Sir Thomas Joshua Platt KC (22 August 1788''London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812'' – 10 February 1862) was a British

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

who served as a

Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was ...

Grave of Thomas Josiah Platt in Highgate Cemetery

Biography

Platt, born in 1788, was the son of Thomas and Amelia Platt of London. His father was a solicitor who served as principal clerk to Lords

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...

, Kenyon, and Ellenborough. He was educated at

Harrow Harrow may refer to: Places * Harrow, Victoria, Australia * Harrow, Ontario, Canada * The Harrow, County Wexford, a village in Ireland * London Borough of Harrow, England * Harrow, London, a town in London * Harrow (UK Parliament constituency) * ...

and at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, where he graduated B.A. 1810, and M.A. 1814. He was called to the bar at 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 ...

on 9 February 1816, and named a king's counsellor on 27 December 1834, when he became a favourite leader on the home circuit. As an advocate he was remarkable for the energy of his manner and the simplicity of his language. Before a common jury he was usually invincible, but met with fewer successes before special juries. He succeeded Baron Gurney as a

on 28 January 1845, and sat until failing health obliged him to retire on 2 November 1856. He was knighted at St. James's Palace on 23 April 1845. Though not deeply read, he proved a sensible judge, while his blunt courtesy and amiability made him popular with the bar. He died at 59 Portland Place, London, on 10 February 1862, and was buried in

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...

. His widow, Augusta, died at 61 Queen's Gardens, Hyde Park, London, on 16 February 1885, aged 88. By her, Platt had a large family.

References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Platt, Thomas Joshua 1788 births 1862 deaths Lawyers from London People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of the Inner Temple British King's Counsel 19th-century King's Counsel 19th-century English judges Knights Bachelor Burials at Highgate Cemetery Barons of the Exchequer