Lord Herschell LC
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OR:

Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell, (2 November 1837 – 1 March 1899), was
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...
in 1886, and again from 1892 to 1895.


Life


Childhood and education

Herschell was born on 2 November 1837 in Brampton,
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
. His parents were Helen Skirving Mowbray and the Rev. Ridley Haim Herschell, who was a native of
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, in
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
n
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. When Ridley was a young man, he converted from
Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
to Christianity and took a leading part in founding the
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. He eventually settled down to the charge of a Nonconformist chapel near the
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, in London, where he ministered to a large congregation. Farrer was educated at a grammar school in
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and attended lectures at the
University of Bonn The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...
as a teenager, where his family lived for six months in 1852. In 1857 he took his BA degree with honours in Greek and mathematics at
University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
, receiving prizes in logic and political economy. He was regarded as the best speaker at the
University College London Union Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which ...
Debating Society and was editor of a ''University Review'' along with R.D. Littler. He later served as an examiner in common law for the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
from 1872 to 1876.


Early career

Herschell's reputation persisted after he became a law student at
Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...
. On 12 January 1858 he entered the chambers of Thomas Chitty, the famous
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. His fellow
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s included
Archibald Levin Smith Sir Archibald Levin Smith (26 August 1836 – 20 October 1901) was a British judge and a rower who competed at Henley and in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Biography Smith was the son of Francis Smith, J.P. of Salt Hill, Chichest ...
, subsequently
Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ...
, and Arthur Charles who became a judge of the
Queen's Bench The King's Bench (), or, during the reign of a female monarch, the Queen's Bench ('), refers to several contemporary and historical courts in some Commonwealth jurisdictions. * Court of King's Bench (England), a historic court of common law in ...
. He subsequently read with James Hannen, who went on to become Lord Hannen. His fellow pupils gave him the ''sobriquet'' "Chief Baron" because of his air of superiority. On 17 November 1860 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 ...
and joined the
Northern Circuit The Northern Circuit is a circuit of the General Council of the Bar and English judiciary. The Northern Circuit stretches from Carlisle in Cumberland at its northernmost point, running through Lakeland to the port of Whitehaven in the West, ...
. For four or five years he did not obtain much work, although he was financially secure. He spoke to Charles Russell and
William Court Gully William Court Gully, 1st Viscount Selby PC, KC (29 August 18356 November 1909) was a British lawyer and Liberal politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1895 and 1905. Background and education Gully was the son of Jam ...
about the possibility of leaving England and instead working for the British Consular Courts in China. However, Herschell soon made himself useful to
Edward James Edward Frank Willis James (16 August 1907 – 2 December 1984) was a British poet known for his patronage of the surrealist art movement. Early life and marriage James was born on 16 August 1907, the only son of William James (who had inheri ...
, the then leader of the Northern Circuit, and to John Richard Quain, the leading stuffgownsman. For the latter he noted briefs and drafted
legal opinion In law, a legal opinion is in certain jurisdictions a written explanation by a judge or group of judges that accompanies an order or ruling in a case, laying out the rationale and legal principles for the ruling. Opinions are in those jurisdi ...
s. When, in 1866, Quain
took silk A King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarch is a woman, the title is Qu ...
, Herschell inherited much of his junior practice. In 1872, Herschell
took silk A King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarch is a woman, the title is Qu ...
and the following year, he became
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of
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
.


Member of Parliament

By 1874, his business had become so good that he turned his thoughts to politics and election to
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. In February of that year there was a
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
, with the result that the Conservative Party came into power with a parliamentary majority of fifty. The two
Radicals Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...
, Thomas Charles Thompson and John Henderson who had been returned for City of Durham were unseated, and an attack was then made on the seats of two other Radicals,
Isaac Lowthian Bell Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell, 1st Baronet, FRS (18 February 1816 – 20 December 1904) was a British ironmaster and Liberal Party politician from Washington, County Durham. He was described as being "as famous in his day as Isambard Kingdom Brunel". ...
and Charles Mark Palmer who had been returned for
North Durham North Durham is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2024 by Luke Akehurst of th ...
. Herschell was briefed for one of the latter. He made such an impression on the local Radical leaders that they asked him to stand for City of Durham. After two weeks'
electioneering A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referen ...
, he was elected as junior member. Between 1874 and 1880, Herschell was assiduous in his attendance of the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
. He was not a frequent speaker, but his few efforts garnered him a favourable reputation as a debater. On one occasion, he carried a resolution in favour of abolishing actions for
breach of promise of marriage Breach of promise is a common-law tort, abolished in many jurisdictions. It was also called breach of contract to marry,N.Y. Civil Rights Act article 8, §§ 80-A to 84. and the remedy awarded was known as heart balm. From at least the Middle ...
except when actual pecuniary loss had ensued, the
damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at ...
in such cases to be measured by the amount of such loss. He also prominently opposed the Fugitive Slave Circular. In 1878, he also pointed out the unconstitutionality of Lord Hartington's proposal to censure the government for bringing Indian troops to Malta. He was noticed by Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
, who in 1880 appointed Herschell
Solicitor General A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...
.


