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Thomas Emerson Headlam

1813 – 1875

British politician

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About Thomas Emerson Headlam

Lived 1813 – 1875 (aged 62). Thomas Emerson Headlam was a British politician.

Thomas Emerson Headlam (25 June 1813 – 3 December 1875) was an English barrister and politician, who became judge advocate-general.

Life He was the eldest son of John Headlam, Archdeacon of Richmond and rector of Wycliffe, Yorkshire, and his wife Maria Morley, daughter of the Rev. Thomas W. Morley of Clapham, born at Wycliffe rectory, and baptised on 25 June 1813. He was educated at Shrewsbury and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became sixteenth wrangler and B.A. 1836, and M.A. 1839.

Headlam was called to the bar at the Inner Temple on 3 May 1839, and practised as an equity draughtsman and conveyancer, going the northern circuit and attending the North Riding sessions. After a contest he was elected a Member of Parliament in the Liberal interest for Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 30 July 1847, and sat for that town until the dissolution in 1874. During his political career he carried through the House of Commons the Trustee Act, 5 August 1850. In 1851 he was appointed a Q.C., in the same year a bencher of his inn, in 1866 reader, and in 1867 treasurer. He was a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant for the North Riding of Yorkshire and for Northumberland, and in 1854 became chancellor of the dioceses of Ripon and of Durham. He was judge advocate-general from June 1859 till July 1866, and on 18 June in the former year was gazetted a privy councillor.

After his retirement from parliamentary life, Headlam's health gradually failed, and on his way to winter in a southerly climate, he died at Calais on 3 December 1875.

Works Headlam was the author or editor of:

The Practice of the High Court of Chancery, by E. R. Daniell, 2nd edition with additions, 1845; 3rd edition, 1857. A Speech on Limited Liability in Joint-Stock Banks, 1849. The Trustee Act, 13 and 14 Vict. c. 60, 1850; 2nd edition, 1852; 3rd edition, 1855. Pleadings and Practice of the High Court of Chancery, by E. R. Daniell, 2nd edition, 1851. A Supplement to Daniell's Chancery Practice, 1851. The New Chancery Acts, 15 and 16 Vict. c. 80, 86, and 87, 1853.

Family Headlam married at Richmond, Yorkshire, on 1 August 1854, Ellen Percival, eldest daughter of Thomas Van Straubenzee, major in the Royal Artillery.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
Trinity College, Shrewsbury School
Positions held
Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Member of the 20th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 19th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 18th Parliament of the United Kingdom
Awards
Master of Arts
Also known as
Rt. Hon. Thomas Emerson Headlam

People in Thomas Emerson Headlam's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

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Frequently asked questions

Who was Thomas Emerson Headlam?

British politician (1813–1875)

When was Thomas Emerson Headlam born?

Thomas Emerson Headlam was born on 25 June 1813.

When did Thomas Emerson Headlam die?

Thomas Emerson Headlam died on 3 December 1875.

What was Thomas Emerson Headlam's occupation?

Thomas Emerson Headlam was a politician.

What nationality was Thomas Emerson Headlam?

Thomas Emerson Headlam was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Thomas Emerson Headlam

· Wikidata: Q7789349

· DBpedia: Thomas Emerson Headlam

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas Emerson Headlam. https://biography.guide/thomas-emerson-headlam/

MLA: "Thomas Emerson Headlam." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-emerson-headlam/.

Chicago: "Thomas Emerson Headlam." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-emerson-headlam/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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