William Drinkwater
Encyclopedia
Sir William Leece Drinkwater (28 March 1812 – 22 May 1909) was a First Deemster of the Isle of Man
.
Drinkwater came from an old Liverpool
family and was born on 28 March 1812. His great-grandfather was Mayor of Liverpool in 1810 and married a Miss Leece, of Ballamona, Braddan
. The long European peace, which followed the Battle of Waterloo
, resulted in many English children being sent to France for education, among them William Leece Drinkwater, who attended Angoulëme College and became fluent in French
. He then attended the Royal Institution School in Liverpool and then St John's College
, Cambridge
. He graduated with a BA
degree in 1834 and later took an MA
degree. He was called to the English Bar (Inner Temple
) in 1837 and subsequently practised in the Northern circuit acting as a reporting barrister in the Common Pleas Division.
Ten years later Drinkwater was appointed Second Deemster of the Isle of Man
, and eight years later First Deemster. As a judge his record was one of which any man would have had good reason to be proud. His profound knowledge of both English and Manx law, his common sense and his impectable impartiality made him almost the perfect judge.
His position as Deemster entitled him to a seat in the Legislative Council
and his record as a member of the Legislature was as distinguished as that of his career as a judge. In politics he was a conservative. He was also very independent and this independence often brought him into conflict with Sir Henry Loch, who was very autocratic in his methods and ruled Legislative Council with a rod of iron. Drinkwater was the only member of the Council willing to put up a fight and seldom came off second best. Despite their frequent bickerings in the Council and Tynwald
Court, Loch and Drinkwater were friends in private life.
In 1877 on the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor
Sir Henry Loch he was knighted
. In the autumn of 1897 he resigned his Deemstership and retired from public life. After retiring from the bench and Legislature, Drinkwater continued to take a great interest in the Isle of Man Hospital being Chairman of the Committee. He died on 22 May 1909 and his funeral was a private affair with only seven family members present.
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
Drinkwater came from an old Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
family and was born on 28 March 1812. His great-grandfather was Mayor of Liverpool in 1810 and married a Miss Leece, of Ballamona, Braddan
Braddan
Braddan is an elongated parish in the sheading of Middle in the Isle of Man, stretching from the parishes of Michael and Lezayre in the north, bordering on the parishes of German, Marown and Onchan in the middle and bordering on Santon in the south....
. The long European peace, which followed the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, resulted in many English children being sent to France for education, among them William Leece Drinkwater, who attended Angoulëme College and became fluent in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. He then attended the Royal Institution School in Liverpool and then St John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. He graduated with a 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 in 1834 and later took an MA
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degree. He was called to the English Bar (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 1837 and subsequently practised in the Northern circuit acting as a reporting barrister in the Common Pleas Division.
Ten years later Drinkwater was appointed Second Deemster of the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, and eight years later First Deemster. As a judge his record was one of which any man would have had good reason to be proud. His profound knowledge of both English and Manx law, his common sense and his impectable impartiality made him almost the perfect judge.
His position as Deemster entitled him to a seat in the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of the Isle of Man
The Legislative Council is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man.It consists of eleven Members —*eight elected members, known as Members of the Legislative Council or MLCs*three ex officio members:...
and his record as a member of the Legislature was as distinguished as that of his career as a judge. In politics he was a conservative. He was also very independent and this independence often brought him into conflict with Sir Henry Loch, who was very autocratic in his methods and ruled Legislative Council with a rod of iron. Drinkwater was the only member of the Council willing to put up a fight and seldom came off second best. Despite their frequent bickerings in the Council and Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
Court, Loch and Drinkwater were friends in private life.
In 1877 on the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man
The Lieutenant Governor is the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann . He/she has the power to grant Royal Assent and is styled His Excellency. In recent times the Governor has either been a retired diplomat or senior military officer...
Sir Henry Loch he was knighted
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...
. In the autumn of 1897 he resigned his Deemstership and retired from public life. After retiring from the bench and Legislature, Drinkwater continued to take a great interest in the Isle of Man Hospital being Chairman of the Committee. He died on 22 May 1909 and his funeral was a private affair with only seven family members present.