MACKINTOSH, James. Aldourie near Inverness 24.10.1765 — London 30.5.1832. Sir. British (Scottish) Lawyer, Statesman and Historian, Civil Servant in India. Son of Captain John M. and Marjory MacGillivray, both of old Highland families, lost early his mother. Educated at Fortrose and at King’s College of Aberdeen University, then studied medicine in Edinburgh and obtained his diploma in 1787. He “went to London in 1788 and paid much attention to politics, literature, society, somewhat neglected his profession of medicine; called to the bar from Lincoln’s Inn in 1795; gave lectures on the Law of Nature and Nations; acquired a considerable practice. Failed to obtain the appointment of Advocate-General of Bengal, but was knighted and made Recorder of Bombay, and held the appointment from Feb. 1804 to Nov. 1811; founded the Literary Society of Bombay in 1805 and became its President; was out of his element in Bombay.” Back in Britain he became Member of Parliament (Whig) for Nairn in 1813 and for Knaresborough in 1819, until death. In 1818-24 Professor of Law and General Politics at Haileybury. In 1830 he was made a Privy Councillor and a Commissioner of the Board of Control, and in 1833 “joined in the inquiry into East Indian affairs preparatory to the renewal of the Company’s Charter”. LL.D. Married 1789 Catherine Stuart (d. 1797) and 1798 Catherine Allen (d. 1830), eight children, Claudius James Rich and W. Erskine were his sons-in-law.
Publications: Philosophical articles in Edinburgh Review and Encyclopaedia Britannica, a History of England (1830–32), other books on law, history and politics.
– A few articles in the Transactions of the Literary Society of Bombay, e.g. “Plan of a Comparative Vocabulary of Indian Languages”, TrLSB 1, 1819, 330-345 (written 1806).
– Edited by R. J. Mackintosh (his son): Memoirs of the life of the Right Honourable Sir J.M. 1-2. L. 1835-36.
Sources: Many sources in Br. Biogr. Arch., also pictures; *C.J. Finlay, Oxford D.N.B.; *P. O’Leary, Sir J.M. The Whig Cicero. Aberdeen 1989; *L.S[tephen], D.N.B. 35, 1893, 173-177; Windisch Nachtr. 2, 6; Buckland, Dictionary; portrait in JBRAS Centenary vol. 1905; Wikipedia with two portraits.
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