Solicitor General

Herschell was
knighted 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 ...
on 13 May 1880, within weeks of his appointment as Solicitor General, a position he was to hold until 1885. During this time, he turned down positions as a Lord of Appeal and
Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ...
. As Solicitor General, he drafted multiple bills, most notably the Irish Land Act 1881, the
Corrupt Practices Act 1883 The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883 (46 & 47 Vict. c. 51) or the Corrupt Practices Act 1883 was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was a continua ...
, the
Bankruptcy Act 1883 Bankruptcy Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States relating to bankruptcy. The Bill for an Act with this short title ...
, the County Franchise Act 1884. He also assisted Sir Mackenzie Chalmers with the drafting of the
Bills of Exchange Act 1882 The Bills of Exchange Act 1882 ( 45 & 46 Vict. c. 61) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that codified the law relating to bills of exchange. Bills of exchange are widely used to finance trade and, when discounted with a financi ...
. He also drafted the
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (sometimes called the "Reform Act of 1885"). It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that r ...
which halved the representation of Durham City, thus requiring him to quit his seat. Betting on the local support of the
Cavendish family The Cavendish (or de Cavendish) family ( ; ) is a British noble family, of Anglo-Norman origins (though with an Anglo-Saxon name, originally from a place-name in Suffolk). They rose to their highest prominence as Duke of Devonshire and Duke of ...
, he contested the North Lonsdale division of
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
, but in spite of the powerful influence of Lord Hartington, he was badly beaten at the poll. Gladstone, however, again obtained a majority in Parliament. Herschell felt the Solicitor General's post slipping away from him, and along with it all prospects of promotion.
Lord Selborne Earl of Selborne, in the County of Southampton, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1882 for the lawyer and Liberal politician Roundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne, along with the subsidiary title of Viscount Wo ...
and Sir Henry James, however, successively declined Gladstone's offer of the
Woolsack The Woolsack is the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords, the Upper House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Before 2006, it was the seat of the Lord Chancellor, who presided as the presiding officer of the House. The Woolsack ...
, and Herschell suddenly found himself
Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...
.


Lord Chancellor

On 6 February 1886, he became Lord Chancellor and was sworn of the Privy Council. He was also elevated to the peerage as Baron Herschell of the city of Durham. However, his first chancellorship lasted barely four months, because in June 1886 Gladstone's
Home Rule Bill The Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to ...
was rejected in the Commons and his ministry fell. In August 1892, when Gladstone returned to power, Herschell again became Lord Chancellor. In May 1893, he was appointed to the
Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...
as a Knight Grand Cross (GCB). In September 1893, when the second Home Rule BiIl came on for
second reading A reading of a bill is a stage of debate on the bill held by a general body of a legislature. In the Westminster system, developed in the United Kingdom, there are generally three readings of a bill as it passes through the stages of becoming ...
in the
House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
, Herschell took advantage of the opportunity to justify his own 1885 sudden conversion to
Home Rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...
, and that of his colleagues, by comparing it to the Duke of Wellington's conversion to Catholic emancipation in 1829 and to that of
Sir Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850), was a British Conservative statesman who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835, 1841–1846), and simultaneously was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834–183 ...
to
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in 1846. In 1895, however, his second chancellorship came to an end with the defeat of the Rosebery ministry. He was perhaps seen at his judicial best in ''Vagliano v. Bank of England'' (1891) and '' Allen v. Flood'' (1898). Latterly he showed a tendency to interrupt counsel overmuch. The latter case is an example of this. The question involved was what constituted a "molestation of a man in the pursuit of his lawful calling". At the close of the argument of counsel, whom he had frequently interrupted, one of their lordships observed that although there might be a doubt as to what amounted to such molestation in point of law, the House could well understand, after that day's proceedings, what it was in actual practice.


