Travers Humphreys
Encyclopedia
The Rt. Hon. Sir Travers Humphreys PC (4 August 1867 – 20 February 1956) was a noted British
barrister
and judge who, during a sixty year legal career, was involved in the cases of Oscar Wilde
, Hawley Harvey Crippen
, George Joseph Smith
, the 'Brides in the Bath' murderer, and John George Haigh
, the 'Acid Bath Murderer'.
in Bloomsbury
in London, the fourth son and sixth child of solicitor
Charles Octavius Humphreys, and his wife, Harriet Ann (nee
Grain), the sister of the entertainer Richard Corney Grain
. Humphreys was educated at Shrewsbury School
and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, graduating BA in 1889. He was called to the Bar fom the Inner Temple
in 1889 and entered the chambers of E. T. E. Besley, where he concentrated on practice in the criminal courts.
On February 15 1895 Oscar Wilde
, Lord Alfred Douglas
and Robbie Ross approached Charles Octavius Humphreys with the intention of suing the Marquess of Queensberry
, Douglas' father, for criminal libel
. Humphreys applied for a warrant for Queensberry's arrest and approached Sir Edward Clark
and Charles Willie Mathews to represent Wilde. Travers Humphreys appeared as a Junior Counsel for the prosecution in the subsequent case of Wilde vs Queensbury.
In 1902 Humphreys held a junior brief under H.F. Dickens
for the defence of Emma 'Kitty' Byron, who was charged with the murder of Arthur Reginald Baker. Although Byron was convicted, Dickens's defence was so spirited that she was given a reduced prison sentence due to public petition. On 28 May 1896 Humphreys married the actress Zoë Marguerite (1872–1953), the daughter of Henri Philippe Neumans, an artist from Antwerp. In 1895 she had appeared in An Artist's Model
with Marie Tempest
, Marie Studholme
, Letty Lind
and Hayden Coffin. They had two sons, the eldest of whom, Richard Grain Humphreys (1897-28 September 1917) was killed in France in the Third Battle of Ypres during World War I
; the younger son was the noted barrister
and judge Christmas Humphreys
, who prosecuted Ruth Ellis
for the murder of her lover David Blakely in 1955.
Humphreys was appointed Counsel for the Crown at the Middlesex and North London sessions in 1905, a junior Treasury Counsel ( or 'Treasury Devil') to the Crown at the Central Criminal Court
in 1908, and was appointed one of three senior Treasury Counsel in 1916.
In 1910 Humphreys appeared as Junior Counsel in the prosecution of H. H. Crippen
for the murder of his wife, Cora Henrietta Crippen; and in 1912 he appeared for the prosecution against Frederick Seddon
, who was found guilty of poisoning Eliza Mary Barrow. He appeared for the prosecution at the Old Bailey
in 1915 with Archibald Bodkin
(later Director of Public Prosecutions
) and Cecil Whiteley
(later KC
) against George Joseph Smith
, the 'Brides in the Bath' murderer. In 1916 he was one of the team who prosecuted Sir Roger Casement for treason. At the Central Criminal Court
in 1922 he successfully prosecuted Horatio Bottomley
for fraudulent conversion. Also in 1922 he appeared for the Crown, led by the Solicitor-General
Sir Thomas Inskip
, against Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters
, who were jointly charged with the murder of Thompson's husband.
After appointments as Recorder
of Chichester
, Recorder of Cambridge
and Deputy Chairman of London Sessions in 1926, he was made a Judge of the King's Bench Division in 1928.
During the 1940s and early 1950s Humphreys sat in the Court of Criminal Appeal
. In this capacity, in 1945 he sat with Lord Chief Justice Lord Goddard
and Mr Justice Lynksey
to hear William Joyce
's appeal
against his conviction for treason
during World War II
. The court rejected Joyce's appeal. In 1949 he presided over the trial of John George Haigh
, the Acid Bath Murderer, whom he sentenced to death.
In 1950, he sat with the Lord Chief Justice Lord Goddard and Mr Justice Sellers
in the Court of Criminal Appeal to hear the appeal of Timothy Evans
against his conviction for the murder of his baby daughter, evidence having also been admitted as to the death of Evans' wife.
in 1925 and a Privy Counsellor
in 1946. He retired in 1951 as the senior and oldest King's Bench judge. He was a member of the Garrick Club
and was a keen yachtsman On his wife's death in 1953 Humphreys sold his Ealing
home and moved into the Onslow Court Hotel, in Queen's Gate
, South Kensington
, which specialised in providing accommodation for retired people. Coincidentally, this was the hotel occupied about four years before by John George Haigh
and his victim Mrs Durand-Deacon.
