Stephen Lushington (judge)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Lushington was a Doctor of Civil Law, a judge, a Member of Parliament
and a radical for the abolition of slavery and capital punishment.
(1744-1807), a Member of Parliament and Chairman of the British East India Company
. He was educated at Eton College
and Christ Church, Oxford
, after which he was elected a fellow of All Souls
.
and was called to the bar in 1806. In the same year, he entered Parliament as Whig
member for Great Yarmouth
, and he spoke in the Commons in favour of the bill to abolish the slave trade in February 1807, and remained a lifelong advocate of the anti-slavery cause. He was re-elected in 1808, but a few months later, after the defeat of a motion he had proposed to castigate the behaviour of Sir Home Popham, he resigned his seat and devoted his energies to his legal practice.
He returned to Parliament as the MP for Ilchester
in 1820, and subsequently also represented Tregony
, Winchelsea
and Tower Hamlets
. He continued to support all measures attempting to suppress slavery or the slave trade, and also proposed or attempted to propose motions to recognise the independence of South America from Spain (1820) and to abolish capital punishment
(1840). He supported Catholic Emancipation
and spoke in favour of repealing the civil disabilities
which applied to Jews; he was also a strong supporter of Parliamentary reform, and advocated triennial parliaments and the secret ballot. He retired from Parliament in 1841.
His legal career continued parallel to his political one. In 1820 he was one of the counsel retained by Queen Caroline
, and spoke in her defence during her trial before the House of Lords
. In 1828 he was appointed judge of the Consistory Court
of London. In 1838 he was made a Privy Counsellor
and became judge of the High Court of Admiralty
, in which post he continued until 1867. He was also Dean of Arches
from 1858 to 1867, when he retired from all his posts due to ill health.
er who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches in 1799. He was mainly associated with Surrey
.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and a radical for the abolition of slavery and capital punishment.
Early life and education
Lushington was the second son of Sir Stephen Lushington, 1st BaronetSir Stephen Lushington, 1st Baronet
Sir Stephen Lushington, 1st Baronet , of South Hill Park in Easthampstead, Berkshire, was an English Member of Parliament and Chairman of the East India Company....
(1744-1807), a Member of Parliament and Chairman of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, after which he was elected a fellow of All Souls
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
.
Career
He joined the Inner TempleInner 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...
and was called to the bar in 1806. In the same year, he entered Parliament as Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
member for Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Great Yarmouth is a 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....
, and he spoke in the Commons in favour of the bill to abolish the slave trade in February 1807, and remained a lifelong advocate of the anti-slavery cause. He was re-elected in 1808, but a few months later, after the defeat of a motion he had proposed to castigate the behaviour of Sir Home Popham, he resigned his seat and devoted his energies to his legal practice.
He returned to Parliament as the MP for Ilchester
Ilchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Ilchester was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament until 1832...
in 1820, and subsequently also represented Tregony
Tregony (UK Parliament constituency)
Tregony was a rotten borough in Cornwall which was represented in the Model Parliament of 1295, and returned two Members of Parliament to the English and later British Parliament continuously from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act....
, Winchelsea
Winchelsea (UK Parliament constituency)
Winchelsea was a parliamentary constituency in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1366 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-Boundaries:...
and Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets (UK Parliament constituency)
Tower Hamlets was a parliamentary borough constituency in, Middlesex, England from 1832 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. He continued to support all measures attempting to suppress slavery or the slave trade, and also proposed or attempted to propose motions to recognise the independence of South America from Spain (1820) and to abolish capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
(1840). He supported 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...
and spoke in favour of repealing the civil disabilities
Disabilities (Jewish)
Disabilities were legal restrictions and limitations placed on Jews in the Middle Ages. They included provisions requiring Jews to wear specific and identifying clothing such as the Jewish hat and the yellow badge, restricting Jews to certain cities and towns or in certain parts of towns , and...
which applied to Jews; he was also a strong supporter of Parliamentary reform, and advocated triennial parliaments and the secret ballot. He retired from Parliament in 1841.
His legal career continued parallel to his political one. In 1820 he was one of the counsel retained by Queen Caroline
Caroline of Brunswick
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the Queen consort of King George IV of the United Kingdom from 29 January 1820 until her death...
, and spoke in her defence during her trial before the House of Lords
Pains and Penalties Bill 1820
The Pains and Penalties Bill 1820 was a bill introduced to the British Parliament in 1820, at the request of King George IV, which aimed to dissolve his marriage to Caroline of Brunswick, and deprive her of the title of Queen of the United Kingdom....
. In 1828 he was appointed judge of the Consistory Court
Consistory court
The consistory court is a type of ecclesiastical court, especially within the Church of England. They were established by a charter of King William I of England, and still exist today, although since about the middle of the 19th century consistory courts have lost much of their subject-matter...
of London. In 1838 he was made a Privy Counsellor
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...
and became judge of the High Court of Admiralty
Admiralty court
Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries and offences.- Admiralty Courts in England and Wales :...
, in which post he continued until 1867. He was also Dean of Arches
Dean of Arches
The Dean of Arches is the judge who sits at the ecclesiastical court of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. This appeal court is commonly called the Arches Court....
from 1858 to 1867, when he retired from all his posts due to ill health.
Cricket career
Lushington was also an amateur cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who made 3 known appearances in major cricket matches in 1799. He was mainly associated with Surrey
Surrey county cricket teams
Surrey county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. The first definite mention of cricket anywhere in the world is dated c.1550 in Guildford.-17th century:...
.
Further reading
- Dictionary of National Biography
- Law, Politics and the Church of England: The Career of Stephen Lushington 1782-1873 (Cambridge Studies in English Legal History) (Hardcover) by S. M. Waddams