# Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Denman, George

​DENMAN, GEORGE (1819–1896), judge of the high court of justice, was the twelfth child and seventh son of Thomas, first baron Denman [q. v.], by Theodosia Anne, eldest daughter of the Rev. Richard Vevers, rector of Kettering. He was born on 23 Dec. 1819 at 50 Russell Square, London, and was educated first at Felstead and then at Repton school. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in October 1838, and obtained a scholarship there in 1840. As son of a peer he was permitted to go in for the classical tripos without competing for mathematical honours, and distinguished himself as senior classic in 1842. He also proved himself an athlete, rowing No. 7 in the boat-race against Oxford in both 1841 and 1842, and winning the Colquhoun sculls in October 1842. In 1842 he graduated B.A., and was elected fellow of his college on 10 Oct. 1843; he proceeded M.A. in 1845, and acted as auditor of Trinity from 1852 to 1865. Encouraged by his father to choose the bar as a profession he became a student at Lincoln's Inn in November 1843, entering the chambers of a well-known conveyancer, Peter Bellinger Brodie [q. v.] In November 1844 he became a pupil of (Sir) Barnes Peacock [q. v.], then a junior in large practice, with whom he remained until he was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn on 24 Nov. 1846. He joined the home circuit on 2 March 1849, where he gradually acquired practice, and during his early years at the bar acted as a law-reporter on the staff of the 'Law Journal.'
In 1856 he unsuccessfully stood as parliamentary candidate for the university of Cambridge in the liberal interest on the death of Henry Goulburn [q. v.], and in the following year was appointed counsel to the university; he was created a Q.C. in 1861. At the general election in May 1859, he was elected M.P. for Tiverton as Lord Palmerston's colleague, and held the seat until 1872, excepting a short interval, 1865-6. In parliament he interested himself in the reform of the law of evidence in criminal trials, and on 20 June 1860 moved the second reading of the felony and misdemeanor bill, with the object of assimilating proceedings on trial to those at nisi prius. The bill passed the Commons, but was abandoned after alteration in the Lords. Five years later, 22 Feb. 1865, he successfully carried through a similar measure, the felony and misdemeanor evidence and practice bill. The Evidence further Amendment Act, 1869, popularly known as Denman's Act, by which witnesses professing no religious belief were enabled to affirm in courts of justice, and parties before incompetent were enabled to give evidence, was entirely due to his initiative.
On 3 May 1864 he seconded a motion for a select committee to inquire into the expediency of maintaining the punishment of death (Hansard, clxxiv. 2069), and 19 May 1865 he carried a resolution in favour of relieving attorneys and solicitors from the payment of an annual certificate duty, which, however, led to no practical result (ib. clxxix. 566). He was always in favour of enlarging the operation of the various reform bills and took an active part in the debate on the representation of the people bill, 1867. In all questions in parliament affecting the public schools and universities he exhibited great interest and supported the university tests bill, 23 May 1870 (Hansard, cci. 1280).
In October 1872 Denman was chosen to succeed Sir James Shaw Willes [q. v.] in the court of common pleas. As the son of a peer he did not accept the customary knighthood. In November 1875, by virtue of the Judicature Act, he became justice of the common pleas division of the high court. From 1881 to 1892, when he retired from the bench, he acted as judge of the high court of justice, queen's bench division. After retirement he became a privy councillor, January 1893, and occasionally sat on the judicial committee of the privy council.
Denman was popular on the bench, but was more distinguished as a graceful scholar than as a strong lawyer. He was gifted with a fine presence and a beautiful voice, and maintained without effort the dignity of his office. From his school days he was a facile writer of verses, and throughout life ​found relaxation in study of the Greek and Latin classics.
He died at Cranley Gardens, London, S.W., on 21 Sept. 1896, and was buried in the churchyard at Willian, near Hitchin. A brass with an inscription by Dr. Sandys was placed in the chapel of Repton school to his memory, and a memorial scholarship founded at the same school by public subscription. He married, 19 Feb. 1852, Charlotte, daughter of Samuel Hope, banker, of Liverpool, by whom he left seven children; his eldest son, Mr. G. L. Denman, is a metropolitan police magistrate.
A portrait of Denman by H. T. Wells, R.A., in oils, is in the possession of his son, Mr. G. L. Denman; of this there is a photo-gravure print. Another portrait by Samuel Carter hangs in the library at Repton school. A sketch by Wells and a miniature in childhood by F. Corbauld are in the possession of his younger son, Mr. Arthur Denman.
Denman published in 1871 a translation of Gray's 'Elegy' in Greek elegiac verse, which he dedicated to Sir Alexander Cockburn, the lord chief justice, and in 1873 the first book of Pope's translation of the 'Iliad' in Latin elegiacs, which he dedicated to W. E. Gladstone; in 1896 he printed for private circulation a translation of 'Prometheus Bound' in English verse. He wrote the Latin epitaph in the vestibule of Lincoln's Inn chapel to the memory of Lord-justice Bowen. 'Intervalla,' a selection of his verses in Greek, Latin, and English, was published for private circulation in 1898.
[Times, 22 Sept. 1896; Cambridge Review, 1896. notice written by J. E. Sandys; autobiographical notes of George Denman, 1819-47, printed for private circulation 1897; Hansard, Parl. Debates; information kindly afforded by Mr. George Denman and Mr. Arthar Denman, F.S.A.]
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