Sir Francis George Newbolt
Born(1863-11-22)22 November 1863
Died7 December 1940(1940-12-07) (aged 77)
NationalityBritish
Other namesFrank Newbolt, Bradnock Hall
Occupation(s)Barrister
Judge
Known forLaw, etching

Sir Francis George Newbolt KC FCS (21 November 1863 – 5 December 1940)[1][2] was a British barrister, judge, etcher and writer. He was the Recorder of Doncaster between 1916 and 1920, and the Official Referee for the Supreme Court between 1920 and 1936, as well as being Chancellor of the Diocese of Exeter and Bradford and Chairman of the Devon Quarter Session.[3][4] He was the first honorary Professor of Law at the Royal Academy of Arts.[1]

Early life

Newbolt was born in Bilston, Wolverhampton, son of the vicar of St Mary's Church, the Rev. Henry Francis Newbolt (1824–1866), and his second wife, Emily née Stubbs (1838–1921). He was the younger brother to poet Sir Henry Newbolt.[5][6] He was educated at Clifton College,[7] and later at Balliol College, Oxford where he read Natural Science (Chemistry) obtaining honours in 1887.

Legal career

Newbolt went on to read law with Sir Thomas Chitty, 1st Baronet, his brother-in-law.[5][8] He was invited to join the Bar at Inner Temple in 1890 before taking silk in 1914. One of his first cases was representing the plaintiff, John William Phillips, landlord of Hoy and Helmet, South Benfleet against the Marquis of Queensberry in the High Court.[9] During the First World War he was an honorary legal advisor to the British government.[10] In 1916 he was appointed the Recorder of Doncaster, a position he held until 1920.[11] In 1919 he was elected Chairman of the Devon Quarter Session.[12] In 1920 he was made the Official Referee for the Supreme Court by the Lord Chancellor F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead.[13] In 1923, Newbolt recommended that medical evidence should be used in paternity cases due to the issue of perjury.[14] He stated that a defendant[15]

rarely shows any hesitation about committing perjury

and that

a doctor's report, if not in his favour, might deter him from swearing to the contrary

His recommendations were not taken forward at the time due to the limitations in medical science. However, Newbolt's innovation in micro caseflow management, now called Newbolt's Scheme, was at first rejected by the Lord Chancellor Birkenhead, before being seen more favourably by Lord Birkenhead's successor and continued by Newbolt's successors as Official Referee.[16] Newbolt described the system,[17]

The true fashion of the courts is ... not to conciliate or exhort the parties, much less to hurry them ... but to use the available machinery of litigation to enable them to settle their disputes according to law without grievous waste and unnecessary delay

Newbolt retired from the post in 1936.[18] In 1939, Newbolt represented Jacob Epstein at a military tribune as part of T. E. Hulme's campaign to stop him being called up.[19]

The artist

Newbolt was a talented engraver. He was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, which he was an associate member and the society's historian,[20][21] and various major art exhibitions.[22][23][24][25] Newbolt regularly displayed his etchings at the Royal Academy of Art.[26] His work exhibited included The Funeral in 1921, Barton Broad in 1923, Taormina in 1929 and Treworan Bridge in 1930. Newbolt was elected as a member of the Art Workers' Guild in 1907.[27] The British Museum hold 36 of Newbolt's etchings.[28]

The writer

Newbolt was the first editor of the journal of the Land Agent's Society.[29] Newbolt started writing under a pseudonym Bradnock Hall, with a novel Rough Mischance in 1896 and Fish Tales and Some True Ones in 1897.[30][31]

Newbolt first book under his own name was released in 1897. The Sale of Goods Act 1893 was a review of the act and its use in law.[32][33][34] He released the book Clifton College Twenty-Five Years Ago: The Diary of a Fag in 1904 and Clifton College Forty Years Ago in 1927 under the pseudonym Diary of a Praepostor.[35][36][31] His next books were essays on the history of etchings, with Etchings of Van Dyck released in 1906,[37] Etchings of William Strang, A.R.A. in 1907[38] and Catalogue Dressé in 1908, a catalogue of Frank Brangwyn's engraved work.[39] He would go onto provide articles for publications on etchers, including The Etchings of E.M. Synge A.R.E. for the in 1914 and Etchings of Fred V.Burridge in 1908 for The Studio.[40][41] Under Bradnock Hall he released the 1910 book Norwegian and Other Fish-Tales which included his own illustrations.[42] His book Summary Procedure in the High Court was released in 1914.[43] In 1915, he worked with his brother Sir Henry John Newbolt on the book The King's Highway.[44]

