Sir William Webb Follett (2 December 1796 – 28 June 1845), was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 lawyer

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 and politician.

Background and education

Follett was born at Topsham

Topsham

Topsham may refer to:United Kingdom:* Topsham, DevonUnited States:* Topsham, Maine, a town** Topsham , Maine, a census-designated place in the town* Topsham, Vermont, a town...

 in Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, the son of Captain Benjamin Follett, who had retired from the army in 1790 and gone into business, and his wife Ann Webb, daughter of John Webb. His younger brother was Brent Spencer Follett. Follett received his education at Exeter grammar school and Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

, graduating in 1818.

Career

Follett had entered 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 1816 and began to practise as a pleader below the bar in 1821, but was called to the bar in 1824, and joined the western circuit in 1825. In 1835 he was returned to parliament for Exeter

Exeter (UK Parliament constituency)

Exeter 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....

. In parliament he early distinguished himself, and under the first administration of Sir Robert Peel was appointed 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...

 (November 1834); but resigned with the ministry in April 1835. In. the course of this year he was knighted. On the return of Peel to power in 1841 Follett was again appointed Solicitor-General, and in April 1844 he succeeded Sir Frederick Pollock

Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet

Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet PC , was a British lawyer and Tory politician.-Background and education:...

 as 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...

.

Personal life

Follett married the eldest daughter of Sir Ambrose Harding Gifford, chief justice of Ceylon, in 1830. His health had begun to fail him in 1838, and had been permanently injured by a severe illness in 1841. In 1845 it broke down, and he was compelled to relinquish practice and to visit the south of Europe. He returned to England in March 1845; but the disease, tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

, reasserted itself, and he died in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 on the 28th of June following. A statue of Follett, executed by Behnes

William Behnes

William Behnes was an English sculptor of the early 19th century.Born in London, Behnes was the son of a Hanoverian pianoforte-maker and his English wife. His early life was spent in Dublin where he studied art at the Dublin Academy....

, was erected by subscription in Westminster Abbey.

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