• Name: Erskine, William (Lord Kinneder)
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: August  1768
• Death Date: 14  August  1822
• Occupation: judge

Most Erskines in the diary are likely to be to Thomas Erskine (1750-1823), lord chancellor, but the DNB shows how many significant Erskines, and even how many Thomas Erskines, there were in the period, and not all of Godwin's references may be to the same figure.

There are thirteen appearances in total, as follows (in chronological order):

15.6.1792 Dinng at Free Mason's Tavern with Mackintosh, S. Rogers and c.
18.12.1792 'Call on Mrs Inchbald, talk of Erskine, France and promises'
28.1.1793 'Erskine and Pigott dismissed'
30.1.1795 '(Erskine's)'
19.4.1800 adv Street and Erskine while calling on Parr
6.10.1805 Dining at Holland's with Curran, Adair and c.
14.11.1806 adv Erskine at Westminster Hall
These all refer to Thomas Erskine, first baron Erskine (1750-1823), lord chancellor (context of Brougham and Holland House and Erskine's prominence in the years following the Treason Trials)

24.4.1816 'meet W Erskine, w. R Miller' William Erskine (1773-1852), historian of India, who is related to the Thomas and others was in India 1804-23 so it cannot be him. The other William Erskine from the DNB in this period was a judge, literary advisor to Walter Scott, sheriff-depute of Orkney and Lord Kinnedar (bap. 1768, d. 1822). We have assumed it's him because the meeting takes place during Godwin's Scottish trip, during which he also met Scott at Melrose.

26.4.1816 'Chas Erskine and wife dine' (while on northern tour) remains unidentified.

8.10.1817 'H Erskine dies' This is Henry Erskine (1746-1817), lawyer and politician (dates match).

26.9.1823 'Call on L Erskine n' refers to Thomas Erskine (ie L stands for Lord Erskine)

20.10.1823 'Write to Erskine and Brougham. Call on Mackntosh, Erskine n, Hayward and Read.' Again, this seems to refer to Thomas Erskine.

• DNB

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.