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John Wilson, Lord Ashmore

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John Wilson, Lord Ashmore (1857 – 8 July 1932) was a Scottish lawyer, a unionist parliamentary candidate, a sheriff principal and a judge.[1]

Early life

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Wilson was born in 1857 in Falkirk, where his father James Wilson was a solicitor. He was educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh.[1]

Career

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After graduating from university, Wilson initially joined his father's practice in Falkirk.[2] However, in 1885 he was admitted as an advocate in Scotland,[1] and set up a large practice.[2] He was particularly skilled in examining witnesses, and undertook a lot of parliamentary cases.[2]

Politics

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Wilson was a parliamentary candidate twice in the 1890s, both times as a Conservative Party or Liberal Unionist (it is not clear which),[3] and both times unsuccessfully. At the 1895 general election he contested the Leith Burghs against the Liberal Ronald Munro Ferguson (later Lord Norvar).

He was defeated again at the by-election in 1896 for the Montrose Burghs,[1][3] where the sitting Liberal MP John Shiress Will had resigned in order to create a vacancy for John Morley, the Chief Secretary for Ireland.[2]

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Wilson took silk in Scotland in 1900.[4] He was called to the English bar in 1900 at the Inner Temple, and became a King's Counsel in England in 1901.[1]

He was appointed in March 1900 as Sheriff of Caithness, Orkney and Shetland,[5] and transferred in May 1905 to become Sheriff of Inverness, Elgin and Nairn.[6] He held that shrievalty until 1912, when he became Sheriff of Renfrew and Bute, when he transferred again to become Sheriff of Perth.[1]

During his two decades as a sheriff, Wilson held numerous other public offices. He was a Commissioner of Northern Lights from 1900 to 1917, and at various times was Prison Commissioner for Scotland, a Commissioner of the General Board of Control for Scotland.[1]

To fill the vacancy created by the death of Lord Guthrie,[7] Wilson was appointed in 1920 as a Senator of the College of Justice, taking the judicial title Lord Ashmore.[1] He was installed as judge on 8 June in a ceremony presided over by the Lord Justice General, Lord Clyde.[8]

His judgments included a 1924 case of a couple who had been married at Gretna by the village blacksmith, in his smithy. They sought a declarator that their marriage was legal, which Ashmore granted, allowing hem to register their marriage.[9]

After 8 years on the bench, Lord Ashmore resigned as a judge in 1928. He was succeeded by Alexander Morrice Mackay, styled Lord Mackay.[10]

Personal life

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Wilson's brothers included Gregg Wilson, who became Professor of Zoology at Queen's University Belfast from 1909 to 1931,[11] and David Mackay Wilson (died 1929) an advocate who became a King's Counsel and a sheriff-substitute.[12]

In 1884 he married Lillias Hartley from Ruthwell in Dumfriesshire, and together they had one daughter and two sons, one of whom was killed in World War I.[2]

Lord Ashmore died on 8 July 1932 at Radlett in Hertfordshire, aged 75.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Hesilridge, Arthur G. M., ed. (1867). Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench. London: Dean & Son. p. 352. Retrieved 9 January 2011 – via archive.org.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Lord Ashmore". The Times. No. 46181. London. 9 July 1932. p. 12. Retrieved 10 January 2011 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  3. ^ a b Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 515, 516. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  4. ^ "No. 11212". The Edinburgh Gazette. 6 July 1900. p. 658.
  5. ^ "No. 11182". The Edinburgh Gazette. 23 March 1900. p. 282.
  6. ^ "No. 11730". The Edinburgh Gazette. 2 June 1905. p. 538.
  7. ^ "No. 13601". The Edinburgh Gazette. 4 June 1920. p. 1372.
  8. ^ "News in Brief". The Times. No. 42432. London. 9 June 1920. p. 13. Retrieved 10 January 2011 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  9. ^ "A Gretna Green Marriage". The Times. No. 43571. London. 9 February 1924. p. 7. Retrieved 10 January 2011 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  10. ^ "No. 14448". The Edinburgh Gazette. 1 June 1928. p. 631.
  11. ^ "Professor Gregg Wilson, Commanding Officer of the Queen's OTC, 1911-1920". Queen's and World War One. Queen's University Belfast website. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Sheriff-Substitute Wilson". The Times. No. 45248. London. 6 July 1929. p. 16. Retrieved 10 January 2011 – via The Times Digital Archive.
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