John Wickens

Sir John Wickens (13 June 1815 – 25 October 1873) was an English barrister and judge.

Life The second son of James Stephen Wickens of Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, London by his wife, Anne Goodenough, daughter of John Hayter of Winterbourne Stoke, Wiltshire, was born at his father's house on 13 June 1815. He was educated at Eton College under John Keate.

Wickens won in 1832 an open scholarship at Balliol College, Oxford, matriculating on 30 November. He graduated B.A. with a double first in Michaelmas term 1836, and M.A. in 1839, but was an unsuccessful candidate for a Balliol fellowship (a later rumour put this down to ill-timed display of his wit). Having entered Lincoln's Inn, he was called to the bar in May 1840.

In 1868 Wickens was made vice-chancellor of the county palatine of Lancaster on the elevation of Sir William Milbourne James as Lord Justice of Appeal. In 1871 he was elected a bencher of his inn, and in April of that year was raised to the bench as Vice-Chancellor of England in succession to Sir John Stuart, and was knighted. As a judge he was considered to stay rather close to the case law. Wickens married, in 1845, Harriet Frances, daughter of William Davey of Cowley House, Gloucestershire. His daughter, Mary Erskine, married Mr. Justice George Farwell.