Charles Erskine (1680-1763)

Charles Erskine (1680-1763) was appointed to the newly created Regius Chair of Public Law in 1707, having taught as a Regent of Philosophy at Edinburgh University since 1701. Upon his appointment, he was granted leave to conduct legal studies abroad. he enrolled as a law student at Leiden University on 2 February 1708, and remained there for at least two years. On his return to Edinburgh, he was admitted as an Advocate on 17 July 1711, and finally advertized classes on 'the Laws of Nature and Nations’ in November that year. He does not appear to have succeeded in attracting students and largely abandoned teaching to pursue his career at the Bar. He nonetheless remained a member of University staff until resigning the chair in 1734.

Sources

John W. Cairns, 'Erskine, Charles, Lord Tinwald (bap. 1680, d. 1763)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004) [[1], accessed 23 July 2014]