Henry Erskine (lawyer)

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For other persons named Henry Erskine, see Henry Erskine (disambiguation).

The Hon. Henry Erskine (1 November 1746 – 8 October 1817) was a Scottish politician and lawyer.

The second son of Henry David Erskine, 10th Earl of Buchan and brother of the Lord Chancellor Thomas Erskine, he studied at St Andrews University, Edinburgh University and the University of Glasgow.

He was appointed Lord Advocate from 1783 to 1784 in the Fox-North Coalition and again from 1806 to 1807 in the Grenville ministry. He was advocate and state councillor to the Prince of Wales in Scotland from 1783. He was Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 1785 to 1795, but was not re-elected, having condemned the "sedition" and "treason" bills as unconstitutional.

He was Member of Parliament for Haddington burghs from April to November 1806, and for Dumfries burghs from 1806 to 1807. He was appointed as a Commissioner to inquire into administration of justice in Scotland in 1808. In 1811 he gave up his practice at the bar and retired to his country residence of Almondell, in Linlithgowshire.

His eldest son, Henry David, succeeded as 12th Earl of Buchan on his uncle's death in 1829

Described as a "friend of the poor", he published The Emigrant, an Eclogue, 1773 and other poems.