James Harmer
James Harmer (1777–1853) was an English solicitor, involved in the investigation of miscarriages of justice, radical politics, and local government in London, where he served as an alderman. He served as a model for Jaggers, the Charles Dickens character from Great Expectations.[1]
James Harmer appears in a series of historical financial crime novels written by Susan Grossey: Fatal Forgery, The Man in the Canary Waistcoat, and Worm in the Blossom.
Early life
Harmer was the son of a Spitalfields weaver, and was left an orphan at age 10. He was articled to an attorney in 1792, but left his office on making an early marriage. He was afterwards transferred to Messrs. Fletcher & Wright of Bloomsbury, and practised for himself in 1799.[2]
Legal reformer
Harmer's practice was mainly in the criminal courts, and experience there made him an advocate of reform in criminal procedure.[2] He came across police conspiracies to commit perjury, to secure convictions.[3] In 1816 he was one of those who exposed the thief-taking scandal, and the corruption of the system of rewards.[2]
The parliamentary committee for the reform of the criminal law took Harmer's evidence; and
Radical causes
In the aftermath of the Invasion of Isle de France in 1810, Henry Brougham acted as defence barrister for some British prisoners who had joined the French. Harmer was their choice of solicitor.[5]
In 1819 Harmer represented
In 1820 Harmer took on the defence of
Later life
In 1833 Harmer was elected alderman of the ward of
Harmer took a leading part in establishing the
Works
Harmer wrote pamphlets on behalf of Holloway and Haggerty in 1807, on the case of George Mathews in 1819, and in 1825 on behalf of Edward Harris.[2]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-285332-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 24. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ISBN 978-0-521-58418-0.
- ISBN 978-0-8078-2806-9.
- ISBN 978-0-7146-3265-0.
- ISBN 978-0-521-58941-3.
- ^ Report of the Metropolitan and Central Committee appointed for the relief of the Manchester sufferers: with an appendix, containing the names of the sufferers and the nature and extent of their injuries: also, an account of the distribution of the funds and other documents, Hume Tracts (1820), at p. 12. Contributed by: UCL Library Services. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/60204293
- ISBN 978-0-571-22471-5.
- ^ Peter Mackenzie (1865). Reminiscences of Glasgow and the West of Scotland. J. Tweed. p. 157.
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). "Harmer, James". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 24. London: Smith, Elder & Co.