Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman

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PC
Lord Chief Justice of England
Lord High Steward for the trial of:
List
In office
1832–1850
Monarchs
  • Sir Robert Peel, Bt
Personal details
Born23 July 1779 (1779-07-23)
Whig
Spouse
Theodosia Vevers
​
​
(m. 1804; died 1852)​
Alma materSt John's College, Cambridge

Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman,

PC (23 July 1779 – 26 September 1854) was an English lawyer, judge and politician. He served as Lord Chief Justice
between 1832 and 1850.

Background and education

Denman was born in London, the son of Dr Thomas Denman. In his fourth year, he attended Palgrave Academy in Suffolk, where his education was supervised by Anna Laetitia Barbauld and her husband.[1] He continued to Eton and St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1800.[2] In 1806 he was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn, and at once entered upon practice.[3]

Legal and judicial career

Lord Denman as Lord Chief Justice, by Sir Martin Archer Shee.

His success was rapid, and in a few years he attained a position at the bar second only to that of

King his bitter enemy, and retarded his legal promotion.[3]
Unfortunately he made a notable gaffe when he compared the Queen to the Biblical woman taken in adultery, who was told to "go away and sin no more". This suggested that her counsel had no belief in the Queen's innocence, and produced the mocking satire:

"Most Gracious Queen, we thee implore
To go away and sin no more
Or if that effort be too great
To go away at any rate".

At the general election of 1818 he was returned Member of Parliament for

Whig opposition. In the following year, he was returned for Nottingham, which seat he represented until 1826 and again from 1830 until his elevation to the bench in 1832. His liberal principles had caused his exclusion from office till in 1822 he was appointed Common Serjeant of London by the corporation of London. In 1830 he was made Attorney General under Lord Grey's administration[3] and was knighted on 24 November that year.[4]

Two years later he was made

Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy. He also strove with great energy, both as a writer and as a judge, to effect the abolition of the slave trade.[7]

Family

Lord Denman married Theodosia Anne, daughter of Reverend Richard Vevers, in 1804. His Derbyshire seat was Middleton Hall, Stoney Middleton. He died at Stoke Albany, Northamptonshire aged 75, and was succeeded in the barony by his oldest son Thomas. Another son, Joseph, was a Royal Navy officer, while another, George, was an MP and High Court judge.

Cases

  • Williams v. Carwardine
     (1833) 4 B. & Ad. 621
  • Stockdale v. Hansard
     9 Ad. & El. I.; II Ad. & El. 253
  • Lynch v. Nurdin 1 QB 29, (1841) Arn and H 158, (1841) 113 ER 1041
  • O'Connell v The Queen [1844] 11 Cl. & Fin. 155

References

  1. ^ "Memoir of Mrs Barbauld by Lucy Aikin, p v". 1825.
  2. ^ "Denman, Thomas (DNMN796T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ^ a b c d  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Denman, Thomas". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 23.
  4. ^ "No. 3915". The Edinburgh Gazette. 30 November 1830. p. 325.
  5. ^ "No. 18993". The London Gazette. 9 November 1832. p. 2469.
  6. ^ "No. 19139". The London Gazette. 25 March 1834. p. 539.
  7. New International Encyclopedia
    (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.

Sources

External links

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wareham
1818–1820
With: John Calcraft 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Nottingham
1820–1826
With: Joseph Birch 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir Ronald Crauford Ferguson
 		Succeeded by
Sir Ronald Crauford Ferguson
Viscount Duncannon
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General for England and Wales
1830–1832 		Succeeded by
Sir William Horne
Preceded by Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench
1832–1850 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Chancellor of the Exchequer
 pro tempore
1834 		Succeeded by
Sir Robert Peel
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Denman
1834–1854 		Succeeded by
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