John Lawson Walton
Encyclopedia
Sir John Lawson Walton KC (4 August 1852 – 19 January 1908) was a British barrister
and Liberal
politician.
in Ceylon who later preached at Grahamstown
in South Africa
and who became President of the Wesleyan Conference for Great Britain in 1887 and was later President of the Wesleyan Conference for South Africa. His mother was Emma, the daughter of the Reverend Thomas Harris.
Walton was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Great Crosby
and at London University where he matriculated but did not graduate.
In 1882 at Glasgow Cathedral
he married Joanna Hedderwick, the daughter of Robert Hedderwick who founded the newspaper the Glasgow Citizen who was the son of Thomas Hedderwick, Liberal MP for Wick Burghs
from 1896–1900. They had three sons and two daughters.
, joined the Inner Temple
as a student on 2 November 1874. He was called to the bar in June 1877, having the previous year gained first prize in the common law
examination. He was appointed Queen's Counsel
on 4 February 1890, swearing the oath in the company of two other illustrious Liberals R B Haldane
and H H Asquith. His early career was boosted by his close association with the Methodist Church in the West Riding of Yorkshire
but he soon built up a large practice in London as well as on the circuit. He took part in many famous cases, most notably a victory in 1896 with a lawsuit brought against Dr William Smoult Playfair, a well-known London obstetrician, for libel and slander arising from Playfair's indiscretion concerning one of his medical cases. The £12,000 damages awarded against Playfair was at the time the largest sum ever ever handed out by a jury. Walton often appeared on behalf of trade unions, including in 1898 in the case of Allen v. Flood
, a leading case in English law
on intentionally inflicted economic loss.
Walton became close legal colleagues with Rufus Isaacs
who was destined to have a glittering political and public career. He first encountered Isaacs in the latter's final year of study at the Middle Temple
when Isaacs joined his chambers as a pupil. Walton was elected Bencher
of the Inner Temple in 1897.
to replace the sitting Liberal MP Octavius Vaughan Morgan
who was standing down. However, John Burns
, the well-known trade unionist and Lib-Lab
politician, who was Progressive Party
member of the London County Council
for Battersea, had announced he intended to stand for election in Battersea at the next general election
. Walton decided to stand aside so Burns could contest the seat. Burns was returned as MP for Battersea in 1892
as an Independent Labour Party
candidate but soon after changed his description to Liberal-Labour and sat as a Lib-Lab until he stepped down from Parliamentary life at the 1918 general election
.
Walton then sought adoption as Liberal candidate for Central Leeds
and was selected to fight the 1892 general election. He lost narrowly to the sitting Conservative
MP G. W. Balfour
, but was given another chance to enter the House of Commons
when the Liberal MP for the neighbouring Leeds South
constituency, Sir Lyon Playfair
went to the House of Lords
, creating a by-election
. Walton won the ensuing contest on the 22 September 1892 beating his Conservative opponent R J N Neville
by 948 votes (12 percent of the poll). He held the seat at each subsequent election until his death.
in domestic politics, especially on issues concerning the House of Lords and the established church. He was a member of the Liberal Imperialist group associated with Lord Rosebery
during the South African War of 1899–1902
. The Liberal Imperialists were a centrist faction within the Liberal Party in the late Victorian
and Edwardian period
. They were in favour of a more positive attitude towards the development of the British Empire
and Imperialism
, ending the primacy of the party's commitment to Irish Home Rule. In domestic affairs they advocated the concept of "national efficiency." This policy was never definitively set out, but the implication in the speeches of its leading lights was that the Liberal Party in government should take action to improve the social conditions, the education and welfare of the population, as well as to reform aspects of the administration of government so as to maintain British economic, industrial and military competitiveness. Although Walton was not himself an Anglican he took an interest in religious questions. He was a witness before the Royal Commission
on Ecclesiastical Discipline of 1904 when he spoke in favour of more effective procedure against clergy charged with breaking the law.
on 14 December 1905, and he was knighted on 18 December. He also sat as a Justice of the Peace
for the county of Buckinghamshire
where he had a country home at Butlers Cross
.
. As first drafted, the Bill made trade unions responsible for breaches of the law committed by their members and Walton defended the Bill against trade union calls for immunity, which he attacked as "class privileges". The Bill caused a major disagreement between the government and the Labour Party
. Keir Hardie
who was Leader of the Labour Party introduced a Bill of his own to give complete immunity. Campbell-Bannerman and the cabinet did a U-turn and instructed Walton to redraft the Trades Disputes Bill allowing immunity clauses, undermining Walton's position.
proved the last straw, and in January 1908 Walton developed a chill which developed into double pneumonia
; he died on Saturday 18 January 1908, aged 55, at his house in Great Cumberland Place, London. He was buried at Ellesborough
, near Wendover
in Buckinghamshire on 22 January, and a memorial service was held at the Temple Church
the following day.
manuscript collections.
