William Otto Adolph Julius Danckwerts
Encyclopedia
William Otto Adolph Julius Danckwerts KC (1853 – April 25, 1914) was a noted British lawyer.
He was born Wilhelm Otto Adolf Julius in Heidelberg
, Germany
but emigrated to South Africa with his parents in 1857.
He was educated at the school of the Reverend Robert Templeton in the village of Bedford in the eastern Cape Colony
, and then at Gill College
. He entered Peterhouse, Cambridge
in 1873, graduating with a B.A.
in 1877. He studied law at the Inner Temple
, was called to the bar in 1878, and became King's Counsel in 1900.
Early in his career, he acted for the prosecution in the cause célèbre
of R v Dudley and Stephens
.
He was counsel to Commissioners of Works and Public Buildings
, and junior counsel to the Inland Revenue
from 1895 to 1900.
Although he rose to the top of his profession and earned a high income for his day (£20,000 a year), he never became a judge.
which was recruited for service in the Crimean War
. At the end of that war many of these men were resettled in the Cape Colony
.
He married Caroline Mary Lowther. His son Sir Harold Otto Danckwerts (1888–1978) became a lawyer, judge and Privy Counsellor; another son, Rear-Admiral Victor Hilary Danckwerts (1890–1944), was Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Fleet and the father of his grandson Peter Victor Danckwerts
, chemical engineer and George Cross recipient.
He was born Wilhelm Otto Adolf Julius in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
but emigrated to South Africa with his parents in 1857.
He was educated at the school of the Reverend Robert Templeton in the village of Bedford in the eastern Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, and then at Gill College
Gill College
Gill College is a South African high school in Somerset East. It was originally founded in 1869 as a university.The school's namesake, Dr. William Gill, died in 1863 and left an estate equivalent to $23,000 US dollars for the establishment of a college of higher education. Gill College was...
. He entered Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
in 1873, graduating with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1877. He studied law 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...
, was called to the bar in 1878, and became King's Counsel in 1900.
Early in his career, he acted for the prosecution in the cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
of R v Dudley and Stephens
R v Dudley and Stephens
R v Dudley and Stephens [1884] 14 QBD 273 DC is a leading English criminal case that established a precedent, throughout the common law world, that necessity is no defense against a charge of murder. It concerned survival cannibalism following a shipwreck and its purported justification on the...
.
He was counsel to Commissioners of Works and Public Buildings
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
, and junior counsel to the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
from 1895 to 1900.
Although he rose to the top of his profession and earned a high income for his day (£20,000 a year), he never became a judge.
Family
He was the eldest son of Adolph Victor Danckwertz (also known as Viktor Adolf Danckwerts), a German doctor living in Somerset East, South Africa. Adolph Danckwerts was one of four doctors attached to the British German LegionBritish German Legion
The British German Legion was a group of German soldiers recruited to fight for Britain in the Crimean War. It is not to be confused with the King's German Legion, which was active during the Napoleonic Wars....
which was recruited for service in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. At the end of that war many of these men were resettled in the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
.
He married Caroline Mary Lowther. His son Sir Harold Otto Danckwerts (1888–1978) became a lawyer, judge and Privy Counsellor; another son, Rear-Admiral Victor Hilary Danckwerts (1890–1944), was Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Fleet and the father of his grandson Peter Victor Danckwerts
Peter Victor Danckwerts
Peter Victor Danckwerts GC, MBE, FRS was Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering at Cambridge University from 1959 to 1977 and a Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge....
, chemical engineer and George Cross recipient.