life and Personality
A sad event deeply affected Lord Balmuto in his later years. A family member, Sir Alexander Boswell, passed away at Lord Balmuto's home. This loss was a great shock to him, and he never fully recovered from it.
Lord Balmuto died at Balmuto on 22 July 1824. He was 82 years old. People described him as a strong and active man. He had black hair and thick eyebrows. He was known for being lively and sometimes having a strong temper. He enjoyed telling jokes, even sometimes when he was working as a judge.
In 1783, he married Anne Irvine. She became the owner of Kingcussie after her brother and grandfather passed away. Claud and Anne had two daughters and one son.