Other public service

In addition to his political and judicial work, Herschell rendered many public services. He became a deputy lieutenant of the
County Palatine of Durham The County Palatine of Durham was a jurisdiction in the North of England, within which the bishop of Durham had rights usually exclusive to the monarch. It developed from the Liberty of Durham, which emerged in the Anglo-Saxon period. The g ...
in 1885 and of the
County of Kent Kent is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Greater London to the north-west. ...
in 1890. In 1888 he presided over an
inquiry An inquiry (also spelled as enquiry in British English) is any process that has the aim of augmenting knowledge, resolving doubt, or solving a problem. A theory of inquiry is an account of the various types of inquiry and a treatment of the ...
directed by the House of Commons, with regard to the
Metropolitan Board of Works The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the upper tier of local government for London between 1856 and 1889, primarily responsible for upgrading infrastructure. It also had a parks and open spaces committee which set aside and opened up severa ...
. He acted as chairman of two
royal commission A royal commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue in some monarchies. They have been held in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia. In republics an equi ...
s, one on
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n currency, the other on
vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
. In 1890, he was appointed
Captain of Deal Castle Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
and
Warden of the Cinque Ports Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is the name of a ceremonial post in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century, when the title was Keeper of the Coast, but it may be older. The Lord Warden was originally in charge of the ...
. He took a great interest in the
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...
, not only promoting the acts of 1889 and 1894, but also in sifting the truth of allegations which had been brought against the management of that society. He was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
in January 1892. In June 1893 he was appointed
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of the University of London succeeding the
Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...
. His views of reform, according to Victor Dickins, the accomplished registrar of the university, were liberal and frankly stated, though at first they were not altogether popular. He disarmed opposition by his intellectual power, rather than conciliated it by compromise, and sometimes was perhaps a little forceful in his approach various matters of controversy. His characteristic power of detachment was well illustrated by his treatment of the proposal to remove the university to the site of the
Imperial Institute The Commonwealth Education Trust was a registered charity established in 2007 as the successor trust to the Commonwealth Institute. The trust focuses on primary and secondary education and the training of teachers and invests on educational pr ...
at
South Kensington South Kensington is a district at the West End of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with the advent of the ra ...
. Although he was then chairman of the institute, the most irreconcilable opponent of the removal never questioned his absolute impartiality. Herschell had been officially connected with the Imperial Institute from its inception. He was chairman of the provisional committee appointed by
Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
to formulate a scheme for its organisation, and he took an active part in the preparation of its
royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
and constitution in conjunction with Lord Thring, Lord James,
Sir Frederick Abel Sir Frederick Augustus Abel, 1st Baronet (17 July 18276 September 1902) was an English chemist who was recognised as the leading British authority on explosives. He is best known for the invention of cordite as a replacement for gunpowder in f ...
and Sir John Hollams. He was the first chairman of its council, and, except during his tour in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in 1888, when he brought the institute to the notice of the Indian authorities, he was hardly absent from a single meeting. For his special services in this connection he received the
Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...
in 1893, this being the only instance of a Lord Chancellor being decorated with an order. In 1893 he became, at its foundation, president of the Society of Comparative Legislation. In 1897 he was appointed, jointly with Lord Justice Collins, to represent Great Britain on the
Venezuela Boundary Commission The Venezuelan crisis of 1895 occurred over Venezuela's longstanding dispute with Great Britain about the territory of Essequibo, which Britain believed was part of British Guiana and Venezuela recognized as its own Guayana Esequiba. The issue ...
, which met in Paris in the spring of 1899. Such a complicated business involved a careful study of
map A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...
s and historic documents. Not content with this, he accepted in 1898 a seat on the Anglo-American Arbitration Commission appointed to adjudicate in the
Alaska boundary dispute The Alaska boundary dispute was a territorial dispute between the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which then controlled Canada's foreign relations. It was resolved by arbitration in 1903. The dispute had existe ...
and to adjust boundaries and other important questions pending between Great Britain and Canada on the one hand and the United States on the other hand. He started for the US in July of that year, and was received cordially at Washington D.C.. His fellow commissioners elected him their president.


