George Denman

George Denman (23 December 1819 – 21 September 1896) was an English barrister, High Court judge, and Liberal politician.

Early life Denman was born at 50 Russell Square, London, the fourth son of Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman, of Dovedale, and his wife Theodosia Anne Vevers. He was educated at Repton School and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was a pupil of Joseph Blakesley. Denman became a Fellow of Trinity College. A student at Lincoln's Inn from November 1843, he read in the chambers of Peter Bellinger Brodie. In November 1844 he became a pupil of Barnes Peacock, and was called to the Bar in November 1846.

Legal career

Denman was appointed Cambridge University counsel in 1857. He became a Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1861. In 1872 he was appointed Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and resigned his seat in the House of Commons. In 1875, he was appointed a Judge of the High Court, turning down the customary knighthood because he was the son of a peer.

In 1878, he sentenced Selina Wadge to death in Cornwall for the murder of her son. He retired as a judge in 1892 and in 1893 was invested as a Privy Counsellor.

It was said of Denman that "He looked a model Judge. But he was never quite so good a Judge as he looked."

In politics In 1856, Denman stood for Parliament unsuccessfully for Cambridge University. He was elected Member of Parliament for Tiverton at the 1859 general election and held the seat until 1865. In 1866, he was re-elected MP for Tiverton. In parliament he interested himself in the reform of the law of evidence in criminal trials, and on 20 June 1860 moved the second reading of the Felony and Misdemeanor Bill, which aimed to assimilate proceedings for a criminal trial to those current in civil trials (at nisi prius). The bill passed the Commons, but was abandoned after alteration in the Lords. Five years later, 22 February 1865, he successfully carried through a similar measure, the Felony and Misdemeanor Evidence and Practice Bill. The Evidence Further Amendment Act 1869 (32 & 33 Vict. c. 68), popularly known as Denman's Act, was his personal initiative. It meant that witnesses professing no religious belief were able to affirm in courts of justice, and parties previously incompetent were able to give evidence. He was also bow in the Cambridge Subscription Rooms crew that won the Grand Challenge Cup that year. In 1842, he won the Colquhoun Sculls, stroked his college boat to the head of the Cam, and rowed for Cambridge again in the Boat Race and in the Grand at Henley. In 1843 he rowed for Trinity again in the Grand in a crew down to seven oarsmen because the stroke went ill and substitutions were not permitted. Trinity lost to a full Oxford University eight that won by two lengths.

In 1881 Denman provided an English translation of Herbert Kynaston's Latin hexameters written for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boat Race. It was published in his book, Intervalla, published in 1898; pages 67–77

Family Denman married Charlotte Hope, daughter of Samuel Hope, on 19 February 1852.

Children of Rt. Hon. George Denman and Charlotte Hope:

Charlotte Edith Denman d. 29 Dec 1884; Grace Denman d. 16 Apr 1935; George Lewis Denman b. 5 May 1854, d. 26 May 1929; Sir Arthur Denman b. 1 May 1857, d. 15 Dec 1931; Commander Launcelot Baillie Denman b. 15 Jan 1861, d. 29 Aug 1935; Francis Richard Amory Denman b. 5 Dec 1862, d. 5 May 1900.

Denman's brother Joseph Denman was an admiral. A daughter, Edith, was the first wife of Rev. William Henry Draper, who wrote the English translation of All Creatures of Our God and King.