Charles Henry Bellenden Ker facts for kids
Charles Henry Bellenden Ker (born around 1785, died 1871) was an important English lawyer and a person who worked to improve laws. He helped change many old laws to make them fairer and easier to understand.
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Early Life and Career
Charles Henry Bellenden Ker was born around 1785. His father was John Bellenden Ker. When he was young, he supported the famous artist William Blake.
In 1814, Charles became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer who argues cases in court. He joined a group called Lincoln's Inn. He became very good at a special type of law called conveyancing, which deals with transferring property ownership.
From 1830 to 1832, he was active in trying to change how Parliament worked. He was part of a group that looked at election areas. He also tried to become a Member of Parliament for Norwich but was not successful.
Working to Improve Laws
Charles Henry Bellenden Ker was a key figure in making laws better. He was part of a group called the Public Records Commission.
Reforming Criminal Law
In 1833, he was asked to help review and organize all the criminal laws. These laws decide what counts as a crime and what the punishments are. His work helped create new laws to improve the criminal justice system.
Changing Property Laws
In 1845, he helped create a short law that changed how property was owned and transferred. This made it simpler for people to buy and sell land.
Later, in 1853, he led a group that worked on making all the existing laws clearer. This led to many important changes, including:
- Making updated versions of old laws.
- Creating new laws to simplify and combine many older laws.
- Developing the Criminal Law Acts of 1861, which brought many criminal laws together.
He also suggested and helped prepare laws about renting and selling land. His ideas were very important for later laws that dealt with property and land.
Later Life and Other Interests
In 1852, Charles Henry Bellenden Ker became a special lawyer for the Court of Chancery. This court dealt with fairness and property disputes. He held this job until 1860. He also served as a judge, called a recorder, for the town of Andover from 1842 to 1855.
Supporting Education and Art
Ker strongly believed that everyone should have access to education, books, and art. He was a very creative member of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. This group aimed to spread knowledge to ordinary people. He suggested many ideas for books and magazines.
He was also a big supporter of art. Two paintings by the artist Charles Lock Eastlake were made for him. Ker himself contributed drawings and articles to the Penny Magazine, a popular publication. He helped start the Arundel Society, which promoted art, and supported the creation of design schools. He also helped set up the Department of Science and Art.
Gardening and Science
Charles was one of the first people in England to grow orchids as a hobby. He wrote articles about gardening under the name "Dodman" in the Gardeners' Chronicle magazine. He was also a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists, but he left in 1830.
Final Years
In 1860, Charles Henry Bellenden Ker stopped working as a lawyer. He moved to Cannes, a town in France, where he lived for the rest of his life. He passed away there on November 2, 1871.
Published Works
Charles Henry Bellenden Ker wrote several books about legal topics:
- The question of registry or no registry considered, with reference to the interests of landholders (1830)
- Shall we register our deeds? (1853)
Family Life
Charles Henry Bellenden Ker married Elizabeth Anne Clarke. She was the daughter of a lawyer. They did not have any children.
