The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-30 00:00:00

T n

SIR CHARLES F. WILLIAMS
The late Sir Charles Frederick Williams wa,
senior Commissioner of the Court of Bankruptcy, and
many years have elapsed since he entered upon the
profession of the law. It has been supposed that he
was a person of humble origin ; at least so little
knowledge was ever current in society with respect
to his descent, that it was assumed he could not boast
of very dignified ancestry; for most men take pains
to make such advantages well known, and Sir Charles
Williams was the least likely person in the world tc
omit the publication of anything that could redound
to his own honour. Nevertheless, the subject of this
memoir was a man of respectable parents. His father
was Richard Williams, Esq., of Duraley, in Glou-
cestershire, of which place •it may be presumed that
Sir Charles was a native. He did not possess the ad-
vantages of a university education, and be came to the
bar not very eminently qualified for the duties of the
legal procession ; he managed, however, in one way or
another, to attain a certain degree of success ; but the
practice which he did enjoy was principally as a pro-
vincial counsel, his business at Westminster Hall
being of moderate extent. He went the Western
Circuit, and for many years practised at the Somerset
and Bristol Sessions. That he displayed unbounded
zeal in the support of every client's interests is
universally acknowledged, and that if perseverance
and care could command success no client of his
would ever have been defeated.
Sir Charles bad passed the mature age of forty
before he found it prudent to incur the responsibilities
of married life, but he thought that the time had then
arrived when such a step could no longer be advan-
tageously delayed. On the 22d of April, 1822, he
married Elizabeth, the fourth daughter of Ralph
Broune Wylde Broune, Esq., of Glazeley, in the
county of Salop, by Mary Anne Whitmore, sister et
Thomas Whitmore, Esq., of Apley Park, in the same
county. This event had of course a tendency rather
to increase than to diminish his professional zeal ; his
business increased, and in the year 1828 it had
reached so respectable an amount, that by the Govern-
ment of that day he was deemed worthy to be is -
vestsid with the dignity of "one of his Majesty s
counsel learned in the law ;" but as a leader at lasi
prius he was not much distinguished. For one pc •
culiarity he was however noted ; a solicitor might
prevail on him to name the junior counsel with whom
he liked to be associated, with high professional
delicacy he always shrunk from the appearance ot
making any such suggestion ; but even twenty years
ago he was accustomed to say to his clients that there
could be no better junior counsel in any cause than
young Follett. Even then Mr. Williams had the se=
gacity to discern the great powers of the present At-
torney-General.
For four years after, having obtained a silk gown.
Mr. Williams continued at the bar ; but at the end of
that period he was appointed one of the Commissioners
of the Court of Bankruptcy under Lord Brougham':
Bill. In discharging the functions of that office, be
evinced great quickness of apprehension ; but was
rather ostentatious in displaying it. His judgments
were therefore often hasty ; and his manners were
no means distinguished for the dignity, or oven th
decorum which ought to be observed by every maz.:
who occupies a judicial seat. So eager was he ti_
show that he saw at a glance the tendency of question:
put to a witness, that he would spoil a piece of evi-
dence by taking an examination out of a solicitor's ca
counsel's hands, as well as putting ill-considered
questions, and making extra-judicial observations;
but he was perhaps one of the most obliging func-
tionaries that ever lived. If stopped in the street—i:
called away from an agreeallle party—nay, if calk.)
out of bed—he would kindly and cheerfully transact
any business if required. He once met with an ex:-
cident, when riding on horseback, which confined him
some weeks, and so anxious was he to avoid encroach-
ing upon the time of his brother Commissioners, that
his bed-chamber was converted into a court of bank-
ruptcy. He scarcely or ever omitted an opportunity
of making a civil observation or paying a personal
compliment :
" He browbeat none, nor bore a being odium ;
But fairly blazoned every man's eulogium."
He received the honour of knighthood July lb.
1838; and was for some years Recorder of Ipswich.
but resigned that office in 1842. Sir Charles attained
to a good old age, but of the precise year in which he
was born we have not met with any authentic trace ;
it is believed, however, that he could not have been
less than 75 or 76 years of age. The further he ad-
vanced in life the greater was the interest which he
seemed to take in the causes and the influence et
longevity. No elderly witness ever escaped him, and
the most important proceedings were often delayed i_
order that Sir Charles might have opportunity of in.
quiring into the habits of life and the constitutionsa
peculiarities of any curious specimen of the last age
who might happen to enter the witness-box. In tbls
respect the columns of this journal would have been
a great source of consolation to him. He was a ma-
gistrate for Hampshire, and for some years had a
residence in that county.—Historical Register.