John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Coleridge
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Lord Coleridge by Eden Upton Eddis
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| Lord Chief Justice of England | |
| In office 29 November 1880 – 14 June 1894 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Russell of Killowen |
| Chief Justice of the Common Pleas | |
| In office November 1873 – 20 November 1880 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Sir William Bovill |
| Succeeded by | Himself as Lord Chief Justice of England |
| Attorney General for England | |
| In office 10 November 1871 – 20 November 1873 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Prime Minister | William Ewart Gladstone |
| Preceded by | Robert Collier |
| Succeeded by | Henry James |
| Solicitor General for England | |
| In office 12 December 1868 – 10 November 1871 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Prime Minister | William Ewart Gladstone |
| Preceded by | Sir Richard Baggallay |
| Succeeded by | Sir George Jessel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Duke Coleridge
3 December 1820 Ottery St Mary, Devon United Kingdom |
| Died | 14 June 1894 (aged 73) Westminster, London United Kingdom |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouses | Jane Fortescue Seymour Amy Augusta Jackson Lawford |
| Children | Mildred Coleridge Bernard Coleridge Stephen Coleridge Gilbert Coleridge |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | Eton College Balliol College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Barrister, Politician |
John Duke Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge (born December 3, 1820 – died June 14, 1894) was an important English lawyer, judge, and politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party. He held several high-ranking legal jobs. These included Solicitor-General for England, Attorney-General for England, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and finally, Lord Chief Justice of England. He was also a member of the Privy Council, a group of advisors to the British monarch.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
John Duke Coleridge was born in 1820. He was the oldest son of John Taylor Coleridge, who was also a judge. His great-uncle was the famous poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
John went to two well-known schools. First, he studied at Eton College, a famous boarding school. After that, he attended Balliol College, Oxford, one of the colleges at the University of Oxford. In 1846, he became a barrister, which means he was qualified to argue cases in court.
A Career in Law and Politics
Coleridge became a very successful lawyer. He worked mainly in the western part of England. From 1853 to 1854, he worked as a secretary for a special group called the Royal Commission on the City of London. This group looked into how the City of London was run.
In 1865, he was chosen to be a member of the House of Commons. This is a part of the British Parliament. He represented the area of Exeter for the Liberal Party.
His party leaders were impressed by him. When the Liberal Party came into power in 1868, led by William Ewart Gladstone, Coleridge was given an important job. He became the Solicitor-General. This is a senior legal advisor to the government.
In 1871, he was promoted again to Attorney-General. This is the chief legal officer of the Crown in England and Wales. He held this job until 1873. During this time, he was involved in the famous Tichborne Case. He was also known for supporting women's suffrage, which was the movement for women to gain the right to vote.
Becoming a Judge
In November 1873, Coleridge became the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. This was a very important judge position. A few months later, in January 1874, he was given the title of Baron Coleridge. This meant he became a peer, a member of the nobility. His full title was Baron Coleridge, of Ottery St Mary in the County of Devon.
In 1875, some of England's main law courts joined together. These were the Court of Queen's Bench, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of the Exchequer. They became parts of a new court called the High Court of Justice. The heads of these courts, including Lord Coleridge, continued in their roles.
After the other two chief judges passed away in 1880, the three court parts merged into one. Lord Coleridge then became the Lord Chief Justice of England. This is the highest judge in England and Wales. In 1884, he was also chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society, a group that promotes useful knowledge.
Lord Coleridge stayed in this top judicial role until he passed away. He died on June 14, 1894, at the age of 74, at his home in London.
Family Life
On August 11, 1846, John Duke Coleridge married Jane Fortescue Seymour. She was an artist. They had three sons and one daughter:
- Mildred Mary Coleridge (1847–1929)
- Bernard John Seymour Coleridge (1851–1927), who later became the 2nd Baron Coleridge. He was also a Liberal politician and a judge.
- Stephen William Buchanan Coleridge (1854–1936), who was a lawyer, writer, and artist.
- Gilbert James Duke Coleridge (1859–1953), who was a lawyer and sculptor.
His first wife, Jane, passed away in 1878. He remained a widower for several years. On August 13, 1885, he married Amy Augusta Jackson Lawford. She lived longer than he did.
Images for kids
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A coronet, a type of crown worn by a Baron.
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The coat of arms for the Coleridge family.
