Samuel Thomas Evans
Encyclopedia
Sir Samuel Thomas Evans GCB
PC QC
(4 May 1859
– 13 September 1918
), was a Welsh
barrister, judge and Liberal
politician.
, near Neath
, Glamorganshire, the only son of John Evans, a grocer, and his wife Margaret, both originally of Cardiganshire
. He was educated in Swansea
, at University College, Aberystwyth, and the University of London
, and qualified as a solicitor in 1883. In 1891 he was called to the Bar
.
appointed by Queen Victoria
. He served on the Neath Town Council during the 1880s. In 1890 he was elected to the House of Commons
for Mid Glamorgan, a seat he held until 1910, combining his parliamentary work with his legal practice in Wales. He was a Recorder
of Swansea
from 1906 to 1908 and became a Bencher
of the Middle Temple
in 1908. The latter year he was appointed Solicitor-General
in the Liberal administration
of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
, and office he retained when H. H. Asquith
became Prime Minister the same year.
In 1910 Evans decided to give up his political ambitions and accept the post of President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice
. His appointment was not popular with the legal establishment as he was considered to have little experience in these fields. His reputation as a judge rests mostly on his role as President of the Prize Court established during the First World War. Evans had been knighted in 1908, sworn of the Privy Council in 1910 and was appointed a GCB
in 1916. However, he declined the offer of a peerage
.
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...
(4 May 1859
1859 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1859 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales - Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.*Princess of Wales - vacant-Events:...
– 13 September 1918
1918 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1918 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales - Edward, Prince of Wales, son of King George V of the United Kingdom*Princess of Wales - vacant...
), was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
barrister, judge and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Background and education
Evans was born at SkewenSkewen
Skewen is a village within the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, in Wales.The village is served by Skewen railway station.-History:Skewen was once an industrial village. There were a number of collieries around the village . The Crown and Mines Royal Copper Works and the Cheadle and Neath...
, near Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
, Glamorganshire, the only son of John Evans, a grocer, and his wife Margaret, both originally of Cardiganshire
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
. He was educated in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, at University College, Aberystwyth, and 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...
, and qualified as a solicitor in 1883. In 1891 he was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
.
legal career
Evans gained a large practice on the South Wales circuit and in 1901 he became the last QCQueen'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...
appointed by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. He served on the Neath Town Council during the 1880s. In 1890 he was elected to 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...
for Mid Glamorgan, a seat he held until 1910, combining his parliamentary work with his legal practice in Wales. He was a Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
from 1906 to 1908 and became a 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...
of the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1908. The latter year he was appointed 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...
in the Liberal administration
Liberal Government 1905-1915
With the fall of Arthur Balfour's Conservative government in the United Kingdom in December 1905, the Liberals under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman were called in to form a government. In the subsequent election, the Liberals won an enormous majority...
of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
, and office he retained when 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...
became Prime Minister the same year.
In 1910 Evans decided to give up his political ambitions and accept the post of President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
. His appointment was not popular with the legal establishment as he was considered to have little experience in these fields. His reputation as a judge rests mostly on his role as President of the Prize Court established during the First World War. Evans had been knighted in 1908, sworn of the Privy Council in 1910 and was appointed a GCB
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 1916. However, he declined the offer of a peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
.
Family
Evans married firstly Rachel, daughter of William Thomas, in 1887. They had one son. After his first wife's death in 1889 he married secondly Blanche, daughter of Charles Rule, in 1905. They had one daughter. Evans died in September 1918 and was buried at Skewen.Sources
- Davis, H. W. C.; Weaver, J. R. H. The Dictionary of National Biography. 1912-1921. Oxford University Press.
- Welsh Biography Online
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page