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Title: The Reminiscences Of Sir Henry Hawkins (Baron Brampton)

Author: Henry Hawkins Brampton

Release Date: December 6, 2003 [EBook #10392]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIR HENRY HAWKINS ***

Produced by Eric Hutton, Juliet Sutherland, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

[Illustration: SIR HENRY HAWKINS AND "JACK." Photo by Elliot & Fry.]

THE

REMINISCENCES

OF

SIR HENRY HAWKINS

(BARON BRAMPTON)

EDITED BY

RICHARD HARRIS, K.C.

PREFACE.

As a preface I wish to say only a very few words—namely, that but for the great pressure put upon me I should not have ventured to write, or allowed to be published, any reminiscences of mine, being very conscious that I could not offer to the public any words of my own that would be worth the time it would occupy to read them; but the whole merit of this volume is due to my very old friend Richard Harris, K.C., who has already shown, by his skill and marvellously attractive composition in reproducing my efforts in the Tichborne case, what interest may be imparted to an otherwise very dry subject. In that work[A] he has done me much more than justice, and for this I thank him, with many good wishes for the success of this his new work, and with many thanks to those of the public who may take and feel an interest in such of my imperfect reminiscences as are here recorded.

BRAMPTON.

HARROGATE, August 17, 1904.

[Footnote A: "Illustrations in Advocacy" (fourth edition, Stevens and
Haynes).]

EDITOR'S PREFACE.

This volume is the outcome of many conversations with Lord Brampton and of innumerable manuscript notes from his pen. I have endeavoured, as far as possible, to present them to the public in such a manner that, although chronological order has not been strictly adhered to, it has been, nevertheless, considering the innumerable events of Lord Brampton's career, carefully observed.

Apocryphal stories are always told of celebrated men, and of no one more than of Sir Henry Hawkins during his career on the Bench and at the Bar; but I venture to say that there is no doubtful story in this volume, and, further, that there is not one which has ever been told exactly in the same form before. Good stories, like good coin, lose by circulation. If there should be one or two in these reminiscences which have lost their image and superscription by much handling, I hope that the recasting which they have undergone will give them, not only the brightness of the original mint, but a wider circulation than they have ever known.

The distinguishing characteristics by which Lord Brampton's stories may be known I have long been familiar with, and have no hesitation in saying that one or other, some or all, may be found in every anecdote that bears the genuine stamp. They are

WIT, HUMOUR, PATHOS, AND TRAGEDY.

My claims in the production of this volume are confined to its defects, although Lord Brampton has been generous enough to attribute to me a share in its merits.

RICHARD HARRIS.

27 FITZJOHN'S AVENUE,

HAMPSTEAD,

October 6, 1904.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. AT BEDFORD SCHOOL

II. IN MY UNCLE'S OFFICE

III. SECOND YEAR—THESIGER AND PLATT—MY FIRST BRIEF

IV. AT THE OLD BAILEY IN THE OLD TIMES

V. MR. JUSTICE MAULE

VI. AN INCIDENT ON THE ROAD TO NEWMARKET

VII. AN EPISODE AT HERTFORD QUARTER SESSIONS

VIII. A DANGEROUS SITUATION—A CASE OF FORGETFULNESS

IX. THE ONLY "RACER" I EVER OWNED—SAM LINTON, THE DOG-FINDER

X. WHY I GAVE OVER CARD-PLAYING

XI. "CODD'S PUZZLE"

XII. GRAHAM, THE POLITE JUDGE

XIII. GLORIOUS OLD DAYS—THE HON. BOB GRIMSTON, AND MANY OTHERS—CHICKEN-HAZARD

XIV. PETER RYLAND—THE REV. MR. FAKER AND THE WELSH WILL

XV. TATTERSALL'S—BARON MARTIN, HARRY HILL, AND THE OLD FOX IN THE YARD

XVI. ARISING OUT OF THE "ORSINI AFFAIR"

XVII. APPOINTED QUEEN'S COUNSEL—A SERIOUS ILLNESS—SAM LEWIS

XVIII. THE PRIZE—FIGHT ON FRIMLEY COMMON

XIX. SAM WARREN, THE AUTHOR OF "TEN THOUSAND A YEAR"

XX. THE BRIGHTON CARD-SHARPING CASE

XXI. THE KNEBWORTH THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENTS—SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTON—CHARLES DICKENS, CHARLES MATHEWS, MACREADY, DOUGLAS JERROLD

XXII. CROCKFORD'S—"HOOKS AND EYES"—DOUGLAS JERROLD

XXIII. ALDERSON, TOMKINS, AND A FREE COUNTRY—A PROBLEM IN HUMAN NATURE

XXIV. CHARLES MATHEWS—A HARVEST FESTIVAL AT THE VILLAGE CHURCH

XXV. COMPENSATION—NICE CALCULATIONS IN OLD DAYS—EXPERTS—LLOYD AND I

XXVI. ELECTION PETITIONS

XXVII. MY CANDIDATURE FOR BARNSTAPLE

XXVIII. THE TICHBORNE CASE

XXIX. A VISIT TO SHEFFIELD—MRS. HAILSTONE'S DANISH BOARHOUND

XXX. AN EXPERT IN HANDWRITING—"DO YOU KNOW JOE BROWN?"

XXXI. APPOINTED A JUDGE—MY FIRST TRIAL FOR MURDER

XXXII. ON THE MIDLAND CIRCUIT

XXXIII. JACK

XXXIV. TWO TRAGEDIES

XXXV. THE ST. NEOTS CASE

XXXVI. A NIGHT AT NOTTINGHAM

XXXVII. HOW I MET AN INCORRIGIBLE PUNSTER

XXXVIII. THE TILNEY STREET OUTRAGE—"ARE YOU NOT GOING TO PUT ON THE BLACK CAP, MY LORD?"

XXXIX. SEVERAL SCENES

XL. DR. LAMSON—A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY—A WILL CASE

XLI. MR.J.L. TOOLE ON THE BENCH

XLII. A FULL MEMBER OF THE JOCKEY CLUB

XLIII. THE LITTLE MOUSE AND THE PRISONER—THE BRUTALITY OF OUR OLD LAWS

XLIV. THE LAST OF LORD CAMPBELL—WINE AND WATER—SIR THOMAS WILDE

XLV. HOW I CROSS-EXAMINED PRINCE LOUIS NAPOLEON

XLVI. THE NEW LAW ALLOWING THE ACCUSED TO GIVE EVIDENCE—THE CASE OF DR. WALLACE, THE LAST I TRIED ON CIRCUIT

XLVII. A FAREWELL MEMORY OF JACK

XLVIII. OLD TURF FRIENDS

XLIX. LEAVING THE BENCH—LORD BRAMPTON

L. SENTENCES

LI. CARDINAL MANNING—"OUR CHAPEL"

APPENDIX

THE REMINISCENCES OF SIR HENRY HAWKINS.