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{{Short description|English judge and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sir John Mellor
| honorific_prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| image = File:John Mellor Vanity Fair 24 May 1873.jpg
⚫
| caption = "Judges the [[Tichborne Case|Claimant]]"<br />Mellor as caricatured by Spy ([[Leslie Ward]]) in [[Vanity Fair (British magazine)|Vanity Fair]], May 1873
| successor = [[Charles Bowen, Baron Bowen|Sir Charles Bowen]]
| office = [[High Court judge (England and Wales)|Justice of the High Court]]
}}
{{other people | John Mellor }}
{{other people | John Mellor }}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}

⚫
[[File:John Mellor Vanity Fair 24 May 1873.jpg|thumb|right|<center>"Judges the [[Tichborne Case|Claimant]]"<br>Mellor as caricatured by Spy ([[Leslie Ward]]) in [[Vanity Fair (British magazine)|Vanity Fair]], May 1873</center>]]
'''Sir John Mellor''' (1 January 1809 – 26 April 1887) was an English judge and [[Member of Parliament]].
'''Sir John Mellor''', PC (1 January 1809 – 26 April 1887) was an English judge and [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]].


==Life==
==Life==
Mellor was born in [[Hollinwood, Greater Manchester|Hollinwood]], [[Oldham]] and raised in [[Leicester]], where his father was mayor and a [[Justice of the Peace]].<ref name="DNB"/>
Mellor was born in [[Hollinwood, Greater Manchester|Hollinwood]], [[Oldham]] and raised in [[Leicester]], where his father was mayor and a [[Justice of the Peace]].<ref name="DNB"/>


As a young man, his [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] beliefs prevented Mellor attending university. He entered law, becoming [[Queen's Counsel]] in 1833. Following failed attempts in 1852 (at [[Warwick (UK Parliament constituency)|Warwick]]) and 1857 (at [[Coventry (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry]]) he was elected to Parliament to represent [[Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Yarmouth]] in 1857, and [[Nottingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Nottingham]] in 1859. He was appointed to the [[Court of King's Bench (England)|Queen's Bench]] in 1861 and [[knight]]ed in 1862.<ref name="DNB"/>
As a young man, his [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] beliefs prevented Mellor attending university. He entered law, joined the midland circuit, and practised at Leicester borough and Warwick sessions, at assizes, and at the [[parliamentary bar]]. He became a [[Queen's Counsel]] in 1833. Following failed attempts in 1852 (at [[Warwick (UK Parliament constituency)|Warwick]]) and 1857 (at [[Coventry (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry]]) he was elected to Parliament to represent [[Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Yarmouth]] in 1857, and [[Nottingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Nottingham]] in 1859. He was appointed to the [[Court of King's Bench (England)|Queen's Bench]] in 1861 and [[knight]]ed in 1862.<ref name="DNB"/>


Mellor was one of the two judges at the special commission set up in [[Manchester]] in 1867 to try those accused of the murder of Police Sergeant Charles Brett.<ref name="DNB"/>
Mellor was one of the two judges at the special commission set up in [[Manchester]] in 1867 to try those accused of the murder of Police Sergeant Charles Brett.<ref name="DNB"/>


He was one of three judges at the 188-day long trial in 1873 of [[Arthur Orton]], the [[Tichborne case|Tichborne claimant]]. In his description of the case, James Beresford Atlay described him as 'second to none amongst the Common Law judges'.<ref>{{cite book | author= Atlay, James Beresford | title= Famous trials of the century | chapter= "The trial at bar" | chapterurl= http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/atlay/tichborne11.htm | page= 355 | location= London | publisher= Grant Richards | year= 1899 }}</ref> Hamilton notes he 'often amused the jury with his dry humour'.<ref name="DNB">{{cite book | title= Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | chapter= Mellor, Sir John (1809–1887) | author= Hamilton, J A |author2=Sinéad Agnew | publisher= Oxford University Press | year= 2004 | doi= 10.1093/ref:odnb/18534}}</ref>
He was one of three judges at the 188-day long trial in 1873 of [[Arthur Orton]], the [[Tichborne case|Tichborne claimant]]. In his description of the case, James Beresford Atlay described him as 'second to none amongst the Common Law judges'.<ref>{{cite book | author= Atlay, James Beresford | title= Famous trials of the century | chapter= "The trial at bar" | chapter-url= http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/atlay/tichborne11.htm | page= 355 | location= London | publisher= Grant Richards | year= 1899 | access-date= 28 September 2009 | archive-date= 18 April 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180418114349/http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/atlay/tichborne11.htm | url-status= dead }}</ref> Hamilton notes he 'often amused the jury with his dry humour'.<ref name="DNB">{{cite ODNB | title= Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | chapter= Mellor, Sir John (1809–1887) | author= Hamilton, J A |author2=Sinéad Agnew | editor1-first= Sinéad | editor1-last= Agnew | year= 2004 | doi= 10.1093/ref:odnb/18534}}</ref>


Mellor retired in 1879 and was raised to the [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|Privy Council]]. He died at his London house in 1887 and was buried at [[Kingsdown, Kent]].<ref name="DNB"/>
Mellor retired in 1879 and was raised to the [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|Privy Council]]. He died at his London house in 1887 and was buried at [[Kingsdown, Dover|Kingsdown, Kent]].<ref name="DNB"/>