Death

In February 1899, while the commission was in full swing, Herchell slipped in the street and fractured his
pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...
. His constitution, which at one time was a robust one, had been undermined by constant hard work, and proved unequal to sustaining the shock. On 1 March, only two weeks after the accident, he died at the Shoreham Hotel, Washington, a
post-mortem examination An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death; ...
revealing
heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
.
John Hay John Milton Hay (October 8, 1838July 1, 1905) was an American statesman and official whose career in government stretched over almost half a century. Beginning as a Secretary to the President of the United States, private secretary for Abraha ...
,
United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...
, at once
telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
ed to
Joseph Hodges Choate Joseph Hodges Choate (January 24, 1832 – May 14, 1917) was an American lawyer and diplomat. He was chairman of the American delegation at the Second Hague Conference, and ambassador to the United Kingdom. Choate was associated with many of t ...
, the
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom The United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, formally the ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St James's is the official representative of the president of the United States and the Federal government of the United ...
, the deep sorrow felt by President
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
. The prime minister of Canada, Sir
Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and Liberal politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadians, French ...
, said the next day in the
Canadian House of Commons The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body who ...
that he regarded Herschell's death as a misfortune to Canada and to the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. A funeral service held in St John's Episcopal Church, Washington, was attended by the president and vice-president of the United States, by the cabinet ministers, the judges of the Supreme Court, the members of the joint high commission, and a large number of senators and other representative men. The body was brought to London in a British man-of-war, HMS Talbot and a second funeral service was held in
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
, which was attended by
Lord Halsbury Hardinge Stanley Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury (3 September 1823 – 11 December 1921) was a British barrister and Conservative politician. He served three times as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, for a total of seventeen years, a recor ...
,
Lord Kimberley Earl of Kimberley, of Kimberley in the County of Norfolk, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1866 for the prominent Liberal politician John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse. During his long political career, he no ...
,
Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...
and other representatives of the British, American, and Canadian governments. He was buried on 22 March 1899 at
Tincleton Tincleton is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England. It is situated near the River Frome, approximately east of the county town Dorchester. The name of the village comes from the Old English "Tin la Ton", or " ...
,
Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
, in the parish church where he had been married.


Personal life

Herschell left a widow whom he had married in 1876, Agnes Adela, daughter of Edward Leigh Kindersley and granddaughter of Vice-Chancellor Richard Torin Kindersley. Lady Herschell died at
Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pau (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune overlooking the Pyrenees, the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region of Southwestern France. The city is locat ...
on 23 February 1902. They left a son, Richard Herschell (1878–1929), who succeeded as second baron, and three daughters: Helen Mowbray Herschell, Muriel Fanny Herschell, and
Agnes Freda Forres Agnes Freda Forres, Baroness Forres ( Herschell; 9 October 1881 – 5 May 1942) was a British artist known for her sculpture work in bronze and plaster. Biography Forres was born in Weybridge in Surrey. She was the daughter of Lord Hersch ...
. He was a member of a number of social clubs, including
Brooks's Brooks's is a gentlemen's club in St James's Street, London. It is one of the oldest and most exclusive gentlemen's clubs in the world. History In January 1762, a private society was established at 50 Pall Mall by Messrs. Boothby and James ...
, the Athenaenum Club, the Windham Club, the Devonshire Club, and the
National Liberal Club The National Liberal Club (NLC) is a London private members' club, open to both men and women. It was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 to provide club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly enlarged electorate f ...
. He also received honorary degrees from the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
and the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
.


