Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell
Encyclopedia
Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell GCB
, PC, QC
(2 November 1837 - 1 March 1899) was Lord Chancellor
of Great Britain
in 1886, and again from 1892 to 1895.
, who was a native of Strzelno
, in Prussia
n Poland
. When Ridley was a young man, he converted
from Judaism
to Christianity
and took a leading part in founding the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews. He eventually settled down to the charge of a Nonconformist chapel near the Edgware Road, in London
, where he ministered to a large congregation. Farrer was educated at a private school and at University College London
. In 1857 he took his BA
degree at University College London
, University of London
. He was regarded as the best speaker at the University College London Union
Debating Society.
Herschell's reputation persisted after he became a law student at Lincoln's Inn
. In 1858 he entered the chambers of Thomas Chitty
, the famous special pleader
. His fellow pupil
s included Archibald Levin Smith, subsequently Master of the Rolls
, and Arthur Charles
who became a judge
of the Queen's Bench. He subsequently read with James Hannen
, who went on to become Lord Hannen. His fellow pupils gane him the sobriquet "Chief Baron" because of his air of superiority. In 1860 he was called to the bar and joined the northern circuit.
For four or five years he did not obtain much work. He was financially secure, however. Herschell soon made himself useful to Edward James
, 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
s. When, in 1866, Quain took silk, Herschell inherited much of his junior practice.
. By 1874, his business had become so good that he turned his thoughts to politics
and election to Parliament
. In February of that year there was a general election
, with the result that the Conservative Party
came into power with a parliamentary majority of fifty. The two Radicals
, 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
and Charles Mark Palmer
who had been returned for North Durham
. 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 week's electioneering, he was elected as junior member. Between 1874 and 1880, Herschell was assiduous in his attendance of the House of Commons
. He was not a frequent speaker, but his few efforts garnered him a favorable reputation as a debater. On one occasion, he carried a resolution in favor of abolishing actions for breach of promise of marriage except when actual pecuniary loss had ensued, the damages
in such cases to be measured by the amount of such loss. He was noticed by Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
, who in 1880 appointed Herschell Solicitor General
.
. He drafted multiple bills, most notably the Irish Land Act of 1881, the Corrupt Practices and Bankruptcy Acts of 1883, the County Franchise Act of 1884 and the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885. This last one halved the representation of Durham City,thus giving him statutory notice to quit. Betting on the local support of the Cavendish family
, he contested the North Lonsdale
division of Lancashire
, 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
and Sir Henry James
, however, successively declined Gladstone's offer of the Woolsack
, and in 1886 Herschell suddenly found himself lord chancellor
.
, Herschell took advantage of the opportunity to justify his own 1885 sudden conversion to Home Rule
, 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 to Free Trade
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.
of County Durham
in 1885. In 1888 he presided over an inquiry
directed by the House of Commons, with regard to the Metropolitan Board of Works
. He acted as chairman of two royal commission
s, one on India
n currency
, the other on vaccination
. He took a great interest in the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 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 in January of 1892.
In June 1893 he was appointed chancellor
of the University of London
succeeding the Earl of Derby
. 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 at South Kensington
. 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
Prince of Wales
to formulate a scheme for its organization, and he took an active part in the preparation of its royal charter
and constitution
in conjunction with Lord Thring
, Lord James
, Sir Frederick Abel and John Hollams. He was the first chairman of its council, and, except during his tour in India
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
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, which met in Paris
in the spring of 1899. Such a complicated business involved a careful study of map
s and historic documents. Not content with this, he accepted in 1898 a seat on the joint high commission appointed to adjudicate in the Alaska boundary dispute
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 U.S. in July of that year, and was received cordially at Washington D.C.. His fellow commissioners elected him their president.
revealing heart disease
. John Hay
, United States Secretary of State
, at once telegraphed to Joseph Hodges Choate
, the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
, the deep sorrow felt by President William McKinley
. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
said the next day, in the parliament chamber at Ottawa
, that he regarded Herschell's death as a misfortune to Canada and to the British Empire
.
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, and a second funeral service was held in Westminster Abbey
before it was conveyed to its final resting-place at Tincleton
, Dorset
, in the parish church where he had been married.
