Frederick Chapman (judge) facts for kids
Sir Frederick Revans Chapman (born October 23, 1849 – died June 24, 1936) was a very important judge in New Zealand. He was special because he was the first judge born in New Zealand to serve on the country's highest court, the Supreme Court.
Contents
Life of a New Zealand Judge
Early Life and Education
Frederick Chapman was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He was the fifth son of Henry Samuel Chapman, who was also a judge. His older brother was Martin Chapman.
Frederick went to school in Melbourne, Australia, at the Church of England Grammar School. He also studied in Europe. Later, he studied law in London, England. He became a lawyer there and worked in London for a while.
Career as a Judge
After working in London, Frederick Chapman moved to Dunedin, New Zealand. His father was a judge there at the time. Frederick joined a law firm called Smith, Chapman, and Sinclair.
In 1903, he became the President of the Court of Arbitration. This court helped solve disagreements, especially in workplaces. He had the same rank as a Supreme Court judge. In 1907, he officially became a judge on the Supreme Court.
He worked as a judge until 1921, when he stepped down. However, he still took on temporary judge roles for three more years. He fully retired in 1924. Even after retiring, he continued to work as the Chairman of the War Pensions Appeal Board. This board helped people who had been injured in wars.
Honors and Interests
In 1923, Frederick Chapman was given a special honor. He was made a Knight Bachelor by the King. This is why he was called "Sir Frederick."
He was also very involved with the University of Otago. He supported important libraries like the Hocken and Turnbull Libraries. He loved collecting old letters and writings about New Zealand's history. He was part of many groups that studied different subjects.
Sir Frederick was also a talented scientist. He especially studied the plants and animals of New Zealand. In 1935, he received the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal. He passed away on June 24, 1936, at 87 years old.
Family Life
In 1879, Frederick Chapman married Clara Cook. Clara was the daughter of another lawyer from Dunedin, George Cook.
They had a daughter named Vera, who became an artist. Another daughter, Hilda, married an Australian lawyer and judge named Sir Langer Owen in 1925.
Botany and Plant Discoveries
Frederick Chapman was very interested in plants, which is called botany. He even discovered and named some new plants.
Plants Named by Chapman
- Celmisia brownii F.R.Chapm., Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 22: 444 (1890). (This plant name is no longer used)
- Celmisia campbellensis F.R.Chapm., Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 23: 407 (1891) (This plant is now known as Damnamenia vernicosa (Hook.f.) Given)
Plants Honoring Chapman
Some plants were named after him to honor his work.
- Deschampsia chapmanii Petrie
