William Watson, Baron Thankerton
Encyclopedia
William Watson, Baron Thankerton (8 December 1873 – 13 June 1948) was a Scottish politician and judge.
Watson was the son of William Watson, Baron Watson
, and was educated at Winchester
and Jesus College, Cambridge
, graduating with a third class degree in law in 1895. He was admitted as an advocate
in 1899, taking silk
in 1914. He was Procurator to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
from 1918–22, and was an advocate depute in 1919.
Unionist
Member of Parliament
for Lanark South
from 1913 to 1918 and for Carlisle
from 1924 to 1929, he held office as Solicitor General for Scotland
in 1922 and as Lord Advocate
from 1922 to 1924 and from 1924 to 1929. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor
in 1922. He was raised to the bench as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
and created a life peer
as Baron Thankerton, of Thankerton in the County of Lanarkshire
on 1 May 1929, holding the post until his death at 74 in 1948.
Watson was the son of William Watson, Baron Watson
William Watson, Baron Watson
William Watson, Baron Watson PC, LL.D was a Scottish lawyer and Conservative Party politician. He was Lord Advocate, the most senior Law Officer in Scotland, from 1876 to 1880, and was then appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.-Early life:Watson was born in 1827, the son of the Reverend Thomas...
, and was educated at Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, graduating with a third class degree in law in 1895. He was admitted as an advocate
Faculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
in 1899, taking 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...
in 1914. He was Procurator to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Procurator to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Procurator to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the principal legal advisor to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The holder of the office is invariably a Queen's Counsel in Scotland...
from 1918–22, and was an advocate depute in 1919.
Unionist
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...
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,...
for Lanark South
South Lanarkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Lanarkshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.- Boundaries :...
from 1913 to 1918 and for Carlisle
Carlisle (UK Parliament constituency)
Carlisle is a 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. It was a Labour seat from 1964 until 2010, although the Conservatives came close to victory in the elections in...
from 1924 to 1929, he held office as Solicitor General for Scotland
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
in 1922 and as Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
from 1922 to 1924 and from 1924 to 1929. He was appointed 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 1922. He was raised to the bench as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords of the United Kingdom in order to exercise its judicial functions, which included acting as the highest court of appeal for most domestic matters...
and created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Thankerton, of Thankerton in the County of Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
on 1 May 1929, holding the post until his death at 74 in 1948.