Cyril Asquith, Baron Asquith of Bishopstone
Encyclopedia
Cyril Asquith, Baron Asquith of Bishopstone PC
, QC
(5 February 1890 – 24 August 1954) was an English
barrister
, judge
and law lord.
Cyril Asquith was the fourth son of H. H. Asquith
, later Prime Minister
and subsequently Earl of Oxford and Asquith, from his first marriage, to Helen Kelsall Melland.
He was educated at Winchester College
and Balliol College, Oxford
. During the First World War he served in the 16th Battalion, London Regiment
, gaining the rank of Captain
.
He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple
in 1920. He took silk
in 1936 and was appointed Bencher
in 1939. He was a Justice of the King's Bench
1938-46 and as such was appointed Knight Bachelor
. He was a Lord Justice of Appeal
1946-51 and as such was sworn of the Privy Council
.
In 1951 he was made a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
and received, as a law lord, automatically a life peerage as Baron Asquith of Bishopstone, in the County of Sussex
. He held office until his death in 1954.
He married Anne Stephanie Pollock (27 April 1896 – 1964), daughter of Sir Adrian Donald Wilde Pollock, of the Pollock Baronets
, on 12 February 1918. They had four children:
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(5 February 1890 – 24 August 1954) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and law lord.
Cyril Asquith was the fourth son of H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
, later Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and subsequently Earl of Oxford and Asquith, from his first marriage, to Helen Kelsall Melland.
He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. During the First World War he served in the 16th Battalion, London Regiment
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
, gaining the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
.
He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1920. He took silk
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1936 and was appointed Bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
in 1939. He was a Justice of the King's Bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
1938-46 and as such was appointed Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
. He was a Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
1946-51 and as such was sworn of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
.
In 1951 he was made a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords of the United Kingdom in order to exercise its judicial functions, which included acting as the highest court of appeal for most domestic matters...
and received, as a law lord, automatically a life peerage as Baron Asquith of Bishopstone, in the County of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. He held office until his death in 1954.
He married Anne Stephanie Pollock (27 April 1896 – 1964), daughter of Sir Adrian Donald Wilde Pollock, of the Pollock Baronets
Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet PC , was a British lawyer and Tory politician.-Background and education:...
, on 12 February 1918. They had four children:
- Hon. Luke Asquith, married and had:
- Anne Asquith, married on 2 September 1989 to The Hon. Roderick Alexander "Rory" Cavendish (b. 10 October 1959), educated at Harrow SchoolHarrow SchoolHarrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, Harrow on the Hill, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and at Vassar CollegeVassar CollegeVassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, PoughkeepsiePoughkeepsiePoughkeepsie can refer to:*Poughkeepsie, New York, a city in Dutchess County, New York and its county seat**Poughkeepsie , a railroad station in the same city*Poughkeepsie , New York, a town surrounding the city...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
- Anne Asquith, married on 2 September 1989 to The Hon. Roderick Alexander "Rory" Cavendish (b. 10 October 1959), educated at Harrow School
- Hon. Jane Asquith
- Hon. Frances Rose Asquith (b. 1925), married in 1951 John Frederick Eustace Stephenson (1910 - 1998)
- Hon. Paul Asquith (4 January 1927 - 1984), married on 18 July 1953 and divorced in 1963 Helena Mary Bridgeman (b. 2 November 1932), daughter of Brigadier The Hon. Geoffrey John Orlando BridgemanGeoffrey BridgemanBrigadier Hon. Geoffrey John Orlando Bridgeman MC , styled The Honourable from 1929, was a British soldier and ophthalmologist.-Background and education:...
and Mary Meriel Gertrude Talbot, and had:- Mary Asquith (b. 28 July 1954)
- Jonathan Paul Asquith (b. 28 September 1956), married on 23 June 1984 Sarah Ann Negretti (b. 29 September 1959), daughter of Peter Noel Negretti and Ann Caroline Eden, living in 2003 at 8 Colinette Road, London