William Thomas Charley
Encyclopedia
Sir William Thomas Charley (5 March 1833 – 8 July 1904) was a British
judge
and Conservative Party
politician.
Charley was born in Woodbourne, County Antrim
in the north of Ireland
in 1833, and was the youngest son of Matthew Charley and Anne Roberts. He was educated at Elstree House School, Lee
, Kent
and St John's College, Oxford
from where he matriculated in 1856. He enrolled as a law student at the Inner Temple
, was called to the bar in 1865, and received a Doctorate in Civil Law
in 1868.
He became involved in Conservative politics in the 1860s, and was elected as member of parliament
for Salford
at the 1868 general election
. In parliament he advanced his protestant views on social matters and worked for the protection of children. He was defeated at the 1880 general election
, and was an unsuccessful candidate at Ipswich
at a by-election in 1883 and the 1885 general election
.
In 1878 he was elected as the senior legal office of Common Serjeant
by the Corporation of London
. The appointment caused controversy, as it was felt to be purely political, and that there was a large number of better-qualified lawyers who should have been considered. As a result, the Local Government Act 1888
removed the right of the city corporation to choose the serjeant, which was vested in the Crown
.
In spite of criticism of Charley's performance of his duties, he remained as Common Serjeant until 1892, and was knighted
and made a Queen's Counsel
in 1880. He became a judge of the Central Criminal Court
, and of the Mayor's Court
.
He held a commission in the Volunteer Force
, eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel, commanding the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers.
Charley was the author of a number of books on law, religion and the constitution in which he defended the status quo
. These included The Real Property Acts (1874), The Judicature Acts (1875), The Crusade Against the Constitution: An Historical Vindication of the House of Lords (1895), Mending and Ending the House of Lords (1900) and The Holy City, Athens and Egypt (1902).
He married Clara Harbord in 1890, and they had no children.
Charley was an enthusiastic cyclist, and collapsed and died following a cycling trip in East Grinstead
, Sussex
, aged 71.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
and 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...
politician.
Charley was born in Woodbourne, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
in the north of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1833, and was the youngest son of Matthew Charley and Anne Roberts. He was educated at Elstree House School, Lee
Lee, London
Lee is a district of south London, England, located mostly in the London Borough of Lewisham and partly in the London Borough of Greenwich. The district lies to the east of Lewisham, one mile west of Eltham, and one mile south of Blackheath village...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
from where he matriculated in 1856. He enrolled as a law student at the 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...
, was called to the bar in 1865, and received a Doctorate in Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
in 1868.
He became involved in Conservative politics in the 1860s, and was elected as 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,...
for Salford
Salford (UK Parliament constituency)
Salford was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The borough constituency dated from 1997 and was abolished in 2010.A parliamentary borough of the same...
at the 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
. In parliament he advanced his protestant views on social matters and worked for the protection of children. He was defeated at the 1880 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-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 *...
, and was an unsuccessful candidate at Ipswich
Ipswich (UK Parliament constituency)
Ipswich is a borough 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.- Boundaries :...
at a by-election in 1883 and the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
.
In 1878 he was elected as the senior legal office of Common Serjeant
Common Serjeant of London
The Common Serjeant of London is an ancient British legal office, first recorded in 1317, and is the second most senior permanent judge of the Central Criminal Court after the Recorder of London, acting as deputy to that office, and sitting as a judge in the trial of criminal offences.The Common...
by the Corporation of London
Corporation of London
The City of London Corporation is the municipal governing body of the City of London. It exercises control only over the City , and not over Greater London...
. The appointment caused controversy, as it was felt to be purely political, and that there was a large number of better-qualified lawyers who should have been considered. As a result, the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
removed the right of the city corporation to choose the serjeant, which was vested in the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
.
In spite of criticism of Charley's performance of his duties, he remained as Common Serjeant until 1892, and 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...
and made a Queen's Counsel
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...
in 1880. He became a judge of the Central Criminal Court
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
, and of the Mayor's Court
Mayor's and City of London Court
The Mayor's and City of London Court is a County Court in the City of London. It is located at Guildhall Buildings, Basinghall Street.The current court is the successor to courts pre-dating the County Courts Act 1846, which introduced the modern system of county courts...
.
He held a commission in the Volunteer Force
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
, eventually reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel, commanding the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers.
Charley was the author of a number of books on law, religion and the constitution in which he defended the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
. These included The Real Property Acts (1874), The Judicature Acts (1875), The Crusade Against the Constitution: An Historical Vindication of the House of Lords (1895), Mending and Ending the House of Lords (1900) and The Holy City, Athens and Egypt (1902).
He married Clara Harbord in 1890, and they had no children.
Charley was an enthusiastic cyclist, and collapsed and died following a cycling trip in East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, aged 71.