Arms


Judgments

*''
Creen v Wright ''Creen v Wright'' (1875–76) LR 1 CPD 591 is an English contract law and UK labour law, labour law case concerning wrongful dismissal and the appropriate period of reasonable notice to be implied at common law in a contract of employment. Fac ...
'' (1875–76) LR 1 CPD 591 *''
Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd is a landmark UK company law case. The effect of the House of Lords' unanimous ruling was to uphold firmly the doctrine of corporate personality, as set out in the Companies Act 1862, so that creditors of an insolvent company could not sue the ...
''
896 __NOTOC__ Year 896 ( DCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February – King Arnulf of Carinthia invades Italy at the head of an East Frankish expeditionary army. He storms ...
UKHL 1 *''
Trevor v Whitworth ''Trevor v Whitworth'' (1887) 12 App Cas 409 is a UK company law case concerning share (finance), share buybacks. It held they were unlawful. The case is often used in support of the Capital Maintenance Rule. The rule coming from the case itself ...
'' (1887) 12 App Cas 409; the House of Lords held that
share buybacks Share repurchase, also known as share buyback or stock buyback, is the reacquisition by a company of its own shares. It represents an alternate and more flexible way (relative to dividends) of returning money to shareholders. Repurchases allow s ...
were unlawful. *''
British South Africa Co v Companhia de Moçambique The Moçambique rule, or (to adopt an Anglicisation, anglicised form of spelling) Mozambique rule, is a common law rule in private international law. The rule renders actions relating to title in foreign land, the right to possession of forei ...
''
893 __FORCETOC__ Year 893 ( DCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Vladimir, ruler ('' khan'') of the Bulgarian Empire, is dethroned by his father Boris I, with help from loyal ...
AC 602; the House of Lords overturned a Court of Appeal decision and by so doing established the ''Mozambique rule'', a
common law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...
rule in
private international law Conflict of laws (also called private international law) is the set of rules or laws a jurisdiction applies to a case, transaction, or other occurrence that has connections to more than one jurisdiction."Conflict of Laws", ''Black's Law Dictio ...
that renders actions relating to title in foreign land, the right to possession of foreign land, and
trespass Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person (see below), trespass to chattels, and trespass to land. Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery ...
to foreign land non-
justiciable Justiciability concerns the limits upon legal issues over which a court can exercise its judicial authority. It includes, but is not limited to, the legal concept of standing, which is used to determine if the party bringing the suit is a par ...
in common law jurisdictions. *''The Arrow Shipping Company v The
Tyne Improvement Commission The Port of Tyne comprises the commercial docks on and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear in the northeast of England. History There has been a port on the Tyne at least since the Romans used their settlement of Arbeia to supply the g ...
ers'' (or ''
The Crystal City Hall, in the London Borough of Newham in east London, is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA), the regional government for Greater London. It replaced the previous City Hall, in Southwark in 2022. The building opened in ...
'')
894 __NOTOC__ Year 894 ( DCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Bulgarian War: Stylianos Zaoutzes, leading minister and '' basileopator'', convinces Emperor ...
AC 509 *''
Mara v Browne ''Mara v Browne'' 895is a Court of Chancery case that dealt with liability as a constructive trustee ultimately ruling that, "if one, not being a trustee and not having authority from a trustee, takes upon himself to inter-meddle with trust m ...
'' (1895) *''McEntire v Crossley Brothers'', 13 May 1895,House of Lords
McEntire and Maconchy v. Crossley Brothers Ltd.
accessed 16 November 2022
applied in a later
recharacterisation Recharacterisation in law (and sometimes in accountancy) means the treatment of a certain course of conduct in a different manner to which the participants describe it. The term is most important in the penal law of Continental legal systems. In s ...
case, ''
Welsh Development Agency v Export Finance Co Ltd ''Welsh Development Agency v Export Finance Co Ltd''
992 Year 992 ( CMXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Worldwide * Winter – A superflare from the sun causes an Aurora Borealis, with visibility as far south as Germany and Korea. Euro ...
BCLC 148 (often abbreviated to ''WDA v Exfinco'') is a judicial decision of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, English Court of Appeal. The decision related to a number of aspec ...
.'' (1992) *'' Provincial Fisheries Reference''
898 __NOTOC__ Year 898 ( DCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * January 1 – King Odo I (or Eudes) dies at La Fère (Northern France) after a 10-year reign. His rival, the 1 ...
UKPC 30


References


Bibliography

* Brewer, D. J. (1899) ''Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation'', July * Fairbanks, C. W. (1899) ''Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation'', July *
William Gully, 1st Viscount Selby William Court Gully, 1st Viscount Selby PC, KC (29 August 18356 November 1909) was a British lawyer and Liberal politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1895 and 1905. Background and education Gully was the son of Jam ...
(1899) ''Law Quarterly Review'', April *Jacobs, J., & Lipkind, G. (1906)
Herschell, Lord Farrer
, ''
Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on the ...
'', vol.VI, ''p.''363 * James, H. (1899) ''Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation'', July *Williamson, V. (1899) ''Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation'', July ----


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Herschell, Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron 1837 births 1899 deaths Politicians from Hampshire Lord chancellors of Great Britain 1 Alumni of University College London Chancellors of the University of London British people of Polish-Jewish descent Solicitors general for England and Wales Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs who were granted peerages Fellows of the Royal Society Deputy lieutenants of Durham Deputy lieutenants of Kent Captains of Deal Castle Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Farrer Farrer may refer to: People * Alisha Farrer (born 1993), Australian actress and model * Austin Farrer (1904–1968), English theologian, philosopher, and friend of C. S. Lewis * Buster Farrer (1936–2025), South African cricketer * Claude Farrer ...
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the City of Durham Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria