John McHutchin

Who was John McHutchin?

John McHutchin was a former His Majesty's Clerk of the Rolls for the Isle of Man.

McHutchin was born in Peel, son of a Scotsman and Manxwoman. He was educated at Peel Grammar School and then studied law with Thomas Stowell, the then Clerk of the Rolls, and his ability was so great and his progress so rapid that Lieutenant Governor Cornelius Smelt appointed him his Secretary before he had finished his studies. McHutchin was then appointed High Bailiff of Douglas. Then Deemster in 1821 and Clerk of the Rolls the following year. His greatest claim to distinction is the fact that during the long and bitter dispute between the Duke of Atholl and the House of Keys, McHutchin was the only person who held the entire confidence of both sides.