; by Frederick Hall in The Edwardians episode 'Horatio Bottomley
' (1972); by Raymond Huntley
in the On Trial episode 'Horatio Bottomley, MP' (1960); and by John Barron
in the 1960 episode 'Sir Roger Casement' in the same series.
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...
barrister
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 judge who, during a sixty year legal career, was involved in the cases of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
, Hawley Harvey Crippen
Hawley Harvey Crippen
Hawley Harvey Crippen , usually known as Dr. Crippen, was an American homeopathic physician hanged in Pentonville Prison, London, on November 23, 1910, for the murder of his wife, Cora Henrietta Crippen...
, George Joseph Smith
George Joseph Smith
George Joseph Smith was an English serial killer and bigamist. In 1915 he was convicted and subsequently hanged for the slayings of three women, the case becoming known as the "Brides in the Bath Murders". As well as being widely reported in the media, the case was a significant case in the...
, the 'Brides in the Bath' murderer, and John George Haigh
John George Haigh
John George Haigh , commonly known as the "Acid Bath Murderer" , was an English serial killer during the 1940s. He was convicted of the murders of six people, although he claimed to have killed nine...
, the 'Acid Bath Murderer'.
Legal career
Travers Humphreys was born Richard Somers Travers Christmas Humphreys in Doughty StreetDoughty Street
Doughty Street is a broad tree lined street in the Holborn district of the London Borough of Camden. The southern part is a continuation of the short John Street, which comes off Theobalds Road. The northern part crosses Guilford Street and ends at Mecklenburgh Square.The street contains mainly...
in Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
in London, the fourth son and sixth child of solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
Charles Octavius Humphreys, and his wife, Harriet Ann (nee
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Grain), the sister of the entertainer Richard Corney Grain
Richard Corney Grain
Richard Corney Grain , known by his stage name Corney Grain, was an entertainer and songwriter of the late Victorian era.-Biography:...
. Humphreys was educated at Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, graduating BA in 1889. He was called to the Bar fom 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 1889 and entered the chambers of E. T. E. Besley, where he concentrated on practice in the criminal courts.
On February 15 1895 Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
, Lord Alfred Douglas
Lord Alfred Douglas
Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas , nicknamed Bosie, was a British author, poet and translator, better known as the intimate friend and lover of the writer Oscar Wilde...
and Robbie Ross approached Charles Octavius Humphreys with the intention of suing the Marquess of Queensberry
John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry
John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry GCVO was a Scottish nobleman, remembered for lending his name and patronage to the "Marquess of Queensberry rules" that formed the basis of modern boxing, for his outspoken atheism, and for his role in the downfall of author and playwright Oscar...
, Douglas' father, for criminal libel
Criminal libel
Criminal libel is a legal term, of English origin, which may be used with one of two distinct meanings, in those common law jurisdictions where it is still used....
. Humphreys applied for a warrant for Queensberry's arrest and approached Sir Edward Clark
Edward George Clarke
Sir Edward George Clarke QC QC was a British barrister and politician, considered one of the leading advocates of the late Victorian era and serving as Solicitor-General in the Conservative government of 1886–1892...
and Charles Willie Mathews to represent Wilde. Travers Humphreys appeared as a Junior Counsel for the prosecution in the subsequent case of Wilde vs Queensbury.
In 1902 Humphreys held a junior brief under H.F. Dickens
Henry Fielding Dickens
Sir Henry Fielding Dickens, KC was the eighth of ten children born to British author Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine. The most successful of all of Dickens's children, he was a barrister, a KC and Common Serjeant of London, a senior legal office which he held for over 15 years.-Early...
for the defence of Emma 'Kitty' Byron, who was charged with the murder of Arthur Reginald Baker. Although Byron was convicted, Dickens's defence was so spirited that she was given a reduced prison sentence due to public petition. On 28 May 1896 Humphreys married the actress Zoë Marguerite (1872–1953), the daughter of Henri Philippe Neumans, an artist from Antwerp. In 1895 she had appeared in An Artist's Model
An Artist's Model
An Artist's Model is a two-act musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilton and Leopold Wenzel. It opened at Daly's Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes and...
with Marie Tempest
Marie Tempest
Dame Marie Tempest DBE was an English singer and actress known as the "queen of her profession".Tempest became the most famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, she became a leading comic actress and toured widely in North America and elsewhere...
