Erskine, John, 1695-1768

In 1754, the Scottish jurist, John Erskine, authored the eight volume “The Principles of the Law of Scotland” which is still in print. After studying law and joining the Faculty of Advocates in 1719, he became Professor of Scots Law at the University of Edinburgh in 1737. He taught there until 1765 when he retired and began a work entitled “An Institute of the Law of Scotland. He had almost completed this when he died; it was finished and published posthumously in 1773 by a “legal friend” in consultation with other lawyers.