James Stuart (1775–1849) facts for kids

James Stuart by Daniel Macnee.

James Stuart of Dunearn WS (1775 – 3 November 1849) was a Scottish politician. He was the target of several personal attacks by opponents and participated in a duel that fatally wounded Sir Alexander Boswell.

Biography

James was born in 1775 the eldest son of Charles Stuart of Dunearn in Fife, who was for some years minister of the parish of Cramond, and afterwards (1795–1828) a physician in Edinburgh. Charles' father, James' grandfather, was James Stuart of Binend, Lord Provost of Edinburgh. His mother was Mary Erskine, daughter of Rev John Erskine minister of Greyfriars Kirk.

James attended, it is believed, the high school of Edinburgh from 1785 to 1789. Having studied Law at the university of Edinburgh and served an apprenticeship to Mr. Hugh Robertson, W.S. in offices on the east side of George Square, James was admitted a member of the Society of Writers to the Signet on 17 August 1798. In 1800 he is listed as having premises at 16 Nicholson Street in Edinburgh's South Side.

He held the office of collector of the widows' fund of the society from 1818 to 1828, but "was more attached to agricultural pursuits than to those of his profession". As a deputy-lieutenant and justice of the peace he took an active part in county business, but his whig enthusiasm offended the authorities. In December 1815, when a new commission of the peace was issued for Fife, the Earl of Morton, then lord lieutenant, omitted Stuart. On 4 January 1816, however, a meeting of the gentlemen of the western district of the county resolved "to take steps for securing the continuance of Mr. Stuart's most important and unremitting services to this district," and he was reappointed. Some years later he had another difficulty with Lord Morton, who censured him for having, contrary to a regimental order, assembled for drill a troop of the Fife yeomanry, in which he was an officer. Stuart, who maintained that he had never seen the order, resigned his commission on 7 January 1821.

Later life

After his acquittal Stuart lived in Edinburgh, at 2 North Charlotte Street off Charlotte Square and in Fife at Hillside, "the grounds of which he greatly beautified", until 1828, when, his affairs being embarrassed, he resigned the collectorship of the widows' fund and went to America. Leaving Liverpool on 16 July 1828, he reached New York on 23 August. He sailed from America on 17 April 1831, and landed at Deal on 25 May. In 1833 he published "Three Years in North America" (2 vols.), an account of his travels, which attracted considerable attention. Two more editions appeared in the following year. Stuart displayed a strong bias in favour of the Americans, and he was involved in a controversy with Sir John Lambert and a Major Pringle regarding his account of the operations and conduct of the British army during the American campaign of 1814–15.

Soon after his return Stuart became editor of the (London) "Courier" newspaper. It was not prosperous at that time, and he tried to increase its popularity by publishing once a week a double number of eight pages, one of which he devoted entirely to reviews. He was editor until 1836, when Lord Melbourne appointed him an inspector of factories.

On 3 November 1849 he died of heart disease at the age of 74 in Notting Hill, London.

Family

On 29 April 1802 he married Eleanor Maria Anna, only daughter of Dr. Robert Moubray of Cockairnie in Fife, but left no family.