Sir James Stewart

Sir James Stewart (or Steuart) of Goodtrees (1635–1713) was a Scottish lawyer, political opponent of the Stuarts monarchy, and reforming Lord Advocate from 1692 to 1713. The Jacobites nicknamed him Jamie Wylie.

Early life James Stewart was the fourth son of Sir James Steuart of Coltness (1608–1681), a banker in Edinburgh and Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and Anne Hope, niece of Sir Thomas Hope.

He was the brother of Sir Robert Steuart, 1st Baronet of Allanbank (1643–1707) and Sir Thomas Stewart of Coltness, 1st Baronet.

Career He was called to the bar on 20 November 1661, but lost almost all his practice defending his father against a charge of embezzlement.

In exile Stewart found it necessary to leave the country because of a pamphlet, and went to Rouen, where he became a merchant under the name of Graham. Some years afterwards he returned to Scotland, but he was suspected of having had a hand in a further political pamphlet, An Account of Scotlands Grievances by reason of the Duke of Lauderdale's Ministry (1675), an order was issued for his apprehension. He escaped, and lay in England under the name of Lawson. On account of his supposed influence with the presbyterian party, he was received into favour, and employed to conduct crown cases along with George Mackenzie. and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. In 1669 Stewart published a political pamphlet Jus Populi Vindicatum, or the People's Right to defend themselves, and their Covenanted Reign vindicated, as a reply to Andrew Honeyman's Survey of Naphtali (1668). Among Stewart's children, among which he had only one son, were: Sir James Stewart, 1st Baronet (1681–1727), the solicitor-general, who married Anne Dalrymple, daughter of the Lord North Berwick, the Lord President of the Court of Session Another grandson was William Mure (1718–1776), a Member of Parliament from Renfrewshire.

In fiction Sir James Stewart features as a character in Heather Richardson's novel, Doubting Thomas (2017)