Herschell left a widow, Agnes Adela, daughter of Edward Leigh Kindersley and granddaughter of Vice-Chancellor Kindersley; a son, Richard Farrer Herschell (b. 1878), who succeeded him as second baron; and two daughters.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, PC, 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...
(2 November 1837 - 1 March 1899) was Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1886, and again from 1892 to 1895.
Early career
His parents were Helen Skirving Mowbray and the Rev. Ridley Haim HerschellRidley Haim Herschell
Ridley Haim Herschell was an Anglo-Polish minister who converted from Judaism to evangelical Christianity...
, who was a native of Strzelno
Strzelno
Strzelno is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. The town is located south of Inowrocław. According to the June 2005 Census, the population numbered 12,486.-History:...
, in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. When Ridley was a young man, he converted
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
from Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and took a leading part in founding the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews. He eventually settled down to the charge of a Nonconformist chapel near the Edgware Road, in London
London
London 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...
, where he ministered to a large congregation. Farrer was educated at a private school and at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. In 1857 he took his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He was regarded as the best speaker at the University College London Union
University College London Union
University College London Union , founded in 1893, has a credible claim to be England's oldest students' union. It was formed with the following objectives: "the promotion of social intercourse and of the means of recreation, physical and mental, of the students of University College, and the...
Debating Society.
Herschell's reputation persisted after he became a law student at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. In 1858 he entered the chambers of Thomas Chitty
Thomas Chitty
Thomas Chitty was an English lawyer and legal writer who was pupil master to a generation of eminent lawyers and played a significant role in documenting the legal reforms of the nineteenth century.-Early life:...
, the famous special pleader
Special pleader
A special pleader was a historial legal occupation. The practitioner, or "special pleader" in English law specialised in drafting "pleadings", in modern terminology statements of case.-History:...
. His fellow pupil
Pupillage
A pupillage, in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, is the barrister's equivalent of the training contract that a solicitor undertakes...
s included Archibald Levin Smith, subsequently Master of the Rolls
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 second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
, and Arthur Charles
Arthur Charles
Arthur Charles received his religious training at the Christ the King Seminary and was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi.From 2005 to 2009 he served as assistant parish priest at St. Jude's Parish, Karachi....
who became a 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...
of the Queen's Bench. He subsequently read with James Hannen
James Hannen, Baron Hannen
James Hannen, Baron Hannen, , English judge, son of a London merchant, was born at Peckham.He was educated at St Paul's School and at Heidelberg University, which was famous as a school of law. Called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1848, he joined the home circuit...
, who went on to become Lord Hannen. His fellow pupils gane him the sobriquet "Chief Baron" because of his air of superiority. In 1860 he was called to the bar and joined the northern circuit.
For four or five years he did not obtain much work. He was financially secure, however. Herschell soon made himself useful to Edward James
Edward James (barrister)
Edward James MP QC was an English barrister and Liberal Party politician.James, born at Manchester in 1807, was the second son of Frederick William James, merchant, by Elizabeth, daughter of William Baldwin. He is incorrectly said to have been educated at Manchester grammar school...
, the then leader of the northern circuit, and to John Richard Quain
John Richard Quain
Sir John Richard Quain , judge, youngest son of Richard Quain of Ratheahy, co. Cork, by his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Andrew Mahoney, was born at Ratheahy in 1816. Jones Quain and Richard Quain were his half-brothers. He was educated at Göttingen, and at University College, London, where...
, the leading stuffgownsman. For the latter he noted briefs and drafted legal opinion
Legal opinion
In law, an opinion is usually 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....
s. When, in 1866, Quain took silk, Herschell inherited much of his junior practice.
Into politics
In 1872, Herschell was made a Queen's CounselQueen'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...
. By 1874, his business had become so good that he turned his thoughts to politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and election to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. In February of that year there was a general election
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
, with the result that the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
came into power with a parliamentary majority of fifty. The two Radicals
Radicals (UK)
The Radicals were a parliamentary political grouping in the United Kingdom in the early to mid 19th century, who drew on earlier ideas of radicalism and helped to transform the Whigs into the Liberal Party.-Background:...
