George Henry Lewis
Encyclopedia
Sir George Henry Lewis, 1st Baronet (21 April 1833 – 7 December 1911) was an English
lawyer
of Jewish extraction.
, Holborn
in London and educated at University College, London. In 1850 he was articled to his father, James Graham Lewis (1804-1869), founder of Lewis & Lewis, one of the best-known firms of solicitors in the city of London
. George was admitted in Hilary term
in 1856, and was subsequently taken into partnership by his father and uncle. He first made his name in prosecuting the directors of the Overend and Gurney Bank
, who had caused the disastrous panic of 1866, and for a time he devoted special attention to financial cases.
In criminal cases he drew public attention to himself by his cross-examination in the Bravo
case in 1875, and from that time onward was connected with most criminal "causes célèbres," being conspicuous in the prosecution of fraudulent persons like Madame Rachel and Slade the medium. Among other cases may be mentioned the Hatton Garden
diamond robbery case; Belt versus Lawes; and the Royal Baccarat Scandal
, in which the Prince of Wales
was called as a witness; and he was selected by the Parnell Commission
to conduct the case for Charles Stewart Parnell
and the Irish party against The Times
. Lewis had by far the largest practise in financial cases of any lawyer in London, and was especially expert in libel cases, being retained by some of the chief newspapers. He showed himself especially skilful in exposing the practises of usurious money-lenders.
ed in 1893, and raised to the rank of baronet
in 1902 as Lewis of Portland Place
.
Lewis was married twice: 1st to Victorine Kann (1840 Frankfurt/Germany - 21 April 1865 London), who died shortly after childbirth (daughter Alice Victorine Lewis) ; 2nd to Elizabeth Eberstadt (27 October 1844 Mannheim/Germany - 4 September 1931 London), daughter of Ferdinand Eberstadt of Worms/Mannheim and his wife Sara Seligmann. Elizabeth was sister of the professor of architecture in Berlin Rudolph Eberstadt and aunt of banker and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn
in New York.
The Lewises had three children: George James Graham Lewis, 2nd Baronet, (1868 - 1927); Gertrude Rachel Lewis (1871 - after 1949); and Katherine Elizabeth Lewis (1878 - 1961).
In their London home, Sir George and Lady Lewis met 'tout le monde'. Juxon described it: "Over the next thirty years this house was to be thronged with painters, sculptors, musicians, actors, writers, lawyers, politicians, indeed, .... , to be invited to "Lady Lewis's" was to enter a social milieu at once fluid and eclectic.... Here the establishment and Bohemia had to embrace - because Elizabeth wanted them to."
He died on 7 December 1911 at Portland Place in London.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
of Jewish extraction.
Solicitor
Lewis was born at 10 Ely PlaceEly Place
Ely Place is a gated road at the southern tip of the London Borough of Camden in London, England. It is the location of the Old Mitre Tavern and is adjacent to Hatton Garden.-Origins:...
, Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
in London and educated at University College, London. In 1850 he was articled to his father, James Graham Lewis (1804-1869), founder of Lewis & Lewis, one of the best-known firms of solicitors in the city of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. George was admitted in Hilary term
Hilary term
Hilary Term is the second academic term of Oxford University's academic year. It runs from January to March and is so named because the feast day of St Hilary of Poitiers, 14 January, falls during this term...
in 1856, and was subsequently taken into partnership by his father and uncle. He first made his name in prosecuting the directors of the Overend and Gurney Bank
Overend, Gurney and Company
Overend, Gurney & Company was a London wholesale discount bank, known as "the bankers' bank", which collapsed in 1866 owing about 11 million pounds, equivalent to £981 million at 2008 prices.-Early years:...
, who had caused the disastrous panic of 1866, and for a time he devoted special attention to financial cases.
In criminal cases he drew public attention to himself by his cross-examination in the Bravo
Charles Bravo
Charles Bravo was a British lawyer who was fatally poisoned with antimony in 1876. The case is still sensational, notorious and unresolved. The case is also known as The Charles Bravo Murder and the Murder at the Priory.It was an unsolved crime committed within an elite Victorian household at The...
case in 1875, and from that time onward was connected with most criminal "causes célèbres," being conspicuous in the prosecution of fraudulent persons like Madame Rachel and Slade the medium. Among other cases may be mentioned the Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London, England. It is most famous for being London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade, but the area is also now home to a diverse range of media and creative businesses....
diamond robbery case; Belt versus Lawes; and the Royal Baccarat Scandal
Royal Baccarat Scandal
The Royal Baccarat Scandal, also known as the Tranby Croft scandal, was an English gambling scandal of the late nineteenth century involving the future King Edward VII.-Background:...
, in which the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
was called as a witness; and he was selected by the Parnell Commission
Parnell Commission
The Parnell Commission was a judicial inquiry in the late 1880s into allegations of crimes by Irish parliamentarian Charles Stewart Parnell which resulted in his vindication.-Background:...
to conduct the case for Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
and the Irish party against The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. Lewis had by far the largest practise in financial cases of any lawyer in London, and was especially expert in libel cases, being retained by some of the chief newspapers. He showed himself especially skilful in exposing the practises of usurious money-lenders.
Honours and family
Lewis was knightKnight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1893, and raised to the rank of baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1902 as Lewis of Portland Place
Lewis Baronets
There have been seven Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Lewis, two in the Baronetage of England and five in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
.
Lewis was married twice: 1st to Victorine Kann (1840 Frankfurt/Germany - 21 April 1865 London), who died shortly after childbirth (daughter Alice Victorine Lewis) ; 2nd to Elizabeth Eberstadt (27 October 1844 Mannheim/Germany - 4 September 1931 London), daughter of Ferdinand Eberstadt of Worms/Mannheim and his wife Sara Seligmann. Elizabeth was sister of the professor of architecture in Berlin Rudolph Eberstadt and aunt of banker and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn
Otto Hermann Kahn
Otto Hermann Kahn was an investment banker, collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts.-Life and career:He was born on February 21, 1867, and raised in the city of Mannheim, Germany, to Jewish parents...
in New York.
The Lewises had three children: George James Graham Lewis, 2nd Baronet, (1868 - 1927); Gertrude Rachel Lewis (1871 - after 1949); and Katherine Elizabeth Lewis (1878 - 1961).
In their London home, Sir George and Lady Lewis met 'tout le monde'. Juxon described it: "Over the next thirty years this house was to be thronged with painters, sculptors, musicians, actors, writers, lawyers, politicians, indeed, .... , to be invited to "Lady Lewis's" was to enter a social milieu at once fluid and eclectic.... Here the establishment and Bohemia had to embrace - because Elizabeth wanted them to."
He died on 7 December 1911 at Portland Place in London.