==Family==
==Family==
Mellor and his wife Elizabeth (née Moseley) had eight sons.<ref name="DNB"/> Sir James Robert Mellor (1839–1926), the third son, was noted as a lawyer and polo player.<ref>{{acad|id=MLR859JR|name=Mellor, James Robert}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Horace A. Laffaye|title=The Polo Encyclopedia, 2d ed.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EIb2BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA246|date=10 March 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-1956-9|page=246}}</ref>
Mellor and his wife Elizabeth (née Moseley) had eight sons.<ref name="DNB"/> Sir James Robert Mellor (1839–1926), the third son, was noted as a lawyer and polo player.<ref>{{acad|id=MLR859JR|name=Mellor, James Robert}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Horace A. Laffaye|title=The Polo Encyclopedia, 2d ed.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EIb2BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA246|date=10 March 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-1956-9|page=246}}</ref>

==Arms==
{{Infobox COA wide
|image = Sir John Mellor Achievement.png
|escutcheon = Argent three blackbirds Proper.
|crest = A blackbird as in the arms.
|motto = Semper Constans Et Fidelis <ref>{{cite book|title=Debrett's Judicial Bench |date=1869}}</ref>}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite DNB |wstitle=Mellor, John |last=Hamilton |first=John Andrew |authorlink=John Andrew Hamilton |volume=37 |page=224}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
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{{s-bef | before = [[William Torrens McCullagh]]<br />[[Edward William Watkin|Edward Watkin]] }}
{{s-bef | before = [[William Torrens McCullagh]]<br />[[Edward William Watkin|Edward Watkin]] }}
{{s-ttl
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Yarmouth]]
| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Yarmouth]]
| years = [[Great Yarmouth by-election, 1857|1857]] – [[1859 United Kingdom general election|1859]]
| years = [[1857 Great Yarmouth by-election|1857]] – [[1859 United Kingdom general election|1859]]
| with = [[Adolphus William Young]]
| with = [[Adolphus William Young]]
}}
}}
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{{s-ttl
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Nottingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Nottingham]]
| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Nottingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Nottingham]]
| years = [[1859 United Kingdom general election|1859]] – [[Nottingham by-election, 1861|1861]]
| years = [[1859 United Kingdom general election|1859]] – [[1861 Nottingham by-election|1861]]
| with = [[Charles Paget (politician)|Charles Paget]]
| with = [[Charles Paget (politician)|Charles Paget]]
}}
}}
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[[Category:UK MPs 1857–1859]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1857–1859]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1859–1865]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1859–1865]]
[[Category:Queen's Counsel 1801–1900]]
[[Category:19th-century King's Counsel]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Justices of the King's Bench]]
[[Category:Justices of the King's Bench]]

Latest revision as of 10:09, 18 January 2024

The Right Honourable
Sir John Mellor
"Judges the Claimant"
Mellor as caricatured by Spy (Leslie Ward) in Vanity Fair, May 1873
Justice of the High Court
Succeeded bySir Charles Bowen
For other people named John Mellor, see John Mellor (disambiguation).

Sir John Mellor, PC (1 January 1809 – 26 April 1887) was an English judge and Member of Parliament.

Life

[edit]

Mellor was born in Hollinwood, Oldham and raised in Leicester, where his father was mayor and a Justice of the Peace.[1]

As a young man, his Unitarian beliefs prevented Mellor attending university. He entered law, joined the midland circuit, and practised at Leicester borough and Warwick sessions, at assizes, and at the parliamentary bar. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1833. Following failed attempts in 1852 (at Warwick) and 1857 (at Coventry) he was elected to Parliament to represent Great Yarmouth in 1857, and Nottingham in 1859. He was appointed to the Queen's Bench in 1861 and knighted in 1862.[1]

Mellor was one of the two judges at the special commission set up in Manchester in 1867 to try those accused of the murder of Police Sergeant Charles Brett.[1]

He was one of three judges at the 188-day long trial in 1873 of Arthur Orton, the Tichborne claimant. In his description of the case, James Beresford Atlay described him as 'second to none amongst the Common Law judges'.[2] Hamilton notes he 'often amused the jury with his dry humour'.[1]

Mellor retired in 1879 and was raised to the Privy Council. He died at his London house in 1887 and was buried at Kingsdown, Kent.[1]

Family

[edit]

Mellor and his wife Elizabeth (née Moseley) had eight sons.[1] Sir James Robert Mellor (1839–1926), the third son, was noted as a lawyer and polo player.[3][4]

Arms

[edit]
Coat of arms of John Mellor
Crest
A blackbird as in the arms.
Escutcheon
Argent three blackbirds Proper.
Motto
Semper Constans Et Fidelis [5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Hamilton, J A; Sinéad Agnew (2004). "Mellor, Sir John (1809–1887)". In Agnew, Sinéad (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18534. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Atlay, James Beresford (1899). ""The trial at bar"". Famous trials of the century. London: Grant Richards. p. 355. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  3. ^ "Mellor, James Robert (MLR859JR)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. ^ Horace A. Laffaye (10 March 2015). The Polo Encyclopedia, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 246. ISBN 978-1-4766-1956-9.
  5. ^ Debrett's Judicial Bench. 1869.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth
1857 – 1859
With: Adolphus William Young 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Nottingham
1859 – 1861
With: Charles Paget 		Succeeded by


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