John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall Totally Explained

Everything about John Lauder Lord Fountainhall totally explained

Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, 2nd Baronet, Lord Fountainhall, was baptised 2 August 1646 and died 20 September 1722, both at Edinburgh, the eldest son, by his second marriage, of Sir John Lauder, 1st Baronet, whom he succeeded after much acrimony. Lord Fountainhall was one of Scotland's leading jurists who remains to this day an oft consulted authority. He was knighted in 1680 and matriculated his Arms with the Lyon Court on 15 June 1699.
   Sir John Lauder was educated at The High School and the University of Edinburgh graduating, with an M.A., on 18 July 1664. He then went to the continent, partly with a the view of studying law there. After some time spent travelling he resided at Poitiers from 28 July 1665 till 24 April 1666, following which he proceeded to Paris, Brussels, Antwerp and Leyden, Holland, where he matriculated into Leiden University on 27 September 1666. [Indexto Leyden Students, p.59].
   Lord Fountainhall was admitted as an Advocate on 5 June 1668, and was counsel for the Earl of Argyll at his trial, 12 & 13 December 1681, and was also one of the advocates chosen by the Duchess of Monmouth to defend her interests during her husband's trial on 15 February 1686. He was called to the Bench on 1 November 1689 as a Lord Ordinary in the Court of Session with the title Lord Fountainhall. He was appointed on the 27 January 1690 a Lord of Justiciary, which he resigned after the Union of parliaments, which he'd opposed.
   In 1692 he was offered the post of Lord Advocate but declined because the condition was attached that he shouldn't prosecute the persons implicated in the Glencoe Massacre. Sir George Mackenzie, who had been Lord Advocate under King Charles II, also refused to concur in this partial application of the penal laws, and his refusal (unlike Fountainhall's) led to his temporary disgrace. Sir John was a Justice of the Peace for Haddingtonshire in 1683, a Burgess of Edinburgh (2 November 1687). He was a Member of Parliament for Haddingtonshire (1685-86, 1690-1707), and spoke several times against the Union.
   Lord Fountainhall left a very considerable collection of his legal opinions and papers, including those which record the proceedings of the Court of Session from 1678 to 1712, which also note the transactions of the Privy Council of Scotland, and those of the Courts of Justiciary and Exchequer, works compiled with anecdotes of the times and much characteristic ingenuity of observation, to which professional lawyers still turn today.
   He married twice:

21 January 1669, at the Tron Kirk, Edinburgh, Janet (1652-1686), daughter of Sir Andrew Ramsay, Lord Abbotshall, 1st Baronet, Lord Provost of Edinburgh and Senator of the College of Justice, (d. 1688), by his wife Janet née Craw. They had six sons (of whom Andrew Lauder, in Edinburgh, and David Lauder of Huntlywood, Berwickshire, were Advocates) and four daughters.
26 March 1687, at Edinburgh, Marion, daughter of the Reverend John Anderson, of Balram, Minister of Dysart. They had three sons and three daughters.

Lord Fountainhall died at Edinburgh and was interred in the Lauder vault within Greyfriars Kirk. His Testament dated 2 December 1706 wasn't Proved until more than sixteen years later. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Sir John Lauder, 3rd Baronet.

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