STEUART, (SIR) JAMES, of
Coltness, Baronet, the father of political economy in Britain, was born on
the 10th of October, 1713. He was the son of Sir James Steuart,
bart., solicitor-general for Scotland, under queen Anne, and George I., by
Anne, daughter of Sir Hugh Dalrymple, president of the court of session. The
father of the solicitor-general was Sir James Steuart, lord advocate under
William III., whose father was Sir James Steuart, provost Edinburgh from
1648 to 1660, a descendant of the Bonhill branch of family of Stewart.
The subject of this article
spent his earliest years at Goodtrees, now Moredun, a seat of his father,
near Edinburgh. At the school of North Berwick he received the elementary
part of hs education, and it was afterwards completed at the university of
Edinburgh, whither he went at the age of fourteen. At that institution,
after going through a complete course of languages and sciences, he studied
the civil law, with the occasional assistance of Mr Hercules Lindsay, an
eminent civilian, and subsequently professor of that department in the
university of Glasgow. From his earliest years, his abilities appeared
rather of a solid and permanent, than of a dazzling nature. At the early age
just mentioned, he succeeded his father in the baronetcy and estates
connected with it, which were of moderate extent and value.
On the completion of his
legal studies at the university of Edinburgh, Sir James went to the bar,
(1734,) but without any intention of prosecuting the law as a profession. He
soon after set out upon a tour of the continent, where he formed an
acquaintance with the duke of Ormond, the earl Marischal, and other exiled
Jacobite chiefs. The family from which he descended had been conspicuous for
its attachment to the popular cause, for a century; but Sir James appears to
have been converted by these nobles from his original Whig principles.
Having permitted himself to be introduced by them to prince Charles Stuart
at Rome, he received such civilities from that scion of expatriated royalty,
as had a material effect upon the tenor of his future life. He returned to
his native country in 1740, with many accomplishments, which added
brilliancy to his character, but an unsettled tone of mind, which he
afterwards greatly regretted.
Among the intimate friends of
Sir James at this period of his life, was Mr Alexander Trotter, the father
of one of the present land-proprietors of Mid Lothian. Mr Trotter was cut
off in early life; and, during his last illness, made a promise to Sir
James, that, if possible, he would come to him after his death, in an
enclosure near the house of Coltness, which in summer had been frequently
their place of study. It was agreed, in order to prevent mistake or
misapprehension, that the hour of meeting should be noon; that Mr Trotter
should appear in the dress he usually wore, and that every other
circumstance should be exactly conformable to what had commonly happened
when they met together. Sir James laid greater stress on this engagement
than sound reason will warrant. Both before and after his exile, he never
failed, when it was in his power, to attend at the place of appointment,
even when the debility arising from gout rendered him hardly able to walk.
Every day at noon, while residing at Coltness, he went to challenge the
promise of Mr Trotter, and always returned extremely disappointed, that his
expectation of his appearance had not been gratified. When rallied on the
subject, he always observed seriously, that we do not know enough of "the
other world"to entitle us to assume that such an event as the reappearance
of Mr Trotter was impossible. We fear, however, that the most of those who
peruse this narrative willbe inclined to class this anecdote with the
"follies of the wise."
In the course of his travels,
Sir James had formed an intimacy with lord Elcho, who, conceiving, in the
warmth of youthful friendship, that the young baronet would be able to gain
the affections of his sister, lady Frances Wemyss, carried him to Cedar
Hall, in the north of Scotland, where that young lady was residing with the
countess of Sutherland. As Elcho expected, Sir James gained the heart of
lady Frances; and, after some scruples on the part of her relationds had
been overcome, they were married in October, 1743, at Dunrobin castle, the
lady bringing her husband what was then considered a very handsome fortune,
namely, six thousand pounds. A pair more elegant, more amiable, and more
accomplished, is rarely seen. Their union was blessed in August, 1744, by
the birth of their son, the late Sir James Steuart, who was for many years
the principal object of their care.
The subject of our memoir had
joined the opposition party, and in the year last named he had an unpleasant
collision with the family of Dundas, which was then beginning to take a
leading part in Scottish politics. A claim preferred by him to be enrolled
amongst the freeholders of Mid-Lothian, was refused; and for this he raised
an action against Dundas of Arniston, then one of the senators of the
college of justice. In the course of the judicial proceedings, Sir James
pled his own cause in so masterly a manner, that lord Arniston descended
from the bench, and defended himself at the bar. The cause was given against
the young advocate; and this, no doubt, conspired, with other circumstances,
to prepare him for the step he took in the subsequent year.
