Charles Erskine, Lord Tinwald

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Charles Erskine (1680 – April 5, 1763) was Lord Advocate, a Scottish judge, and a Member of Parliament.

Charles Erskine was the third son of Sir Charles Erskine, Baronet, of Alva, by his spouse Christian, daughter of Sir James Dundas of Arniston. He was Member of Parliament for Dumfriesshire in 1722, 1727 and 1734, for the Dumfries Burghs in 1734, for the Kirkwall in 1741.

At the age of twenty he was a candidate for the office of one of the four Regents of Edinburgh University, and after an examination with several competitors obtained that appointment on 26 November 1700 until 17 October 1707. On the 7 November he was appointed the first professor of Public Law in the University in 1707, despite the protests of the council. He became a member of the Faculty of Advocates on July 14, 1711.

He was Solicitor General for Scotland from June 2, 1725, Lord Advocate from January 20, 1737 to 1742. He was raised as a Lord of Justiciary, and also to the bench on November 23, 1744 as Lord Tinwald. He was also Lord Justice Clerk from June 15, 1748 until his death, at Edinburgh.

• Refer: An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice of Scotland, by Sir David Dalrymple of Hailes, Bt., with some further editing and additions, Edinburgh, 1849.

Legal offices
Preceded by '	Solicitor General for Scotland 1725-1737	Succeeded by '
Preceded by Duncan Forbes	Lord Advocate 1737-1742	Succeeded by Robert Craigie
Preceded by Andrew Fletcher	Lord Justice Clerk 1748-1763	Succeeded by Sir Gilbert Eliot of Minto