General The Right Honourable The Earl of Rosslyn GCB PC |
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The Earl of Rosslyn by James Sayers, 1788.
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Lord Privy Seal | |
In office 10 June 1829 – 15 November 1830 |
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Monarch |
George IV William IV |
Prime Minister | The Duke of Wellington |
Preceded by | The Lord Ellenborough |
Succeeded by | The Lord Durham |
Lord President of the Council | |
In office 15 December 1834 – 8 April 1835 |
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Monarch | William IV |
Prime Minister | Sir Robert Peel, Bt |
Preceded by | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
Succeeded by | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
Personal details | |
Born | 6 February 1762 |
Died | 18 January 1837 (aged 74) |
Nationality | British |
Political party |
Whig Tory |
Spouse(s) | Harriet Bouverie (d. 1810) |
General James St Clair-Erskine, 2nd Earl of Rosslyn GCB PC (6 February 1762 – 18 January 1837), known as Sir James Erskine, Bt, between 1765 and 1789 and as Sir James St Clair-Erskine, Bt, between 1789 and 1805, was a Scottish soldier, politician, and Acting Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, on behalf of King George IV.
Erskine was the son of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Erskine, 5th Baronet, and Janet, daughter of Peter Wedderburn (a Lord of Session under the judicial title of Lord Chesterhall) and sister of Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl of Rosslyn. Lord Rosslyn's earldom had been created with special remainder to his nephew, Erskine. Erskine succeeded as sixth baronet in 1765, at the age of three, on the death of his father. He was educated at Edinburgh High School and Eton, and was commissioned in the 21st Light Dragoons in 1778.
Erskine was assistant Adjutant-General in Ireland in 1782. In 1793, he became Adjutant-General, in which capacity he served at the Siege of Toulon and Corsica. In 1795, he was promoted to colonel and appointed Aide-de-Camp to King George III. He became a major-general in 1798, lieutenant-general in 1805, and general in 1814. In 1806, he was a member of the special mission to Lisbon, which resulted in Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) being sent to the Peninsular. He also saw action in Denmark