Born at East Tuddenham, Norfolk, Mellish was the second son of the Very Rev. Edward Mellish, DD, Rector of the parish, who afterwards became Dean of Hereford, by his marriage to Elizabeth Jane Leigh, the daughter of the Rev. William Leigh, an earlier Dean of Hereford. His mother was a cousin of George Canning, who stood as godfather to Mellish.[1] His paternal grandfather was William Mellish, of Blyth Hall and Hodsock Priory, Nottinghamshire.[2]
On 4 August 1870, Mellish was appointed as Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal in Chancery.[5] The appointment was recommended by Prime Minister Gladstone, who had been Mellish's fag-master at Eton, although Gladstone had apparently forgotten the connection by the time of the appointment.[6] Mellish's appointment to the Chancery Court of Appeal was somewhat unusual, as he had practised almost entirely in the common law courts, not in equity.[7] On 12 August 1870, he was sworn of the Privy Council[8] and was afterwards knighted.[9] His appointment to the Privy Council entitled him to sit as a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, at that time the court of last resort for the British Empire beyond the seas.
Mellish was a lifelong sufferer from serious gout. One of the judges before whom he appeared later wrote "I have seen him arguing a difficult case before us while he was absolutely writhing with pain".[7] The illness compelled him on occasion to take absences from the bench.
^The Weekly Notes, Volume 5, 1870, p. 312: Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales
^Memorial to Sir George Mellish, illustrated at nottingham.ac.uk, accessed 16 November 2011
^ abBlyth St Mary and St Martin Monuments and Memorials at nottingham.ac.uk, accessed 16 November 2011
April 15, 2024
george, mellish, december, 1814, june, 1877, english, barrister, judge, court, appeal, chancery, member, judicial, committee, privy, council, caricature, vanity, fair, december, 1876, contents, early, life, legal, career, illness, death, referencesearly, life,. Sir George Mellish PC 19 December 1814 15 June 1877 was an English barrister judge of the Court of Appeal in Chancery and member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council George Mellish caricature by Spy in Vanity Fair 30 December 1876 Contents 1 Early life 2 Legal career 3 Illness and death 4 ReferencesEarly life editBorn at East Tuddenham Norfolk Mellish was the second son of the Very Rev Edward Mellish DD Rector of the parish who afterwards became Dean of Hereford by his marriage to Elizabeth Jane Leigh the daughter of the Rev William Leigh an earlier Dean of Hereford His mother was a cousin of George Canning who stood as godfather to Mellish 1 His paternal grandfather was William Mellish of Blyth Hall and Hodsock Priory Nottinghamshire 2 Mellish attended Eton where he fagged for William Gladstone 3 participated in the Debating Society and was a wet bob a sculler on the river 1 He then went up to University College Oxford where he was a debater in the Oxford Union 1 In 1836 he earned a BA with a second class in classical honours 4 Legal career editAfter Oxford Mellish joined Lincoln s Inn and served his pupillage to a variety of notable lawyers He practised as a special pleader for several years In 1848 he was called to the bar and began practising on the Northern Circuit In 1860 he was appointed Queen s Counsel 1 On 4 August 1870 Mellish was appointed as Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal in Chancery 5 The appointment was recommended by Prime Minister Gladstone who had been Mellish s fag master at Eton although Gladstone had apparently forgotten the connection by the time of the appointment 6 Mellish s appointment to the Chancery Court of Appeal was somewhat unusual as he had practised almost entirely in the common law courts not in equity 7 On 12 August 1870 he was sworn of the Privy Council 8 and was afterwards knighted 9 His appointment to the Privy Council entitled him to sit as a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council at that time the court of last resort for the British Empire beyond the seas He was one of the judges in the 1877 case Parker v South Eastern Rly Co Illness and death editMellish was a lifelong sufferer from serious gout One of the judges before whom he appeared later wrote I have seen him arguing a difficult case before us while he was absolutely writhing with pain 7 The illness compelled him on occasion to take absences from the bench Mellish died at his residence in Lowndes Square Westminster on 15 June 1877 aged 62 7 There is a memorial to him in the parish church of St Mary and St Martin Blyth Nottinghamshire 10 11 He had outlived his elder brother William Leigh Mellish 1813 1864 who became a British Army officer and retired as Lieutenant Colonel of the Sherwood Foresters having married Margaret Ann a daughter of Sir Samuel Cunard Bart 2 11 References edit a b c d The Annual Register of World Events A Review of the Year 1877 Volume 119 Part II London Rivingtons 1878 p 150 a b Biography of William Leigh Mellish 1813 1864 at nottingham ac uk accessed 16 November 2011 Mr Gladstone s School Days Good Literature Vol IV No 114 18 March 1873 p 121 The Annual Register of World Events A Review of the Year 1836 Volume 78 Part II p 259 London Baldwin amp Craddock 1837 The Annual Register of World Events A Review of the Year 1870 Volume 112 Pt II London Rivingtons Waterloo Place 1871 p 239 Mr Gladstone s School Days Good Literature Vol IV No 114 18 March 1873 p 121 a b c The Annual Register of World Events A Review of the Year 1877 Volume 119 Part II London Rivingtons 1878 p 151 No 23643 The London Gazette 12 August 1870 p 3750 The Weekly Notes Volume 5 1870 p 312 Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales Memorial to Sir George Mellish illustrated at nottingham ac uk accessed 16 November 2011 a b Blyth St Mary and St Martin Monuments and Memorials at nottingham ac uk accessed 16 November 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George Mellish amp oldid 1184353696, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
