Edward Burtenshaw Sugden, 1st Baron Saint Leonards, PC,PC (Ire),DL (12 February 1781 – 29 January 1875) was a British lawyer, judge and Conservative politician.
Sugden was the son of a high-class hairdresser and wig-maker in Westminster, London. Details of his education are said to be "obscure". It appears that he was mostly self-taught, although he also attended a private school.
His humble origins and rapid rise were frequently remarked upon by his contemporaries: when he first attempted to enter Parliament, he was heckled at hustings for being the son of a barber. Later, Thomas Fowell Buxton would write that "there are few instances in modern times of a rise equal to that of Sir Edward Sugden".
Legal and political careeredit
After practising for some years as a conveyancer, Sugden was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1807, having already published his well-known Concise and Practical Treatise on the Law of Vendors and Purchasers of Estates. In 1822 he was made King's Counsel. He was returned at different times for various boroughs to the House of Commons, where he made himself prominent by his opposition to the Reform Bill of 1832.[1] He was appointed Solicitor General in 1829, receiving the customary knighthood.[2] As Solicitor-General he took a narrow view of Jewish emancipation, arguing that "They had possessed nothing; they held nothing. They had no civil rights; they never had any."[3]
In 1834–5 Sugden was made Lord Chancellor of Ireland in Peel's first ministry, and was sworn of the Privy Council on 15 December 1834. Sugden was again the Irish Lord Chancellor in Peel's second ministry, serving from 1841 to 1846. In 1849, Sugden published A Treatise on the Law of Property as administered in the House of Lords, in which he criticised the decisions given in the House of Lords when acting as a Court of Appeal. In Lord Derby's first government in 1852 he became Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and was raised to the peerage as Baron Saint Leonards, of Slaugham in the County of Sussex.[4] In this position he devoted himself with energy and vigour to the reform of the law (note his important dissenting opinion in Jorden v Money (1854) 5 HL Cas 185); Lord Derby on his return to power in 1858 again offered him the same office, which from considerations of health he declined. He continued, however, to take an active interest especially in the legal matters that came before the House of Lords, and bestowed his particular attention on the reform of the law of property.[1] He championed the fulfilment of the will of J. M. W. Turner with regard to his art bequests in 1857–70.
Publicationsedit
Considerations on the rate of interest, 1816 (Milano, Fondazione Mansutti).
Lord Saint Leonards was the author of various important legal publications, many of which have passed through several editions. Besides the treatise on purchasers already mentioned, they include Powers, Cases decided by the House of Lords, Gilbert on Uses, New Real Property Laws and Handybook of Property Law, Misrepresentations in Campbells Lives of Lyndhurst and Brougham, corrected by St Leonards.[1]
Familyedit
Lord Saint Leonards married Winifred, daughter of John Knapp, in 1808. She died in May 1861, Lord Saint Leonards died at Boyle Farm, Thames Ditton, in January 1875, aged 93, and was succeeded in the barony by his grandson, Edward.
Inheritance disputeedit
After his death his will was missing but his daughter, Charlotte Sugden, was able to recollect the contents of a most intricate document, and in the action of Sugden v. Lord Saint Leonards (L.R. 1 P.D. 154) the Court of Chancery accepted her evidence and granted probate, admitting into the probate a paper propounded as containing the provisions of the lost will. This decision established the proposition that the contents of a lost will, that can be proven to have existed, may be proved by secondary evidence, even of a single witness.[1] Charlotte Sugden submitted sworn testimony that Lord Saint Leonards was in the habit of reading his will every night, such that his daughter had to listen to it and over some years memorised it. This decision became a well known fact and narrow precedent in legal circles, departing from provisions of the Wills Act 1837 which remained the principal legislation governing an area shaped by equity and later by common law.[5]
Armsedit
Coat of arms of Edward Sugden, 1st Baron St Leonards
Crest
A Leopard's Head erased Sable spotted and gorged with a Baron's Coronet Or
Escutcheon
Azure on a Fess Or between in chief two Maidens' Heads couped at the shoulders proper and in base a Leopard's Head erased of the second spotted Sable an Annulet Gules
Supporters
On either side a Leopard Or pellety and gorged with a Baron's Coronet of the first lined Azure
^H.E. Malden, ed. (1911). "Parishes: Thames Ditton". A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "St Leonards, Edward Burtenshaw Sugden, 1st Baron". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 23–24.