Barrister
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...
and 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...
politician.
Family and education
John Lawson Walton was the son of the Reverend John Walton MA, a Wesleyan missionaryMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in Ceylon who later preached at Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and who became President of the Wesleyan Conference for Great Britain in 1887 and was later President of the Wesleyan Conference for South Africa. His mother was Emma, the daughter of the Reverend Thomas Harris.
Walton was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Great Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby is a British independent school for day pupils, located in Great Crosby on Merseyside....
and at London University where he matriculated but did not graduate.
In 1882 at Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral
The church commonly known as Glasgow Cathedral is the Church of Scotland High Kirk of Glasgow otherwise known as St. Mungo's Cathedral.The other cathedrals in Glasgow are:* The Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew...
he married Joanna Hedderwick, the daughter of Robert Hedderwick who founded the newspaper the Glasgow Citizen who was the son of Thomas Hedderwick, Liberal MP for Wick Burghs
Wick Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Wick Burghs, sometimes known as Northern Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918...
from 1896–1900. They had three sons and two daughters.
Career
Walton, intending to become a barristerBarrister
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...
, joined 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...
as a student on 2 November 1874. He was called to the bar in June 1877, having the previous year gained first prize in the common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
examination. He was appointed Queen's Counsel
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...
on 4 February 1890, swearing the oath in the company of two other illustrious Liberals R B Haldane
Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane
Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane KT, OM, PC, KC, FRS, FBA, FSA , was an influential British Liberal Imperialist and later Labour politician, lawyer and philosopher. He was Secretary of State for War between 1905 and 1912 during which time the "Haldane Reforms" were implemented...
and H H Asquith. His early career was boosted by his close association with the Methodist Church in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
but he soon built up a large practice in London as well as on the circuit. He took part in many famous cases, most notably a victory in 1896 with a lawsuit brought against Dr William Smoult Playfair, a well-known London obstetrician, for libel and slander arising from Playfair's indiscretion concerning one of his medical cases. The £12,000 damages awarded against Playfair was at the time the largest sum ever ever handed out by a jury. Walton often appeared on behalf of trade unions, including in 1898 in the case of Allen v. Flood
Allen v. Flood
Allen v Flood [1898] AC 1 is a leading case in English law on intentionally inflicted economic loss.-Facts:A trade union official told an employer his members would not work alongside the claimants. The employer was pressured to get rid of the claimants. For the loss of work, the claimants sued the...
, a leading case in English law
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
on intentionally inflicted economic loss.
Walton became close legal colleagues with Rufus Isaacs
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, PC, KC , was an English lawyer, jurist and politician...
who was destined to have a glittering political and public career. He first encountered Isaacs in the latter's final year of study 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...
when Isaacs joined his chambers as a pupil. Walton was elected 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 Inner Temple in 1897.
Politics
In 1891, Walton was selected as Liberal candidate for BatterseaBattersea (UK Parliament constituency)
Battersea is a parliamentary constituency located in Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to which it elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.- Boundaries :The...
to replace the sitting Liberal MP Octavius Vaughan Morgan
Octavius Vaughan Morgan
Octavius Vaughan Morgan was a Welsh-born Liberal Party politician who sat in the United Kingdom House of Commons from 1885 to 1892....
who was standing down. However, John Burns
John Burns
John Elliot Burns was an English trade unionist and politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly associated with London politics. He was a socialist and then a Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister. He was anti-alcohol and a keen sportsman...
, the well-known trade unionist and Lib-Lab
Liberal-Labour (UK)
The Liberal–Labour movement refers to the practice of local Liberal associations accepting and supporting candidates who were financially maintained by trade unions...
politician, who was Progressive Party
Progressive Party (London)
The Progressive Party was a political party based around the Liberal Party that contested municipal elections in the County of London.It was founded in 1888 by a group of Liberals and leaders of the labour movement. It was also supported by the Fabian Society, and Sidney Webb was one of its...
member of the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
for Battersea, had announced he intended to stand for election in Battersea at the next general election
United Kingdom general elections
This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliament of Ireland, before being co-opted to serve in the first Parliament of the United Kingdom, so that Parliament...
. Walton decided to stand aside so Burns could contest the seat. Burns was returned as MP for Battersea in 1892
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
as an Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
candidate but soon after changed his description to Liberal-Labour and sat as a Lib-Lab until he stepped down from Parliamentary life at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
.
