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

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

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

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]

Legal career

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

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