Dittopedia, the collaborative local history of Thames Ditton
External linksedit
Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord St Leonards
"Edward Burtenshaw Sugden, Lord St Leonards" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. XXI (9th ed.). 1886. p. 182.
edward, sugden, baron, leonards, edward, burtenshaw, sugden, baron, saint, leonards, february, 1781, january, 1875, british, lawyer, judge, conservative, politician, right, honourablethe, lord, saint, leonardspc, dllord, high, chancellor, irelandin, office, 18. Edward Burtenshaw Sugden 1st Baron Saint Leonards PC PC Ire DL 12 February 1781 29 January 1875 was a British lawyer judge and Conservative politician The Right HonourableThe Lord Saint LeonardsPC PC Ire DLLord High Chancellor of IrelandIn office 1835 1835MonarchWilliam IVPrime MinisterSir Robert Peel BtPreceded byThe Lord PlunketSucceeded byThe Lord PlunketIn office 1841 1846MonarchVictoriaPrime MinisterSir Robert Peel BtPreceded byThe Lord CampbellSucceeded byMaziere BradyLord High Chancellor of Great BritainIn office 27 February 1852 17 December 1852MonarchVictoriaPrime MinisterThe Earl of DerbyPreceded byThe Lord TruroSucceeded byThe Lord CranworthPersonal detailsBornEdward Burtenshaw Sugden 1781 02 12 12 February 1781Died29 January 1875 1875 01 29 aged 93 NationalityBritishPolitical partyTory ConservativeSpouseWinifred Knapp m 1808 died 1861 wbr Contents 1 Background 2 Legal and political career 3 Publications 4 Family 4 1 Inheritance dispute 5 Arms 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksBackground editSugden was the son of a high class hairdresser and wig maker in Westminster London Details of his education are said to be obscure It appears that he was mostly self taught although he also attended a private school His humble origins and rapid rise were frequently remarked upon by his contemporaries when he first attempted to enter Parliament he was heckled at hustings for being the son of a barber Later Thomas Fowell Buxton would write that there are few instances in modern times of a rise equal to that of Sir Edward Sugden Legal and political career editAfter practising for some years as a conveyancer Sugden was called to the bar at Lincoln s Inn in 1807 having already published his well known Concise and Practical Treatise on the Law of Vendors and Purchasers of Estates In 1822 he was made King s Counsel He was returned at different times for various boroughs to the House of Commons where he made himself prominent by his opposition to the Reform Bill of 1832 1 He was appointed Solicitor General in 1829 receiving the customary knighthood 2 As Solicitor General he took a narrow view of Jewish emancipation arguing that They had possessed nothing they held nothing They had no civil rights they never had any 3 In 1834 5 Sugden was made Lord Chancellor of Ireland in Peel s first ministry and was sworn of the Privy Council on 15 December 1834 Sugden was again the Irish Lord Chancellor in Peel s second ministry serving from 1841 to 1846 In 1849 Sugden published A Treatise on the Law of Property as administered in the House of Lords in which he criticised the decisions given in the House of Lords when acting as a Court of Appeal In Lord Derby s first government in 1852 he became Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and was raised to the peerage as Baron Saint Leonards of Slaugham in the County of Sussex 4 In this position he devoted himself with energy and vigour to the reform of the law note his important dissenting opinion in Jorden v Money 1854 5 HL Cas 185 Lord Derby on his return to power in 1858 again offered him the same office which from considerations of health he declined He continued however to take an active interest especially in the legal matters that came before the House of Lords and bestowed his particular attention on the reform of the law of property 1 He championed the fulfilment of the will of J M W Turner with regard to his art bequests in 1857 70 Publications edit nbsp Considerations on the rate of interest 1816 Milano Fondazione Mansutti Lord Saint Leonards was the author of various important