, Marie Studholme
Marie Studholme
Marie Studholme , born Caroline Maria Lupton or Marion Lupton, was an English actress and singer known for her supporting and sometimes starring roles in Victorian and Edwardian musical comedy...
, Letty Lind
Letty Lind
Letitia Elizabeth Rudge, better known as Letty Lind , was an English actress, dancer and acrobat, best known for her work in burlesque at the Gaiety Theatre, and in musical theatre at Daly's Theatre, in London....
and Hayden Coffin. They had two sons, the eldest of whom, Richard Grain Humphreys (1897-28 September 1917) was killed in France in the Third Battle of Ypres during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; the younger son was the noted barrister
Barristers in England and Wales
Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. -Origin of the profession:The work of senior legal professionals in England and Wales...
and judge Christmas Humphreys
Christmas Humphreys
Travers Christmas Humphreys, QC was a British barrister who prosecuted several controversial cases in the 1940s and 1950s, and later became a judge at the Old Bailey. He was an enthusiastic Shakespeare scholar and proponent of the Oxfordian theory...
, who prosecuted Ruth Ellis
Ruth Ellis
Ruth Ellis , née Neilson, was the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom. She was convicted of the murder of her lover, David Blakely, and hanged at Holloway Prison, London, by Albert Pierrepoint.-Biography:...
for the murder of her lover David Blakely in 1955.
Humphreys was appointed Counsel for the Crown at the Middlesex and North London sessions in 1905, a junior Treasury Counsel ( or 'Treasury Devil') to the Crown at the Central Criminal Court
Central Criminal Court
Central Criminal Court may refer to:*Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey, London, England*Central Criminal Court, name for the High Court when it is hearing a criminal case, in Dublin or elsewhere, Republic of Ireland...
in 1908, and was appointed one of three senior Treasury Counsel in 1916.
In 1910 Humphreys appeared as Junior Counsel in the prosecution of H. H. Crippen
Hawley Harvey Crippen
Hawley Harvey Crippen , usually known as Dr. Crippen, was an American homeopathic physician hanged in Pentonville Prison, London, on November 23, 1910, for the murder of his wife, Cora Henrietta Crippen...
for the murder of his wife, Cora Henrietta Crippen; and in 1912 he appeared for the prosecution against Frederick Seddon
Frederick Seddon
Frederick Henry Seddon was a British poisoner who was hanged in 1912 for murdering Eliza Mary Barrow.-Background:...
, who was found guilty of poisoning Eliza Mary Barrow. He appeared for the prosecution at the Old Bailey
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 1915 with Archibald Bodkin
Archibald Bodkin
Sir Archibald Henry Bodkin KCB was an English lawyer and the Director of Public Prosecutions from 1920 to 1930. He particularly took a stand against the publication of what he saw as 'obscene' literature.-Early years:...
(later Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
) and Cecil Whiteley
Cecil Whiteley
Judge George Cecil Whiteley KC MA DL JP , was Common Serjeant of London from 1933 to 1942 and a Judge at the Mayor's and City of London Court....
(later KC
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...
) against George Joseph Smith
George Joseph Smith
George Joseph Smith was an English serial killer and bigamist. In 1915 he was convicted and subsequently hanged for the slayings of three women, the case becoming known as the "Brides in the Bath Murders". As well as being widely reported in the media, the case was a significant case in the...
, the 'Brides in the Bath' murderer. In 1916 he was one of the team who prosecuted Sir Roger Casement for treason. At the Central Criminal Court
Central Criminal Court
Central Criminal Court may refer to:*Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey, London, England*Central Criminal Court, name for the High Court when it is hearing a criminal case, in Dublin or elsewhere, Republic of Ireland...
in 1922 he successfully prosecuted Horatio Bottomley
Horatio Bottomley
Horatio William Bottomley was a British financier, swindler, journalist, newspaper proprietor, populist politician and Member of Parliament .-Early life:...
for fraudulent conversion. Also in 1922 he appeared for the Crown, led by the Solicitor-General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
Sir Thomas Inskip
Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote
Thomas Walker Hobart Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote CBE, PC, KC was a British politician who served in many legal posts, culminating in serving as Lord Chancellor from 1939 until 1940...
, against Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters
Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters
Edith Jessie Thompson and Frederick Edward Francis Bywaters were a British couple who were executed for the murder of Thompson’s husband Percy...
