George Pitt-Lewis
Encyclopedia
George Pitt-Lewis, KC
(13 December 1845 – 30 December 1906) was an English judge and Liberal
and Liberal Unionist politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892.
Pitt-Lewis was born in Honiton
, the eldest son of the Rev. George Tucker Lewis and his wife Jane Frances Palmer, daughter of Rev. William Palmer, Rector of Yarcombe, Devon.
His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were successively headmasters of Honiton Grammar School, which he himself attended. He was called to the bar at Middle Temple
in 1870 after receiving the Certificate of Honour 1st Class and Studentship of Four Inns of Court in 1869. In 1876 he assumed by royal licence the additional surname of Pitt. He went on the Western Circuit and was one of the originators of "The Bar Committee". He became a Queens Counsel in 1885 and became Recorder of Poole. He was a prodigious author of legal reference works including A Complete County Court Practice.
Pitt-Lewis was elected Member of Parliament
for the Barnstaple division of Devon
at the 1885 general election
, representing initially the Liberal Party
, and being re-elected as a Liberal Unionist in 1886
following the split over Home Rule for Ireland
. He retired from the House of Commons
at the 1892 general election
.
Pitt-Lewis married Mai daughter of General John George Palmer, of Paris. His stated recreations included freemasonry
and tricycling
.
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...
(13 December 1845 – 30 December 1906) was an English judge and Liberal
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...
and Liberal Unionist politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892.
Pitt-Lewis was born in Honiton
Honiton
Honiton is a town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways, and , each pronunciation having its adherents...
, the eldest son of the Rev. George Tucker Lewis and his wife Jane Frances Palmer, daughter of Rev. William Palmer, Rector of Yarcombe, Devon.
His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were successively headmasters of Honiton Grammar School, which he himself attended. He was called to the bar at Middle Temple
Middle 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 1870 after receiving the Certificate of Honour 1st Class and Studentship of Four Inns of Court in 1869. In 1876 he assumed by royal licence the additional surname of Pitt. He went on the Western Circuit and was one of the originators of "The Bar Committee". He became a Queens Counsel in 1885 and became Recorder of Poole. He was a prodigious author of legal reference works including A Complete County Court Practice.
Pitt-Lewis was elected 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 the Barnstaple division of Devon
Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnstaple was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member.The constituency...
at the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, representing initially the 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...
, and being re-elected as a Liberal Unionist in 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
following the split over Home Rule for Ireland
Irish Government Bill 1886
The Government of Ireland Bill 1886, commonly known as the First Home Rule Bill, was the first major attempt made by a British government to enact a law creating home rule for part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. He retired from the House of Commons
British 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 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
.
Pitt-Lewis married Mai daughter of General John George Palmer, of Paris. His stated recreations included freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and tricycling
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
.