, Thomas Charles Thompson
Thomas Charles Thompson
Thomas Charles Thompson was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons briefly in 1874 and from 1880 to 1885....
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
Isaac Lowthian Bell
Sir Lowthian Bell, 1st Baronet FRS was a Victorian ironmaster and Liberal Party politician from Washington, County Durham, in the north of England.He was the son of Thomas Bell and his wife Katherine Lowthian....
and Charles Mark Palmer
Charles Mark Palmer
Sir Charles Mark Palmer, 1st Baronet was an English shipbuilder born in South Shields. He was also a Liberal Party politician and Member of Parliament...
who had been returned for North Durham
North Durham (UK Parliament constituency)
North Durham is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. 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 week's electioneering, he was elected as junior member. Between 1874 and 1880, Herschell was assiduous in his attendance of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. He was not a frequent speaker, but his few efforts garnered him a favorable reputation as a debater. On one occasion, he carried a resolution in favor of abolishing actions for breach of promise of marriage except when actual pecuniary loss had ensued, the damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
in such cases to be measured by the amount of such loss. He was noticed by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
, who in 1880 appointed Herschell Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
.
Solicitor General
From 1880 to 1885, Herschell worked as Solicitor GeneralSolicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
. He drafted multiple bills, most notably the Irish Land Act of 1881, the Corrupt Practices and Bankruptcy Acts of 1883, the County Franchise Act of 1884 and the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885. This last one halved the representation of Durham City,thus giving him statutory notice to quit. Betting on the local support of the Cavendish family
Cavendish family
Cavendish is the surname of a British noble family, also known as the House of Cavendish, descended from Sir John Cavendish of Cavendish in the county of Suffolk Cavendish is the surname of a British noble family, also known as the House of Cavendish, descended from Sir John Cavendish of Cavendish...
, he contested the North Lonsdale
North Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)
North Lonsdale was a parliamentary constituency in north Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
division of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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
Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne
Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne PC , was a British lawyer and politician. He served twice as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Background and education:...
and Sir Henry James
Henry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford
Henry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford GCVO, PC, QC , known as Sir Henry James between 1873 and 1895, was an Anglo-Welsh lawyer and statesman. Initially a Liberal, he served under William Ewart Gladstone as Solicitor General in 1873 and as Attorney-General between 1873 and 1874 and 1880 and 1885...
, however, successively declined Gladstone's offer of the Woolsack
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. From the Middle Ages until 2006, the presiding officer in the House of Lords was the Lord Chancellor and the Woolsack was usually mentioned in association with the office of...
, and in 1886 Herschell suddenly found himself lord chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
.
Lord Chancellor
Herschell's chancellorship lasted barely six months, because in June 1886 Gladstone's Home Rule Bill was rejected in the Commons and his administration fell. In August 1892, when Gladstone returned to power, Herschell again became Lord Chancellor. In September 1893, when the second Home Rule BiIl came on for second reading in the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, Herschell took advantage of the opportunity to justify his own 1885 sudden conversion to Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
, and that of his colleagues, by comparing it to the Duke of Wellington's
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
conversion to Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
in 1829 and to that of Sir Robert Peel to Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
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
Allen v. Flood
Allen v Flood [1898] AC 1 is a leading case in English law on intentionally inflicted economic loss.-Facts:A trade union official told an employer his members would not work alongside the claimants. The employer was pressured to get rid of the claimants. For the loss of work, the claimants sued the...
(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
Judicial functions of the House of Lords
The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, historically also had a judicial function. It functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers, for impeachment cases, and as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. In the latter case the House's...
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 LieutenantDeputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
in 1885. In 1888 he presided over an inquiry
Inquiry
An inquiry 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 ways that each type of inquiry achieves its aim.-Deduction:...
directed by the House of Commons, with regard to the Metropolitan Board of Works
Metropolitan Board of Works
The Metropolitan Board of Works was the principal instrument of London-wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889. Its principal responsibility was to provide infrastructure to cope with London's rapid growth, which it successfully accomplished. The MBW...
. He acted as chairman of two royal commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
s, one on India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
, the other on vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
. He took a great interest in the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 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 in January of 1892.
In June 1893 he was appointed chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
succeeding the Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby
Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Stanley from 1844 to 1869, was a British statesman...