Sir James was residing in
Edinburgh, in attendance upon lady Frances, who was then in a state of ill
health, when prince Charles, at the head of his Highland army, took
possession of the city. Among the principal adherents of the young
adventurer, was lord Elcho, the brother-in-law and bosom friend of Sir James
Steuart. The latter, with the earl of Buchan, who had married one of his
sisters, formed the wish of being introduced to prince Charles, but without
pledging themselves to join his standard. They, therefore, induced lord
Elcho to seize them at the cross of Edinburgh, and conduct them, apparently
as prisoners, into the presence of the prince. Being brought into an
antechamber in Holyroodhouse, their friend proceeded to inform his royal
highness of their arrival, and of the circumstances under which they
approached him; when Charles, with great dignity, refused to see them in any
other character than as avowed adherents of his cause. When Elcho returned
with this intelligence, the earl of Buchan took his leave; while Sir James,
a man greatly excelling that nobleman in intellect, proceeded to offer his
services to the young chevalier. He was fortunately saved from the ultimate
perils of the campaign, by being immediately despatched on a mission to the
French court, where he was at the time of the battle of Culloden. The
penalty of his rashness, was an exile of nearly twenty years, being, though
not attainted, among the exceptions from the act of indemnity.
Till the year 1763, when
George III. permitted him to return home, Sir James Steuart resided abroad
with his family, employing his leisure in those studies which he afterwards
embodied in his works. He spent the greater part of the period of his exile
in the town of Angouleme, where he became intimately acquainted with the
French finance system, through a body of counsellors of the parliament of
Paris, who were banished to that town for nearly the space of two years. Sir
James also spent some time at Frankfort, at Spa, at Venice, and at Padua.
When in Germany, he and his lady were received with extraordinary marks of
favour at the courts of Wirtemberg, Baden-Dourlach, and Hohenzollern. At
Venice, in 1758, he and lady Frances had the good fortune to form a
friendship with the celebrated lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who, till the end
of her life, corresponded frequently with both, and gave them and their son
many proofs of her affection: a series of her ladyship’s letters to Sir
James and lady Frances were printed at Greenock, under the care of the late
Sir James, in 1818. Though exiled from Britain, on account of disloyalty to
the Hanover dynasty, Sir James Steuart never entertained a disloyal feeling
towards his country. On the contrary, the enthusiasm with which he rejoiced
in the successes of the British arms during the seven years’ war, led
to his falling under the suspicion of the French court, and, while residing
at Spa, in a neutral territory, a large body of troops was sent to apprehend
him, and convey him to prison in the duchy of Luxemburg. It was not for many
months that he succeeded in convincing the government of its error, or
regained his liberty.
The first work published by
Sir James, was a volume, which appeared at Frankfort sur le Main, in 1758,
under the title of "Apologie du Sentiment de Monsieur le Chevalier Newton,
sur l’ancienne Chronologie des Grecs, contenant des reponses a toutes les
objections qui y ont eté faites jusqu’ a present." In the same year, while
settled at Tubingen, in Germany, he produced his "Treatise on German Coins,"
in the German language. It was followed in 1761, by "A Dissertation on the
Doctrine and Principles of Money, as applied to the German Coin:" and
in the same year, he so far made his peace with the British government, as
to obtain a cornetcy in the Royal, or 1st regiment of dragoons.
At the peace of Paris, in 1763, he was tacitly permitted to return home, and
resume possession of his estates. It was in retirement at Coltness that he
probably put the last hand to his "Inquiry into the Principles of Political
Economy," which was published in 1767, in two volumes, quarto. Messrs Miller
and Cadell gave five hundred pounds for the copyright of this work, the
merits of which were at the time a subject of considerable dispute. It has
at least the merit of having been the first considerable work on this
subject published in Britain, being about nine years antecedent to the work
of Dr Smith. In 1769, Sir James published, under the assumed name of Robert
Frame, "Considerations on the Interests of the County of Lanark." By the
interest of his friends, he now obtained a full pardon, which passed the
great seal 1771; and in the year following, he printed "The Principles of
Money applied to the present state of the Coin of Bengal." He also wrote, "A
Plan for introducing an uniformity of Weights and Measures," which was
published after his death. He likewise published, "Observations on Beattie’s
Essay on Truth:" "Critical Remarks on the Atheistical Falsehoods of
Mirabaud’s System of Nature:" and "A Dissertation concerning the
Motice of Obedience to the Law of God." It is supposed that the ardour and
assiduity with he pursued his studies, proved detrimental to his health. An
inflammation, commencing with a toe-nail too nearly cut, put an end to his
valuable life, on the 26th of November, 1780. His remains were interred in
the family vault at Cambusnethan church, and a monument has been erected to
his memory in Westminster abbey.
Sir James Steuart was a man
of extensive and varied powers of mind; cheerful and animated in
conversation; amiable in all the domestic relations of life; and, unlike
several other eminent men of that age, was able to prosecute philosophical
inquiries, without abandoning the faith of a Christian. His works were
published, with a memoir, by his son, in 1806, occupying six volumes. |