In 1925 he wrote Out of Court where he attacked Anthony Trollope and his novel Orley Farm for his inaccuracies in the procedure of law.[45] The book had come out of his lecture in 1923 at Grays Inn.[46][47] His writings were challenged by American lawyer Henry Drinker, but he did not respond.[48] Newbolt contributed articles to the Art Journal,[49] to the Law Quarterly Review,[50] and The Listener.[51] In 1926 he released a book of his poetry along with a collection of his etchings called The Enchanted Wood.[52][53][54] In 1930 he released The History of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers & Engravers, 1880-1940, the official history at the time.[55][56][21]

Other career areas

In 1910 Newbolt stood for the Liberal Party in the parliamentary constituency of Chertsey.[57] Newbolt continued his love of science, delivering over 1000 lectures to school children.[4] Newbolt was Chancellor of the Diocese of Exeter and Bradford.[4] In 1921, The Church Times criticised Newbolt's decision on a crucifix case.[58]

Honours

Newbolt was elected as a fellow of the Chemical Society in 1895.[59][60] In 1919, Newbolt was made an honorary member of the Land Agent's Society,[29] and was made a Knight of the Realm for his voluntary work as a legal advisor during the First World War.[61] He was the president of the Norwegian Society from 1920 to 1926.[4] Newbolt was elected as the Master of the Art Workers' Guild in 1927.[2] The Royal Academy of Arts made Newbolt the first Honorary Professor of Law in 1928.[62][1] In 1932 he was made the Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, where he had previously been deputy master.[63][64]

