Sir James Erskine | |
---|---|
Born | 13 July 1806 |
Died | 23 June 1887 | (aged 80)
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held | HMS Orion |
Battles/wars | Crimean War |
Admiral John Elphinstone Erskine (13 July 1806 – 23 June 1887) was a Royal Navy officer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1874.
A member of Clan Erskine, he was the son of David Erskine, of Cardross, Stirling, and the great-grandson of the jurist John Erskine. His mother was the Hon. Keith Elphinstone, the daughter of John Elphinstone, 11th Lord Elphinstone.[1] He was educated at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth and entered the Royal Navy in 1819.[2]
At the 1865 general election Erskine was elected Member of Parliament for Stirlingshire. He held the seat until 1874.[6] In parliament he was leader of the influential lobby working for the Pacific Islanders Protection Act of 1872.[5] Erskine was also a justice of the peace for Stirlingshire. He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society[2] and joined the Aborigines' Protection Society after he had experienced naval anti-slavery operations in the West Indies and seen the impact of European penetration into the Pacific Ocean.[5]
Erskine died unmarried in June 1887, aged 80.[1]