Walton then sought adoption as Liberal candidate for Central Leeds
Leeds Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
and was selected to fight the 1892 general election. He lost narrowly to the sitting 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...
MP G. W. Balfour
Gerald Balfour, 2nd Earl of Balfour
Gerald William Balfour, 2nd Earl of Balfour PC , known as Gerald Balfour until 1930, was a British nobleman and Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
, but was given another chance to enter the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
when the Liberal MP for the neighbouring Leeds South
Leeds South (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds South was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election...
constituency, Sir Lyon Playfair
Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair
Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair GCB, PC, FRS was a Scottish scientist and Liberal politician.-Background and education:...
went to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, creating a by-election
Leeds South by-election, 1892
The Leeds South by-election, 1892 was a parliamentary by-election for the House of Commons constituency of Leeds South in the West Riding of Yorkshire held on 22 September 1892.-Vacancy:...
. Walton won the ensuing contest on the 22 September 1892 beating his Conservative opponent R J N Neville
Sir Reginald Neville, 1st Baronet
Sir Reginald James Neville Neville, 1st Baronet , born Reginald Neville White, was a British barrister and Conservative and Unionist member of parliament...
by 948 votes (12 percent of the poll). He held the seat at each subsequent election until his death.
Political orientation
Walton was said to be a strong radicalRadicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
in domestic politics, especially on issues concerning the House of Lords and the established church. He was a member of the Liberal Imperialist group associated with Lord Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
during the South African War of 1899–1902
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. The Liberal Imperialists were a centrist faction within the Liberal Party in the late Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and Edwardian period
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
. They were in favour of a more positive attitude towards the development of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and Imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
, ending the primacy of the party's commitment to Irish Home Rule. In domestic affairs they advocated the concept of "national efficiency." This policy was never definitively set out, but the implication in the speeches of its leading lights was that the Liberal Party in government should take action to improve the social conditions, the education and welfare of the population, as well as to reform aspects of the administration of government so as to maintain British economic, industrial and military competitiveness. Although Walton was not himself an Anglican he took an interest in religious questions. He was a witness before the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on Ecclesiastical Discipline of 1904 when he spoke in favour of more effective procedure against clergy charged with breaking the law.
Honours and appointments
Walton was appointed Attorney-General in the newly formed government of Henry Campbell-BannermanHenry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
on 14 December 1905, and he was knighted on 18 December. He also sat as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the county of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
where he had a country home at Butlers Cross
Butlers Cross
Butlers Cross is a hamlet within the parish of Ellesborough, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located south of the main parish, on the crossroads between the road from Ellesborough to Little Kimble, and the road from Terrick to Chequers....
.
Trades Disputes Bill
One of Walton's first tasks as Attorney-General was to introduce the Trade Disputes BillTrade Disputes Act 1906
The Trade Disputes Act 1906 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed under the Liberal government of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman...
. As first drafted, the Bill made trade unions responsible for breaches of the law committed by their members and Walton defended the Bill against trade union calls for immunity, which he attacked as "class privileges". The Bill caused a major disagreement between the government and the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. Keir Hardie
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
who was Leader of the Labour Party introduced a Bill of his own to give complete immunity. Campbell-Bannerman and the cabinet did a U-turn and instructed Walton to redraft the Trades Disputes Bill allowing immunity clauses, undermining Walton's position.
Death
Walton had a history of ill-health and general frailty. As the 1906 Parliament wore on, his appearances in the House of Commons got rarer and he cut down his ministerial duties as much as possible. It was reported that attendance in the House through two all-night sittings when in charge of the Criminal Court Appeal BillCourt of Criminal Appeal
The Court of Criminal Appeal is the name of existing courts of Scotland and Ireland, and an historic court in England and Wales.- Ireland :See Court of Criminal Appeal ...
proved the last straw, and in January 1908 Walton developed a chill which developed into double pneumonia
Acute lung injury
Acute lung injury is a diffuse heterogeneous lung injury characterized by hypoxemia, non cardiogenic pulmonary edema, low lung compliance and widespread capillary leakage...
; he died on Saturday 18 January 1908, aged 55, at his house in Great Cumberland Place, London. He was buried at Ellesborough
Ellesborough
Ellesborough is a village and civil parish in Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. The village is at the foot of the Chiltern Hills just to the south of the Vale of Aylesbury, two miles from Wendover and five miles from Aylesbury. It lies between Wendover and the village of Little Kimble...
, near Wendover
Wendover
Wendover is a market town that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district...
in Buckinghamshire on 22 January, and a memorial service was held at the Temple Church
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church...
the following day.
Papers
A number of letters written by Walton to Herbert Gladstone are deposited in the British LibraryBritish Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
manuscript collections.