William Henry Maule
Encyclopedia
Sir William Henry Maule PC KC (25 April 1788 – 1858) was an English
lawyer
, member of parliament
and judge
.
, Middlesex
. His father, Henry, was a physician
and his mother, Hannah née Rawson, a Quaker. He was educated at a private school then at Trinity College, Cambridge
, where he was senior wrangler and Smith's prize
winner in 1810 and where he became a fellow in 1811.
He initially remained in Cambridge
, where he was a close friend of Charles Babbage
, and worked as a mathematics
tutor, including Edward Ryan
and Cresswell Cresswell among his students. He was offered the post of professor of mathematics at the East India College but, in 1810, Maule had already entered Lincoln's Inn
with the intention of practising law
. He was called to the bar in 1814 and began practice in commercial law
, especially marine insurance
, at 3 Essex Court. Maule was appointed King's Council in 1833 and in 1835 became counsel to the Bank of England
, succeeding Sir James Scarlett.
His retention by the bank did not prevent him from acting for Nicholas Aylward Vigors
who faced an election petition
over his County Carlow by-election
victory in February 1837. Maule's success established his reputation in the region and he himself was elected for Carlow Borough
in the United Kingdom general election, 1837
of August.
Maule was knight
ed and appointed a Baron of the Court of the Exchequer in 1839, transferring to the Court of Common Pleas
later that year. He was a practical and knowledgeable judge with a fine judicial sense of humour (witness his pointed opinion in a case of wife selling). Maule retired from the bench because of poor health in 1855 but became a Privy Councillor.
Maule never married, sharing a house with his widowed sister, Emma Maria Leathley, and unmarried niece, Emma Leathley. He died at home in London
.
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...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, member of parliament
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 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...
.
Life
Maule was born in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. His father, Henry, was a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and his mother, Hannah née Rawson, a Quaker. He was educated at a private school then at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, where he was senior wrangler and Smith's prize
Smith's Prize
The Smith's Prize was the name of each of two prizes awarded annually to two research students in theoretical Physics, mathematics and applied mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.- History :...
winner in 1810 and where he became a fellow in 1811.
He initially remained in 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...
, where he was a close friend of Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage, FRS was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer...
, and worked as a mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
tutor, including Edward Ryan
Edward Ryan
Sir Edward Ryan PC FRS was an English lawyer, judge, reformer of the British Civil Service and patron of science.-Early life:...
and Cresswell Cresswell among his students. He was offered the post of professor of mathematics at the East India College but, in 1810, Maule had already entered 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...
with the intention of practising law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He was called to the bar in 1814 and began practice in commercial law
Commercial law
Commercial law is the body of law that governs business and commercial transactions...
, especially marine insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
, at 3 Essex Court. Maule was appointed King's Council in 1833 and in 1835 became counsel to the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
, succeeding Sir James Scarlett.
His retention by the bank did not prevent him from acting for Nicholas Aylward Vigors
Nicholas Aylward Vigors
Nicholas Aylward Vigors was an Irish zoologist and politician.Vigors was born at Old Leighlin, County Carlow. He studied at Trinity College, Oxford. He served in the army during the Peninsular War from 1809 to 1811. He then returned to Oxford, graduating with a B.A. in 1815 and in 1817 with an...
who faced an election petition
Election petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
over his County Carlow by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
victory in February 1837. Maule's success established his reputation in the region and he himself was elected for Carlow Borough
Carlow Borough (UK Parliament constituency)
Carlow Borough was a Parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
in the United Kingdom general election, 1837
United Kingdom general election, 1837
The 1837 United Kingdom general election saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade....
of August.
Maule was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed and appointed a Baron of the Court of the Exchequer in 1839, transferring to the Court of Common Pleas
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
later that year. He was a practical and knowledgeable judge with a fine judicial sense of humour (witness his pointed opinion in a case of wife selling). Maule retired from the bench because of poor health in 1855 but became a Privy Councillor.
Maule never married, sharing a house with his widowed sister, Emma Maria Leathley, and unmarried niece, Emma Leathley. He died at home 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...
.