John Romilly, 1st Baron Romilly

John Romilly, 1st Baron Romilly PC (20 January 1802 – 23 December 1874), known as Sir John Romilly between 1848 and 1866, was an English Whig politician and judge. He served in Lord John Russell's first administration as Solicitor-General from 1848 to 1850 and as Attorney-General from 1850 and 1851. The latter year he was appointed Master of the Rolls, a post he held until 1873. Knighted in 1848, he was ennobled as Baron Romilly in 1866.


The Lord Romilly

PC
Lord Romilly.
Master of the Rolls
In office
1851–1873
MonarchVictoria
Preceded byThe Lord Langdale
Succeeded bySir George Jessel
Personal details
Born20 January 1802 (1802-01-20)
London, England
Died23 December 1874 (1874-12-24) (aged 72)
London, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyWhig
Spouse(s)Caroline Otter (d. 1856)
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge

Background and education

Romilly was born in London, the second son of Sir Samuel Romilly and Anne, daughter of daughter of Francis Garbett, of Knill Court, Herefordshire. Frederick Romilly was his younger brother.[1] He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn, in 1827.[2]

Political and judicial career

Romilly first entered Parliament in 1832 as member for Bridport, holding the seat from 1832 to 1835 and again from 1846 to 1847.[3] In 1843 he became a Queen's Counsel. He was elected Member of Parliament for Devonport in 1847,[4] and was appointed Solicitor-General and knighted[5] in 1848 in Lord John Russell's administration, being promoted to Attorney-General in 1850. In 1851 he was appointed Master of the Rolls, and continued to sit for Devonport till the general election in 1852, when he was defeated.[4] He was the last Master of the Rolls to sit in Parliament. Romilly was raised to the peerage as Baron Romilly, of Barry in the County of Glamorgan, in 1866,[6] and retired from the mastership of the rolls in 1873. He did much to remove the restrictions which had long hampered research among the public records and state papers.

Notable judicial decisions

Notable judicial decisions of Romilly include:

  • Norris v Chambres (1861) 29 Beav 246, 54 ER 621: whether an equitable lien could be claimed in immovable property overseas against a third party.

Family

Lord Romilly married Caroline Charlotte, daughter of the Right Reverend William Otter, in 1833. They had several children. She died in December 1856. Lord Romilly died in London on 23 December 1874, aged 72, and was succeeded in the barony his eldest son, William.[1] He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.

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References

  1. thepeerage.com John Romilly, 1st Baron Romill
  2. "Romilly, John (RMLY818J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Bradford North to Brightside". Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  4. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Devizes to Dorset West". Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  5. "No. 20858". The London Gazette. 19 May 1848. p. 1941.
  6. "No. 23050". The London Gazette. 19 December 1865. p. 6736.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sir Horace St Paul, Bt
Henry Warburton
Member of Parliament for Bridport
1832–1835
With: Henry Warburton
Succeeded by
Henry Warburton
Horace Twiss
Preceded by
Thomas Alexander Mitchell
Alexander Baillie-Cochrane
Member of Parliament for Bridport
1846–1847
With: Thomas Alexander Mitchell
Succeeded by
Thomas Alexander Mitchell
Swynfen Jervis
Preceded by
Henry Tufnell
Sir George Grey, Bt
Member of Parliament for Devonport
18471852
With: Henry Tufnell
Succeeded by
Henry Tufnell
Sir George Berkeley
Legal offices
Preceded by
Sir David Dundas
Solicitor General for England and Wales
1848–1850
Succeeded by
Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt
Preceded by
Sir John Jervis
Attorney General for England and Wales
1850–1851
Succeeded by
Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt
Preceded by
The Lord Langdale
Master of the Rolls
1851–1873
Succeeded by
Sir George Jessel
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Romilly
1866–1874
Succeeded by
William Romilly

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