James Stuart (1775–1849)

He was the target of several personal attacks by opponents and participated in a duel that fatally wounded Sir Alexander Boswell.

James was born in 1775 the eldest son of Charles Stuart of Dunearn in Fife, who was for some years minister of the parish of Cramond, and afterwards (1795–1828) a physician in Edinburgh.

in offices on the east side of George Square,[2] James was admitted a member of the Society of Writers to the Signet on 17 August 1798.

As a deputy-lieutenant and justice of the peace he took an active part in county business, but his whig enthusiasm offended the authorities.

Some years later he had another difficulty with Lord Morton, who censured him for having, contrary to a regimental order, assembled for drill a troop of the Fife yeomanry, in which he was an officer.

Lord Cockburn simply says 'he caned the printer in the street,' but Stevenson and his friends said there was a fight, and that Stuart behaved like a coward.

It was then arranged that the duel should take place in Fife, and on the following morning the parties met near the village of Auchtertool, Lord Rosslyn acting for Stuart, and the Hon.

Returning to Scotland to stand his trial, he was indicted for wilful murder before the high court of justiciary at Edinburgh on 10 June.

He was prosecuted by Sir William Rae, and defended by Jeffrey, James Moncreiff, Cockburn, and other whig members of the Scottish bar.

It was not prosperous at that time, and he tried to increase its popularity by publishing once a week a double number of eight pages, one of which he devoted entirely to reviews.

[4] On 29 April 1802 he married Eleanor Maria Anna, only daughter of Dr. Robert Moubray of Cockairnie in Fife, but left no family.