William Atherton (MP)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Atherton QC
(1806 – 22 January 1864) was a British barrister
and Liberal Party
politician. An advanced Liberal who favoured the secret ballot
and widening of suffrage
, he held a seat in the House of Commons from 1852 to 1864, and was a Law Officer of the Crown
for four years.
minister, Rev. W Atherton, and his wife Margaret who was a daughter of the Church of Scotland
minster Rev. Walter Morrison. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple
and practised on the Northern Circuit
, becoming a Queen's Counsel
(QC) and a bencher in 1852.
He was elected at the 1852 general election
as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for City of Durham, and held the seat until his death in 1864.
Atherton was appointed as Solicitor General
on 16 December 1859, having previously served as Counsel to the Admiralty and Judge Advocate of the Fleet
. He was knight
ed on 23 February 1860,
and promoted to Attorney General
on 9 July 1861.
Having taken an office of profit
under the Crown, he was obliged on each occasion to present himself for re-election, and was returned unopposed at by-elections on 9 January 1860 and 8 July 1861. In his acceptance speech in July 1861 he called for greater unity in the Liberal Party, and supported British neutrality in the American Civil War
.
Atherton retired as Attorney General in the autumn of 1863 due to ill-health, and died on 22 January 1864, at his home in Westbourne Terrace, near Hyde Park
in London.
.
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...
(1806 – 22 January 1864) was a British 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 Liberal Party
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. An advanced Liberal who favoured the secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
and widening of suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
, he held a seat in the House of Commons from 1852 to 1864, and was a Law Officer of the Crown
Law Officers of the Crown
The Law Officers of the Crown are the chief legal advisers to the Crown, and advise and represent the various governments in the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms. In England and Wales, Northern Ireland and most Commonwealth and colonial governments, the chief law officer of the...
for four years.
Career
Atherton was the son of a Wesleyan MethodistWesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)
The Wesleyan Methodist Church was the name used by the major Methodist movement in Great Britain following its split from the Church of England after the death of John Wesley and the appearance of parallel Methodist movements...
minister, Rev. W Atherton, and his wife Margaret who was a daughter of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
minster Rev. Walter Morrison. He was called to the bar at 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...
and practised on the Northern Circuit
Northern Circuit
The Northern Circuit dates from 1176 when Henry II sent his judges on circuit to do justice in his name. The Circuit encompassed the whole of the North of England but in 1876 it was divided. That part to the west of the Pennines retained the old name. The land to the east became the territory of...
, becoming a 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...
(QC) and a bencher in 1852.
He was elected at the 1852 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
as a Member of Parliament
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,...
(MP) for City of Durham, and held the seat until his death in 1864.
Atherton was appointed as 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...
on 16 December 1859, having previously served as Counsel to the Admiralty and Judge Advocate of the Fleet
Judge Advocate of the Fleet
In the United Kingdom, the Judge Advocate of Her Majesty's Fleet was a civilian judge who was responsible for the supervision and superintendence of the court martial system in the Royal Navy...
. He was knight
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...
ed on 23 February 1860,
and promoted to Attorney General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
on 9 July 1861.
Having taken an office of profit
Office of profit
An office of profit is a term used in a number of national constitutions to refer to executive appointments. A number of countries forbid members of the legislature from accepting an office of profit under the executive as a means to secure the independence of the legislature and preserve the...
under the Crown, he was obliged on each occasion to present himself for re-election, and was returned unopposed at by-elections on 9 January 1860 and 8 July 1861. In his acceptance speech in July 1861 he called for greater unity in the Liberal Party, and supported British neutrality in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Atherton retired as Attorney General in the autumn of 1863 due to ill-health, and died on 22 January 1864, at his home in Westbourne Terrace, near Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in London.
Family
In 1843 he married Agnes Mary Hall (died 1866), daughter of Thomas J. Hall, the chief magistrate of Bow Street Magistrates' CourtBow 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:...
.