, who were jointly charged with the murder of Thompson's husband.
After appointments as 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 Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, Recorder of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and Deputy Chairman of London Sessions in 1926, he was made a Judge of the King's Bench Division in 1928.
During the 1940s and early 1950s Humphreys sat in the Court of Criminal Appeal
Court 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 ...
. In this capacity, in 1945 he sat with Lord Chief Justice Lord Goddard
Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard
Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard was Lord Chief Justice of England from 1946 to 1958 and known for his strict sentencing and conservative views. He was nicknamed the 'Tiger' and "Justice-in-a-jiffy" for his no-nonsense manner...
and Mr Justice Lynksey
George Lynskey
Sir George Justin Lynskey was an English judge, particularly remembered for his role in investigating the political scandal that led to the eponymous Lynskey tribunal.-Early life:...
to hear William Joyce
William Joyce
William Joyce , nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw, was an Irish-American fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He was hanged for treason by the British as a result of his wartime activities, even though he had renounced his British nationality...
's appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
against his conviction for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The court rejected Joyce's appeal. In 1949 he presided over the trial of John George Haigh
John George Haigh
John George Haigh , commonly known as the "Acid Bath Murderer" , was an English serial killer during the 1940s. He was convicted of the murders of six people, although he claimed to have killed nine...
, the Acid Bath Murderer, whom he sentenced to death.
In 1950, he sat with the Lord Chief Justice Lord Goddard and Mr Justice Sellers
Frederic Sellers
Sir Frederic Aked Sellers was a lawyer and judge in England and Wales.Sellers was appointed a Justice of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of England and Wales on 13 February 1946. A few days later he was knighted...
in the Court of Criminal Appeal to hear the appeal of Timothy Evans
Timothy Evans
Timothy John Evans was a Welshman accused of murdering his wife and daughter at their residence in Notting Hill, London in November 1949. In January 1950 Evans was tried and convicted of the murder of his daughter, and he was sentenced to death by hanging...
against his conviction for the murder of his baby daughter, evidence having also been admitted as to the death of Evans' wife.
Later years
He was appointed a Knight BachelorKnight 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...
in 1925 and a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1946. He retired in 1951 as the senior and oldest King's Bench judge. He was a member of the Garrick Club
Garrick Club
The Garrick Club is a gentlemen's club in London.-History:The Garrick Club was founded at a meeting in the Committee Room at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on Wednesday 17 August 1831...
and was a keen yachtsman On his wife's death in 1953 Humphreys sold his Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
home and moved into the Onslow Court Hotel, in Queen's Gate
Queen's Gate
Queen's Gate is a major street in South Kensington, London, England. It runs from Kensington Road south, intersecting with Cromwell Road, and then on to Old Brompton Road....
, South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
, which specialised in providing accommodation for retired people. Coincidentally, this was the hotel occupied about four years before by John George Haigh
John George Haigh
John George Haigh , commonly known as the "Acid Bath Murderer" , was an English serial killer during the 1940s. He was convicted of the murders of six people, although he claimed to have killed nine...
and his victim Mrs Durand-Deacon.
Media portrayals
Humphreys was played by Ian Connaughton in the 2003 tv drama The Brides in the BathThe Brides in the Bath
The Brides in the Bath is a 2003 Yorkshire Television film based on the life and Old Bailey trial of British serial killer and bigamist George Joseph Smith, the "Brides in the Bath Murderer". Martin Kemp plays the role of Smith, and Richard Griffiths plays barrister Sir Edward Marshall-Hall...
; by Frederick Hall in The Edwardians episode 'Horatio Bottomley
Horatio Bottomley
Horatio William Bottomley was a British financier, swindler, journalist, newspaper proprietor, populist politician and Member of Parliament .-Early life:...
' (1972); by Raymond Huntley
Raymond Huntley
Raymond Huntley was an English actor who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s through to the 1970s...
in the On Trial episode 'Horatio Bottomley, MP' (1960); and by John Barron
John Barron (actor)
John Barron was an English actor.-Biography:Born in Marylebone, London, Barron was interested in acting from an early age. For his 18th birthday his godfather paid his entry fee to RADA. After serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, he returned to stage acting...
in the 1960 episode 'Sir Roger Casement' in the same series.
Works
- A Book of Trials, William Heinemann (1953)
- Criminal Days, Hodder & Stoughton (1946)