Sir Alexander Dingwall Bateson (30 April 1866 – 11 January 1935) was a British barrister and High Court judge. A shipping specialist, he sat in the

Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (England ...

from 1925 until his death in 1935.

Biography

Bateson was born in Allerton,

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, the youngest of the six sons of William Gandy Bateson, partner in a prominent Liverpool firm of shipping solicitors, and of Agnes Dingwall Bateson, daughter of Sir Thomas Blaikie. A brother was the English rugby union player Harold Dingwall Bateson. He was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

and at

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

, where he took third-class honours in

classical moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ...

(1887) and graduated with a pass BA degree in 1888. He was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

by the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1891, and began his career in the chambers of Joseph Walton, later Mr Justice Walton. Drawing on Walton's backing and his own family connections, Bateson specialized in shipping work, mainly in salvage and collision cases in the Admiralty Division and sometime in the

Commercial Court Business courts, sometimes referred to as commercial courts, are specialized courts for legal cases involving commercial law, internal business disputes, and other matters affecting businesses. In the US, they are trial courts that primarily or ...

, and built a substantial practice. He was appointed junior counsel to the Admiralty for Admiralty Division work in 1909, and the following year he relinquished the appointment when he became a King's Counsel. He was elected a

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

of the Inner Temple in 1920. In 1925, on the recommendation of Viscount Cave, Dingwall was selected to fill the additional judgeship created by the Administration of Justice Act 1925 in order to relieve congestion in the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division. He was duly appointed on 12 May 1925, and received the customary

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he made

Thomas splint A traction splint most commonly refers to a splinting device that uses straps attaching over the pelvis or hip as an anchor, a metal rod(s) to mimic normal bone stability and limb length, and a mechanical device to apply traction (used in an at ...

s at the Kensington Red Cross depot. He died at his home in London on 11 January 1935.

Family

Dingwall married Isabel Mary Latham (died 1919), fourth daughter of William Latham QC, in 1893; they had four sons and two daughters. Sir Dingwall Latham Bateson, President of the Law Society, was his son.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bateson, Alexander Dingwall Knights Bachelor 1866 births 1935 deaths People from Allerton People educated at Rugby School Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Members of the Inner Temple English King's Counsel 20th-century King's Counsel Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division judges