James Kinnear WS FRSE (1810-1849) was a Scottish lawyer. His legal title was Master Extraordinary in Chancery and Commissioner of English Affairs.^[1]

He was born on 2 December 1810 and lived at 31 Queen Street^[2] in the New Town.

He was apprenticed as a lawyer to Richard Mackenzie WS at 12 Thistle Street,^[3] close to his family home, around 1825. The office later transferred to William Sharp WS at the same address (presumably on the death of Mackenzie).^[4] He qualified as a Writer to the Signet in 1832 and thereafter set up his own premises at 81 George Street, a fairly prestigious address in the city centre and far grander than his previous employer's premises. At this time he was living at 9 Doune Terrace on the Moray Estate on the west side of Edinburgh. In 1841 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposer was George Augustus Borthwick.^[5]

In later life he lived at 35 Queen Street, a few doors from his childhood home. He also owned a villa at Stove, on Sanday, Orkney, close to his wife's childhood home.

He died on 21 June 1849 in Cadiz whilst touring in Spain. A memorial to his memory stands in St Cuthbert's Churchyard in Edinburgh.

He was married to Mary Henrietta Balfour (1809-1871) in February 1832. She was the eldest daughter of Captain William Balfour RN of Trenaby in Orkney. They had seven children including George Thomas Balfour Kinnear (1833-1915) and William Balfour Kinnear (1838-1871).^[6]

His older brother John Gardner Kinnear (1800-1866) followed in his father's footsteps as a banker. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh serving as Treasurer to the Society 1833/4.^[7] He died at La Belle Place in Glasgow on 19 December 1866. John married Mary Smith. Their son Alexander became Alexander Kinnear, 1st Baron Kinnear.