James Cassels (politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir James Dale Cassels was a British
judge, journalist and Conservative
politician.
He was the only son of Robert Cassels, assistant clerk at the Bow Street Magistrates' Court
. He was educated at the United Westminster City School
where he learnt shorthand
.
, subsequently moving to London, where he worked for the Chelsea News and the Fulham Chronicle. In 1898 he joined the staff of the Morning Post
. He stayed with the paper for fourteen years, originally as a parliamentary correspondent, later becoming a sub-editor.
at the Middle Temple
. He practised on the South-Eastern Circuit, and his heavy caseload led to him abandoning journalism in 1911. His legal career was interrupted from 1916 to 1919 by the First World War. Cassels served on the Western Front, fighting at the Battle of Arras
and was twice mentioned in dispatches. He reached the rank of captain, and chaired a number of courts martial. In 1923 he took silk
, appearing in the criminal courts and in the King's Bench Division of the High Court
.
In 1927 he was made recorder
of Guildford
and in 1928 recorder of Brighton
. He was also chairman of East Sussex
Quarter Sessions
. In 1939 he was appointed as a judge, and received a knighthood
. He presided over a number of notable trials in the 1950s before retiring in 1960. He served as a special Commissioner of Assize at Norwich in 1961 and at the Central Criminal Court
in 1962, clearing a backlog of cases.
, he was elected as MP for the Leyton West
constituency in east London, unseating the Liberal
, Alfred Newbould
by over 4,000 votes. Cassels narrowly held the seat at the 1923 general election
, with majority of only 64 votes over Newbould, but at the 1924 general election
he increased his majority to 3,403.
However, he was defeated at the 1929 general election
by Labour's Reginald Sorensen
, who represented the constituency (with one brief interruption) until 1965.
Cassels did not contest the Leyton seat again, but at the 1931 general election
he was elected as MP for Camberwell North West
, with a large majority. He did not seek re-election at the 1935 general election
, when he was succeeded by the Conservative Oscar Guest
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
judge, journalist and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
He was the only son of Robert Cassels, assistant clerk at the Bow Street Magistrates' Court
Bow Street Magistrates' Court
Bow Street Magistrates' Court was the most famous magistrates' court in England for much of its existence, and was located in various buildings on Bow Street in central London close to Covent Garden throughout its history.-History:...
. He was educated at the United Westminster City School
Westminster City School
Westminster City School is a voluntary aided Christian school for boys in Westminster, London. The school has 800 students on its roll, and it offers 105 of 130 places each year to boys practising the Christian faith in the Anglican dioceses of London and Southwark. The other 25 spaces are...
where he learnt shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
.
Journalism
He began work as a reporter with the Sussex Coast Mercury in WorthingWorthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, subsequently moving to London, where he worked for the Chelsea News and the Fulham Chronicle. In 1898 he joined the staff of the Morning Post
Morning Post
The Morning Post, as the paper was named on its masthead, was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by The Daily Telegraph.- History :...
. He stayed with the paper for fourteen years, originally as a parliamentary correspondent, later becoming a sub-editor.
Legal career
In 1908 Cassels was called to the barBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. He practised on the South-Eastern Circuit, and his heavy caseload led to him abandoning journalism in 1911. His legal career was interrupted from 1916 to 1919 by the First World War. Cassels served on the Western Front, fighting at the Battle of Arras
Battle of Arras
The name Battle of Arras refers to a number of battles which took place near the town of Arras in Artois, France:*Battle of Arras , a clash between the French and the Spanish...
and was twice mentioned in dispatches. He reached the rank of captain, and chaired a number of courts martial. In 1923 he took silk
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, appearing in the criminal courts and in the King's Bench Division of the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
.
In 1927 he was made recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
and in 1928 recorder of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. He was also chairman of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
. In 1939 he was appointed as a judge, and received a knighthood
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
. He presided over a number of notable trials in the 1950s before retiring in 1960. He served as a special Commissioner of Assize at Norwich in 1961 and at the Central Criminal Court
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in 1962, clearing a backlog of cases.
Parliamentary career
At the 1922 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, he was elected as MP for the Leyton West
Leyton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leyton West was a parliamentary constituency in the Municipal Borough of Leyton, then part of Essex but now in Greater London.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:The constituency...
constituency in east London, unseating the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, Alfred Newbould
Alfred Ernest Newbould
Alfred Ernest Newbould was a British cinematographer and Liberal politician.-Family and Education:Newbould was born in Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire, the son of J J Newbould from the nearby village of Tatenhill. He was educated at Burton Grammar School. He was married twice, first in 1909 to...
by over 4,000 votes. Cassels narrowly held the seat at the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, with majority of only 64 votes over Newbould, but at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
he increased his majority to 3,403.
However, he was defeated at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
by Labour's Reginald Sorensen
Reginald Sorensen, Baron Sorensen
Reginald William Sorensen, Baron Sorensen was a Unitarian minister and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament for over thirty years between 1929 and 1964....
, who represented the constituency (with one brief interruption) until 1965.
Cassels did not contest the Leyton seat again, but at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
he was elected as MP for Camberwell North West
Camberwell North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Camberwell North West was a borough constituency located in the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, in South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.The constituency was created...
, with a large majority. He did not seek re-election at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, when he was succeeded by the Conservative Oscar Guest
Oscar Guest
Hon. Oscar Montague Guest was a politician in the United Kingdom, initially with the Liberal Party and later as a Conservative...
.