. His views of reform, according to Victor Dickins
Frederick Victor Dickins
Frederick Victor Dickins was a British surgeon, barrister, orientalist and university administrator. He is now remembered as a translator of Japanese literature.-Life:...
, the accomplished registrar
Registrar (academic)
In education outside the United Kingdom, a registrar or registrary is an official in an academic institution who handles student records. Typically, a registrar processes registration requests, schedules classes and maintains class lists, enforces the rules for entering or leaving classes, and...
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 at South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
. 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 VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
to formulate a scheme for its organization, and he took an active part in the preparation of its royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
and constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
in conjunction with Lord Thring
Henry Thring, 1st Baron Thring
Henry Thring, 1st Baron Thring , was a British lawyer and civil servant.Thring was appointed First Parliamentary Counsel when that office was established in 1869, a position he held until 1901. He became known for his role as a parliamentary draftsman and as an innovator in the framing of legislation...
, Lord James
Henry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford
Henry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford GCVO, PC, QC , known as Sir Henry James between 1873 and 1895, was an Anglo-Welsh lawyer and statesman. Initially a Liberal, he served under William Ewart Gladstone as Solicitor General in 1873 and as Attorney-General between 1873 and 1874 and 1880 and 1885...
, Sir Frederick Abel and John Hollams. He was the first chairman of its council, and, except during his tour in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
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
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
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
Richard Collins, Baron Collins
Richard Henn Collins, Baron Collins, PC, KC was an Anglo-Irish lawyer and judge.-Life:Born in Dublin, Collins was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and Downing College, Cambridge....
, to represent Great Britain on the Venezuela Boundary Commission, which met in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the spring of 1899. Such a complicated business involved a careful study of map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s and historic documents. Not content with this, he accepted in 1898 a seat on the joint high commission appointed to adjudicate in the Alaska boundary dispute
Alaska Boundary Dispute
The Alaska boundary dispute was a territorial dispute between the United States and Canada . It was resolved by arbitration in 1903. The dispute had been going on between the Russian and British Empires since 1821, and was inherited by the United States as a consequence of the Alaska Purchase in...
and to adjust boundaries and other important questions pending between Great Britain and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on the one hand and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on the other hand. He started for the U.S. 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 a hip. 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 the 1st of March, only two weeks after the accident, he died at the Shoreham Hotel, Washington, a post-mortem examinationAutopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
revealing heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
. John Hay
John Hay
John Milton Hay was an American statesman, diplomat, author, journalist, and private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln.-Early life:...
, United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
, at once telegraphed to Joseph Hodges Choate
Joseph Hodges Choate
Joseph Hodges Choate , was an American lawyer and diplomat.-Biography:He was born in Salem, Massachusetts on January 24, 1832. He was the son of physician George Choate and the brother of George C. S. Choate. His father's first cousin was Rufus Choate...
, the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The office of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom was traditionally, and still is very much so today due to the Special Relationship, the most prestigious position in the United States Foreign Service...
, the deep sorrow felt by President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
said the next day, in the parliament chamber at Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, that he regarded Herschell's death as a misfortune to Canada and to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
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, and a second funeral service was held in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
before it was conveyed to its final resting-place at Tincleton
Tincleton
Tincleton is a village in south west Dorset, England, situated on the River Frome five miles east of Dorchester. The village has a population of 142 . The name "Tincleton" has nothing to do with the names of nearby villages, such as Puddletown, Piddletrenthide and Piddlehinton. The name actually...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, in the parish church where he had been married.
Herschell left a widow, Agnes Adela, daughter of Edward Leigh Kindersley and granddaughter of Vice-Chancellor Kindersley; a son, Richard Farrer Herschell (b. 1878), who succeeded him as second baron; and two daughters.
Cases
- Creen v WrightCreen v WrightCreen v Wright LR 1 CPD 591 is an English contract law and labour law case concerning wrongful dismissal and the appropriate period of reasonable notice to be implied at common law in a contract of employment.-Facts:...
(1875–76) LR 1 CPD 591 - Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd
- The Arrow Shipping Company v The Tyne Improvement Commissioners (or The Crystal) [1894] AC 509