Theobald Richard FitzWalter Butler

Theobald Richard Fitzwalter Butler (24 May 1894 – 9 March 1976) was an English barrister, judge, and legal writer. He is known for his long tenure as editor and later editor-in-chief of Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice, a leading English criminal law text.

Early life and education

Butler was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on 24 May 1894 into an aristocratic Irish family and was a kinsman of the Butler Barons Dunboyne. He was the only son of Theobald Butler, of the Indian Woods and Forests Service, and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth (née Bailey), of Green Park, County Limerick.

He was educated at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey,

The outbreak of the First World War occurred while Butler was at Oxford. Although a Protestant, he declined military service, believing that he might be required to fight Irishmen. C. S. Lewis, a contemporary at Oxford, described Butler as a “Home Ruler”, remarking, “I like Butler exceedingly”. Instead, Butler and another contemporary, Eric Dodds, served as non-combatant humanitarians with the British Eastern Auxiliary Hospital in Belgrade during the severe typhus epidemic in Serbia in 1915.

He was among the small number of students to graduate during the war years, achieving First-class honours in Classical Moderations (1915) and Jurisprudence (1917).

He was elected a bencher of the Inner Temple in 1960.

Personal life

Butler maintained a private personal life and remained unmarried until middle age. In July 1948, he married Laura Rachel Mary Nash, daughter of Sir Vincent Nash, a Deputy Lieutenant of County Limerick. The marriage produced no children.

He retained a strong interest in his Irish aristocratic heritage and was an active member of the Butler Society, an organisation devoted to the history and genealogy of the Butler family. His recreational interests included bridge and archaeology, and he was a member of the Reform Club.

Death

Butler died on 9 March 1976, aged 81.

His funeral was held at Peterborough Cathedral on 12 March 1976, reflecting his office as Chancellor of that diocese. A memorial service was held at the Temple Church in London on 4 May 1976 and was attended by members of the Bar and judiciary who had known him.