Personal life and death

Newbolt was a keen salmon and trout fisherman.[65] He married Alice Clara Franck Bright, daughter of James Franck Bright, in 1889;[2][66] and they had four daughters.[67] They lived in Aylesbeare in Devon.[12] Lady Newbolt died in 1934 at the age of 67 leaving Newbolt a widower.[68] Newbolt himself died on 7 December 1940.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "SIR F.G. NEWBOLT, ATTORNEY, 77, DEAD;". New York Times. 8 December 1940.
  2. ^ a b c d "Newbolt, Sir Francis George". Who's Who. A & C Black. Retrieved 3 November 2021. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ Michael Paul Reynolds. "Caseflow Management: A Rudimentary Referee Process, 1919-70" (PDF). core.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "Newbolt, Sir Francis George". archives hub. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Sir Thomas Chitty, 1st Baronet obituary". Justice of the Peace and Local Government Review. 94: 125. 1930.
  6. ^ "SIR Henry Newbolt". Ships Monthly. 1: 5. 1966.
  7. ^ Da La Mare. Walter (1930). The Eighteen-Eighties: Essays by Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature. Cambridge University Press. p. 52. ISBN 9781107680043.
  8. ^ The Scottish Law Review and Sheriff Court Reports. Vol. 57. 1941. p. 21.
  9. ^ "Queensberry Rules, but not in Benfleet OK. The Trashing of the Hoy, 1914". Brflett History. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Post-war correspondence with Lord Birdwood : Part 4". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  11. ^ Routledge. G (1922). The Literary Year-book. p. 1019.
  12. ^ a b "Sir Francis Newbolt". Tatler. Vol. 74. 1919.
  13. ^ "Appointments". The Solicitors' Journal and Weekly Reporter. 64: 430. 1920.
  14. ^ Newbolt, Sir Francis (1 January 1924). "Evidence of Resemblance in Paternity Cases". Medico-Legal Journal. 18: 31–44. doi:10.1177/1051449X2401800106.
  15. ^ James Gregory. James, Grey. Daniel J R, Bautz. Annika (2018). Judgement in the Victorian Age. Routledge. ISBN 9780203732021.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Reynold. M (June 2020). "Judicial Experiments in Caseflow Management 1920-1970". Amicus Curiae. 1 (3): 389–417. doi:10.14296/ac.v1i3.5164. S2CID 225651914.
  17. ^ Reynolds. M.P (2002). The Expert Witness in Construction Disputes. John Wiley & Sons. p. 165. ISBN 063205512X.
  18. ^ The Scottish Law Review and Sheriff Court Reports. Vol. 52. 1936. p. 162.
  19. ^ Ferguson. Robert - Chapter 15 Art, Secretary and Death (2012). The Short Sharp Life of T. E. Hulme. Faber & Faber. ISBN 9780571295296.((cite book)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Book Reviews". Arts Magazine. Vol. 5. 1930. p. 21.
  21. ^ a b "On Originality". Print Quarterly. 25 (1): 39. 2008.
  22. ^ Struben. Charles (1957). Vein of Gold. p. 60.
  23. ^ "Burlington Galleries". The Bookman's Journal and Print Collector. 6: 100. 1922.
  24. ^ "Clifton College". The Law Times. 202: 253. 1946.
  25. ^ "Modern French and English Paintings, Drawings and Prints". The Years Art. Vol. 52. 1931. p. 51.
  26. ^ "Index. Exhibitor". Chronicle 250 - Royal Academy of Art. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Sir Francis Newbolt". Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Sir Francis Newbolt". British Museum. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  29. ^ a b "Notes". The Journal of the Land Agent's Society. 18: 197. 1919.
  30. ^ "New Two Shilling Novels". The Morning Post. 25 March 1897. p. 2.
  31. ^ a b Carty. T. J (2015). A Dictionary of Literary Pseudonyms in the English Language. Routledge. ISBN 9781135955854.
  32. ^ The Sale of Goods Act, 1893 : with notes and the decisions under the Act to May 1897. OCLC 758628661. Retrieved 3 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  33. ^ "Reviews and Notices: The Sales of Goods Act, 1893. With notes. By Frank Newbolt". The Law Quarterly Review. 1–10: 189. April 1894.
  34. ^ "Newbolts Sale of Goods Act 1893". The Juridical Review. 9. 1897.
  35. ^ Clifton College twenty-five years ago: the diary of a fag. OCLC 18275538. Retrieved 17 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  36. ^ Clifton College forty years ago. OCLC 5046284. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  37. ^ Etchings of Van Dyck. OCLC 904227700. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  38. ^ Etchings of William Strang, A.R.A. OCLC 851837064. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  39. ^ Catalogue dressé. OCLC 43938891. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  40. ^ "Edward Millington Synge". British Museum. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  41. ^ "List". The Dial. 44: 82. 1908.
  42. ^ "Norwegian and Other Fish-Tales. By Bradnock Hall". Nature. 89 (69). 1910. doi:10.1038/084069b0. S2CID 40489829.
  43. ^ Summary procedure in the High Court. OCLC 7775839. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  44. ^ Sir Henry John Newbolt, Sir Francis Newbolt (2015). The King's Highway.
  45. ^ "Trollopes Legal Mistakes" (PDF). The Journal of the Trollope Society (107): 12. Summer 2017.
  46. ^ Scott. Austin W (1951). "Review: Reviewed Work: Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope". Harvard Law Review. 64 (3): 522–524. doi:10.2307/1336133. JSTOR 1336133.
  47. ^ "Notes". Law Notes. 42: 66. 1923.
  48. ^ Lansbury. Coral (2016). The Reasonable Man: Trollope's Legal Fiction. Princeton University Press. p. 82. ISBN 9780691642611.
  49. ^ "Girl reading. The Storyteller (1911). William Strang". Art Journal: 49. 1910.
  50. ^ Cato. Mark (1999). The Expert in Litigation and Arbitration. Taylor & Francis. p. 630. ISBN 9781859786628.
  51. ^ "The Royal Academy". The Listener. Vol. 4, no. 77–89. 1930. p. 55.
  52. ^ "New Releases". The Connoisseur. Vol. 74. 1926. p. 63.
  53. ^ "The Enchanted Wood". The Bookman. Vol. 68–69. 1925. p. 46.
  54. ^ "October Publications". The Action and the Athenaeum. 38: 73. 1925.
  55. ^ The history of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers & Engravers, 1880-1940. OCLC 4168010. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via Worldcat.
  56. ^ "Book Review". Arts Magazine. Vol. 5. 1930.
  57. ^ "Art and Politics". The Art Journal. 72: 108. 1910.
  58. ^ "Chancellors' opinions". The Church Times. 15 April 1921.
  59. ^ Addison, Henry Robert; Oakes, Charles Henry; Lawson, William John; Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton (1900). Who's Who. p. 750.
  60. ^ Ramsay, William (13 August 1895). "The "Proceedings of the Chemical Society"". Nature. 10–12 (151): 71. Bibcode:1895Natur..51..294R. doi:10.1038/051294d0. S2CID 4021128.
  61. ^ "Miscellany". The Law Journal. 54: 230. 1919.
  62. ^ "Sir Francis Newbolt (1863 - 1940)". Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  63. ^ "Worshipful Company of Clockmakers List of Masters". Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  64. ^ "Memorial to Thomas Tompion". Nature. 131 (497): 497. 8 April 1933. Bibcode:1933Natur.131T.497.. doi:10.1038/131497d0. S2CID 4066404.
  65. ^ Struben. Charles (1957). Vein of Gold. p. 59.
  66. ^ "Marriages". Reading Mercury. 24 November 1888. p. 5.
  67. ^ Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage. 1956. p. 2570.
  68. ^ "Lady Newbolt". The Law Journal. 78: 400. 1934.
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