legal publications many of which have passed through several editions Besides the treatise on purchasers already mentioned they include Powers Cases decided by the House of Lords Gilbert on Uses New Real Property Laws and Handybook of Property Law Misrepresentations in Campbells Lives of Lyndhurst and Brougham corrected by St Leonards 1 Family editLord Saint Leonards married Winifred daughter of John Knapp in 1808 She died in May 1861 Lord Saint Leonards died at Boyle Farm Thames Ditton in January 1875 aged 93 and was succeeded in the barony by his grandson Edward Inheritance dispute edit After his death his will was missing but his daughter Charlotte Sugden was able to recollect the contents of a most intricate document and in the action of Sugden v Lord Saint Leonards L R 1 P D 154 the Court of Chancery accepted her evidence and granted probate admitting into the probate a paper propounded as containing the provisions of the lost will This decision established the proposition that the contents of a lost will that can be proven to have existed may be proved by secondary evidence even of a single witness 1 Charlotte Sugden submitted sworn testimony that Lord Saint Leonards was in the habit of reading his will every night such that his daughter had to listen to it and over some years memorised it This decision became a well known fact and narrow precedent in legal circles departing from provisions of the Wills Act 1837 which remained the principal legislation governing an area shaped by equity and later by common law 5 Arms editCoat of arms of Edward Sugden 1st Baron St Leonards Crest A Leopard s Head erased Sable spotted and gorged with a Baron s Coronet Or Escutcheon Azure on a Fess Or between in chief two Maidens Heads couped at the shoulders proper and in base a Leopard s Head erased of the second spotted Sable an Annulet Gules Supporters On either side a Leopard Or pellety and gorged with a Baron s Coronet of the first lined Azure Motto Labore Vinces 6 Notes edit a b c d Chisholm 1911 No 18587 The London Gazette 23 June 1829 p 1157 Hansard 2nd Series xxiii 1330 No 21297 The London Gazette 2 March 1852 p 670 H E Malden ed 1911 Parishes Thames Ditton A History of the County of Surrey Volume 3 Institute of Historical Research Retrieved 21 November 2012 Saint Leonards Baron UK 1852 1985 References edit nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 St Leonards Edward Burtenshaw Sugden 1st Baron Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 25 11th ed Cambridge University Press pp 23 24 Dittopedia the collaborative local history of Thames DittonExternal links editHansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by Lord St Leonards Edward Burtenshaw Sugden Lord St Leonards Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol XXI 9th ed 1886 p 182 Parliament of the United KingdomPreceded byThomas WallaceJohn GordonFowell BuxtonMasterton Ure Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis1828 1831 With John Gordon from 1826Fowell Buxton 1818 1832Masterton Ure 1813 1832 Succeeded byRichard WeylandJohn GordonFowell BuxtonMasterton UrePreceded bySir Codrington CarringtonGeorge Grenville Wandisford Pigott Member of Parliament for St Mawes1831 1832 With George Grenville Wandisford Pigott Constituency abolishedPreceded bySir Charles DalbiacThomas Pemberton Member of Parliament for Ripon1837 1841 With Thomas Pemberton Succeeded bySir George CockburnThomas PembertonLegal officesPreceded bySir Nicholas Tindal Solicitor General for England1829 1830 Succeeded bySir William HornePolitical officesPreceded byThe Lord Plunket Lord High Chancellor of Ireland1834 1835 Succeeded byThe Lord PlunketPreceded byThe Lord Campbell Lord High Chancellor of Ireland1841 1846 Succeeded byMaziere BradyPreceded byThe Lord Truro Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain1852 Succeeded byThe Lord CranworthPeerage of the United KingdomNew creation Baron St Leonards1852 1875 Succeeded byEdward Sugden Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edward Sugden 1st Baron St Leonards amp oldid 1166782353, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
