Horace Davey, Baron Davey
Horace Davey, Baron Davey,
politician.Background and education
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Davey was the son of Peter Davey, of Horton, Buckinghamshire and Caroline Emma Pace, and was born in Camberwell, Surrey. He was educated at Rugby and University College, Oxford, where he matriculated on 20 March 1852.[1] He took a double first-class in Classics and Mathematics (Moderations and Finals), was senior mathematical scholar and Eldon law scholar (1859), and was elected a Fellow of his college[2] (1856–67).
Having achieved a BA (1856), and an MA (1859) Davey decided on a career in the law. He was admitted to Lincoln's Inn on 19 January 1857. On 26 January 1861, he was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn.
Almost as soon as he started work as a law reporter, he married the following summer, on 5 August 1862. He was employed on young titles such as New Reports, when he joined in marriage Louisa Hawes Donkin at St George's, Camberwell. She was the daughter of John Donkin of Ormond House, Old Kent Road, a civil engineer.
Davey's success at law reporting allowed him to read in the chambers of
On the basis of this experience he was recommended for
Legal career
Devoting himself to the
Davey was standing counsel to the University of Oxford, and senior counsel to the
Political career
Davey was not renowned as an MP. However, when the National Liberal Club offered the seat of Christchurch he took the opportunity. Elected in April 1880, he lost at the General Election of November 1885. On 16 February 1886, Gladstone appointed him the Solicitor-general in his government. He was knighted during the short government on 8 March 1886. Between 1886 and December 1888, he was seated at Stockport. From 1888 he was MP for Stockton-on-Tees, but lost again in July 1892 at the General Election.
Judicial career
Having left parliament for the last time Davey was appointed as a bencher in Lincoln's Inn, on being promoted to the Court of Appeal on 23 September 1893. By 23 November he was sworn to the Privy Council. Monson v. Tussauds Ltd (1894) was a case that determined the future of a museum. On 13 August, Davey was made a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.
In the famous Wee Frees Case, General Assembly of Free Church of Scotland (1906) the Great War intervened to withhold a judgement. The occasion of a united church of Presbyterians caused the sale of property, the church lost £2 m of real property. Haldane, acting for the church successfully argued the case in point, but lost the decision, although he won the deeds of property. Nonetheless Parliament legislated at the transfer was ordered.
The case of Salomon v. Salomon (1896) was a precedent for many years on the nature of company law and incorporation. The case of Allen v. Flood (1898) symbolized the number of political arguments between Liberals, like Davey and the Conservative Lord Halsbury, over the propriety of Trade Union rights.
Walter v. Lane (1900) was a case about the law of copyright for reporters. Burland v. Earle (1901) was the fraud in the exception to the contract rules since 1843 in Foss v. Harbottle (1901). Noakes Co v. Rice (1901) and Bradley v. Carritt (1903) were cases about the collateral benefits in mortgage laws. In Ruben v. G. Fingall Cons (1906) it was established the effects of a forged certificate on a company.
In 1905, Davey approached the Liberal leader Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman to become Lord Chancellor in the new government, but was turned down in favour of Lord Loreburn. Davey and Lord Lindley were perhaps the greatest intellects of their generation. Lord MacNaughten, himself a powerful thinker, called Davey "the most lawyer of his day."
Court appointments
Davey was counsel to Oxford University, 1877–93. He was made an honorary fellow of University College, Oxford in 1884, and an honorary DCL by the University of Oxford in 1894. On 24 Jan 1895, Davey was made a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). As Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn he headed the Inn of Court, in 1897. Partly due to the influence of his friend, Richard Haldane, Lord Davey was appointed Chairman of the Royal Commission to reconstitute the Statutes of the University of London (1897–98). He was also a Fellow of the British Academy from 1905.[7]
Family
Lord Davey married Louisa Donkin in 1862. He died in London in February 1907, aged 74. He was survived by his wife and two sons and four daughters.[1] Lord Davey died on Wednesday, 20 February 1907, at 86 Brook Street, London W1, of acute bronchitis. He was buried at Forest Row, East Grinstead, three days later.[8]
Arms
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References
- ^ a b Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1881
- ^ a b c d public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Davey of Fernhurst, Horace Davey". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 853. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ R B Haldane, An Autobiography, (Hodder & Stoughton, 1929), 35.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 4)
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
- ^ "No. 26543". The London Gazette. 17 August 1894. p. 4808.
- ^ Dictionary of National Biography (London: 2004)
- ^ His will was granted probate on 3 April 1907, worth £172,398 14s 6d.
- ^ Debrett's Peerage. 1903.
Bibliography
- R B Haldane, An Autobiography (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1929)