Edmond Stanley
Encyclopedia
Sir Edmond Stanley SL
(1760–1843) was an Anglo-Irish
lawyer and politician who served as Serjeant-at-Law
of the Parliament of Ireland
, Recorder of Prince of Wales Island, now Penang
, and subsequently Chief Justice
of Madras.
Born in Dublin in 1760, Stanley was baptised at St Werburgh's Church, Dublin
, a parish situated next to Dublin Castle
attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
and members of the court, the son of an attorney and member of a colonial, Protestant Ascendancy
family. He entered Trinity College Dublin in 1773, aged thirteen years old, was a scholar 1777 and graduated B.A.
in 1778. He entered the King's Inns
where he was called to the Irish Bar, and the Inner Temple
in London, and became a bencher
of the King's Inns in 1789.
He entered the Parliament of Ireland
as MP
for Augher (1790–97) (together with Sir John Stewart
, later Attorney General for Ireland), and for Lanesborough (1797–1800) (together with Richard Martin (politician), known as 'Humanity Dick'). He served as Third Serjeant in 1793 and from 1795 to 1801, and was appointed Prime Serjeant 1801-02. He was Commissioner of Appeals 1795-98, and became Commissioner of Accounts in 1802. He voted with the government against a proposal for an enquiry into the causes of the 1798 Rising, and (again with the Administration) in favour of the Act of Union 1800
in 1799 and 1800 which dissolved and abolished the Parliament of Ireland. In 1798 he was sent under a special commission to Cork to preside at the treason trials held there in the wake of the Rising. He was knighted in 1807.
The court system in Prince of Wales Island became fully developed as a consequence of the 1807 Charter of Justice, whereby the British Crown
established the right to a permanent Court of Judicature in the settlement of Penang. This was followed by the appointment of the first Supreme Court judge in 1807, designated as the 'Recorder' and Sir Edmond assumed office in 1808 as the First Recorder of the Supreme Court of Penang, where he is acknowledged as such and honoured to this day by the Penang Bar. At the same time, Sir Stamford Raffles
, founder of Singapore
, was the first registrar of the Supreme Court. (The designation 'Judge' was subsequently substituted for that of 'Recorder'.) The Supreme Court of Penang, which was first housed at Fort Cornwallis
, was opened on 31 May 1808.
Stanley was transferred to Madras in 1817 and appointed as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court
in 1820 in succession to Sir John Henry Newbolt.
He served until 1825 when he retired to England.
He died in Richmond, London, (previously Surrey), in 1843. He was buried alongside his wife in the catacombs
of Kensal Green Cemetery
.
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
(1760–1843) was an Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
lawyer and politician who served as Serjeant-at-Law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
of the Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
, Recorder of Prince of Wales Island, now Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, and subsequently Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of Madras.
Born in Dublin in 1760, Stanley was baptised at St Werburgh's Church, Dublin
St Werburgh's Church, Dublin
St. Werburgh's Church is a Church of Ireland church in Dublin, Ireland, and was built in 1178, shortly after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the town, and named after St. Werburgh, abbess of Ely and patron saint of Chester who died in 699 CE. It is located in Werburgh Street, close to Dublin...
, a parish situated next to Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
and members of the court, the son of an attorney and member of a colonial, Protestant Ascendancy
Protestant Ascendancy
The Protestant Ascendancy, usually known in Ireland simply as the Ascendancy, is a phrase used when referring to the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland by a minority of great landowners, Protestant clergy, and professionals, all members of the Established Church during the 17th...
family. He entered Trinity College Dublin in 1773, aged thirteen years old, was a scholar 1777 and graduated B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1778. He entered the King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
where he was called to the Irish Bar, and the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in London, and became a bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of the King's Inns in 1789.
He entered the Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
as MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Augher (1790–97) (together with Sir John Stewart
Sir John Stewart, 1st Baronet, of Athenree
Sir John Stewart, 1st Baronet was an Irish lawyer and politician.In 1794, he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Augher. At the 1797 elections, he was elected for four constituencies: Askeaton, Bangor, Portarlington and Strabane...
, later Attorney General for Ireland), and for Lanesborough (1797–1800) (together with Richard Martin (politician), known as 'Humanity Dick'). He served as Third Serjeant in 1793 and from 1795 to 1801, and was appointed Prime Serjeant 1801-02. He was Commissioner of Appeals 1795-98, and became Commissioner of Accounts in 1802. He voted with the government against a proposal for an enquiry into the causes of the 1798 Rising, and (again with the Administration) in favour of the Act of Union 1800
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
in 1799 and 1800 which dissolved and abolished the Parliament of Ireland. In 1798 he was sent under a special commission to Cork to preside at the treason trials held there in the wake of the Rising. He was knighted in 1807.
The court system in Prince of Wales Island became fully developed as a consequence of the 1807 Charter of Justice, whereby the British Crown
established the right to a permanent Court of Judicature in the settlement of Penang. This was followed by the appointment of the first Supreme Court judge in 1807, designated as the 'Recorder' and Sir Edmond assumed office in 1808 as the First Recorder of the Supreme Court of Penang, where he is acknowledged as such and honoured to this day by the Penang Bar. At the same time, Sir Stamford Raffles
Stamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, FRS was a British statesman, best known for his founding of the city of Singapore . He is often described as the "Father of Singapore"...
, founder of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, was the first registrar of the Supreme Court. (The designation 'Judge' was subsequently substituted for that of 'Recorder'.) The Supreme Court of Penang, which was first housed at Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is an old star-shaped fort located on the northeastern coast of Penang, Malaysia. It is named after the late 18th century Governor-General of Bengal, India, Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis...
, was opened on 31 May 1808.
Stanley was transferred to Madras in 1817 and appointed as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court
Madras High Court
The Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
in 1820 in succession to Sir John Henry Newbolt.
He served until 1825 when he retired to England.
He died in Richmond, London, (previously Surrey), in 1843. He was buried alongside his wife in the catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
of Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
.