William Gorman
Encyclopedia
Sir William Gorman was an English barrister
and judge
and Liberal Party
politician.
in Lancashire
, the son of William Gorman, a shopkeeper in Wigan, and Catherine Jump. He was the grandson of Henry Gorman, also a Wigan shopkeeper, who was born in Tipperary, Ireland in 1825. He was educated at Wigan Grammar School. He never married.
in 1921. He took silk in 1932. He practised on the Northern Circuit and was elected a Bencher
of the Middle Temple in 1938, acting as its Treasurer in 1959. He was made a judge in 1934, serving as Recorder
of Wigan from 1934-1948 and was Recorder of Liverpool
from 1948-1950. In 1950 he was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division. As Mr Justice Gorman, he was the judge who presided over the infamous A6 Murder trial, the longest murder trial in modern times, at which James Hanratty
was convicted. Hanratty was later hanged for the murder
.
During the Second World War, Gorman served in the Royal Artillery
, 7th Division, in France, Belgium and Italy. He also served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
from 1940-1944, leaving with the rank of Wing Commander
. From 1942-1944 he held the position of Assistant Judge Advocate General.
at the 1922 general election
when he fought Royton
as a Liberal. In a three-cornered contest he was 1,093 votes behind the sitting Conservative
MP, Sir Wilfrid Sugden
. The Labour
candidate Mr J Battle came third with just under 20% of the poll, giving Gorman hope that in a straight fight he might win the seat at a future attempt.
Gorman again fought Royton and there was again a three-cornered contest. This time however the effects of Liberal reunion between the Lloyd George
and Asquithian wings of the Liberal Party gave him a valuable boost and he overtook Sugden to capture the seat with a majority of 2,516 votes. Labour again came bottom of the poll, their candidate the Rev. J B Turner, losing his deposit
.
either. Their candidate, Mr A E Wood, duly came bottom of the poll again but raised his party’s share of the vote to 19%. With the anti-Tory vote thus split again and the Conservatives resurgent in the country after the brief period of the first Labour government, their new candidate Arthur Davies, defeated Gorman by a majority 2,426. Gorman did not stand for Parliament
again.
Gorman retained his association with Liberal politics however and was elected President of the Oldham
Reform Club in 1925.
in Surrey
from 1953. He was made an Honorary Freeman
of Wigan in 1954 and received the Honorary degree
of Doctor of Laws from the University of Manchester
in 1957.
, the Minister of Labour and National Service to sit on the National Arbitration Tribunal, a body established to resolve labour disputes under wartime restrictions on strikes and lockouts. He also served on the Industrial and Staff Canteen Undertakings Wages Board, set to consider wage claims under the Catering Wages Act 1943.
on 11 February 1965 attended by senior members of the judiciary
and the legal profession.
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
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
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.
Family and education
Gorman was born in WiganWigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the son of William Gorman, a shopkeeper in Wigan, and Catherine Jump. He was the grandson of Henry Gorman, also a Wigan shopkeeper, who was born in Tipperary, Ireland in 1825. He was educated at Wigan Grammar School. He never married.
Career
Gorman went in for the law and was called to the Bar at the Middle TempleMiddle 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...
in 1921. He took silk in 1932. He practised on the Northern Circuit and was elected a 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 Middle Temple in 1938, acting as its Treasurer in 1959. He was made a judge in 1934, serving as Recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
of Wigan from 1934-1948 and was Recorder of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
from 1948-1950. In 1950 he was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division. As Mr Justice Gorman, he was the judge who presided over the infamous A6 Murder trial, the longest murder trial in modern times, at which James Hanratty
James Hanratty
James Hanratty , a petty criminal with no history of violence, was the eighth-to-last person in the United Kingdom to be hanged after being convicted of the murder of Michael Gregsten at Deadman's Hill on the A6, near the village of Clophill, Bedfordshire, England, on 23 August 1961...
was convicted. Hanratty was later hanged for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
.
During the Second World War, Gorman served in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, 7th Division, in France, Belgium and Italy. He also served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
from 1940-1944, leaving with the rank of Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
. From 1942-1944 he held the position of Assistant Judge Advocate General.
1922
Gorman first tried to enter the House of CommonsBritish 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...
at the 1922 general election
United 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...
when he fought Royton
Royton (UK Parliament constituency)
Royton was, from 1918 to 1950, a parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom, centred on Royton in North West England. 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 was...
as a Liberal. In a three-cornered contest he was 1,093 votes behind 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, Sir Wilfrid Sugden
Wilfrid Sugden
Sir Wilfrid Hart Sugden was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. A Member of Parliament for fourteen years, he represented three different constituencies, losing his seat twice and losing in three other elections which he contested.He was elected at the 1918 general election as...
. The Labour
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...
candidate Mr J Battle came third with just under 20% of the poll, giving Gorman hope that in a straight fight he might win the seat at a future attempt.
1923
In 1923United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
Gorman again fought Royton and there was again a three-cornered contest. This time however the effects of Liberal reunion between the Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and Asquithian wings of the Liberal Party gave him a valuable boost and he overtook Sugden to capture the seat with a majority of 2,516 votes. Labour again came bottom of the poll, their candidate the Rev. J B Turner, losing his deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
.
1924
Labour refused to concede Gorman a straight fight against the Tories in 1924United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
either. Their candidate, Mr A E Wood, duly came bottom of the poll again but raised his party’s share of the vote to 19%. With the anti-Tory vote thus split again and the Conservatives resurgent in the country after the brief period of the first Labour government, their new candidate Arthur Davies, defeated Gorman by a majority 2,426. Gorman did not stand for Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
again.
Gorman retained his association with Liberal politics however and was elected President of the Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
Reform Club in 1925.
Honours
Gorman was knighted in 1950. He served as President of Caterham SchoolCaterham School
Caterham School is an independent coeducational day and boarding school in Caterham, Surrey and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-History:...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
from 1953. He was made an Honorary Freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Wigan in 1954 and received the Honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of Laws from the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
in 1957.
Other appointments
In 1944, Gorman was appointed by the Ernest BevinErnest Bevin
Ernest Bevin was a British trade union leader and Labour politician. He served as general secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1945, as Minister of Labour in the war-time coalition government, and as Foreign Secretary in the post-war Labour Government.-Early...
, the Minister of Labour and National Service to sit on the National Arbitration Tribunal, a body established to resolve labour disputes under wartime restrictions on strikes and lockouts. He also served on the Industrial and Staff Canteen Undertakings Wages Board, set to consider wage claims under the Catering Wages Act 1943.
Death
Gorman died in the West London Hospital on 21 December 1964 aged 73 years. A memorial service was held for him in the Temple ChurchTemple 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...
on 11 February 1965 attended by senior members of the judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
and the legal profession.