The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-19
L..

Edward Burtenshaw Sugden ultimately
Lord st. Leonards), was born in Duke street.
Westminster. on February IL, 1881. and lived
to be almost ninety-four years old. Like
the father of the first Lord Tenterden, the
: elder Sugden wac a hairdresser. Concern
ing the boy Edwards early years and
education little Is known. but his father Is
reported to have told Mr.. Selwyn. K. c.:
Il tried my son Ned in my own profession.
but unfortunately he has no genius for it.
so ! lave been obliged to put him as a pupil
with Mr.. Duvsb, the ccnveyancer." 1t is
certain that @t'ed" never showed any dis
position to be ashamed Of his origin. When
on the Cambridge hustings, after he had
attained the highest honors Of his profess
sion. he was twitted amid cries OF soap"
and "lather. with being the son OF a barber,
he answered.: Yes. but IL you had been
the son Of a barber you would have been
q barber yourself for the rest Of your days.
In 1902 Edward Sugden was admitted a
student OF Lincoh's Inn. but he did not
enter Upon independent practice at the
Chancery bar until 1907. From the day of
his call Sugden, who already had pub
lished a number OF noteworthy legal treat
ises. sprang at a bound into rivalry with
tbC iiiiC SohNCJ aIVlhB Vouubcl
By his very first appearances in court before
the Master of the Rolls his reputation was
made. and as early as 1917 he was in enjoy
ment Of n commanding practice at the
Chancery bar. For many years his pro-
fessional income seldom fell below SIS, 900
a year. So much respect was paid to his
learning that when he was 80 years old the
Lord Chancellor of the moment paid him
the ,nnHaanlArtAI 0o-cp1sn--s " I.--
him into his private room to consult him
about a knotty question which had arisen
over a case in which he was not retained.
: The fortune which had attended him from
the. start at the bar did not follow him at
first in political life. In 1918 he was put
forward for Sussex, but the first days poll
ing left him in so hopeless a minority that
he withdrew from the contest. Eight years
later he stool for Shoreham and again
found himself at the bottom Of the poll.
In 1928 he was elected, after a severe and
expensive contest, for the borough of Wey-
mouth and Melcombe Regis, which then
shared with the city OF London the distinc-
ton OF being represented in Parliament
by four members. Although, however,
Sugden had entered the House OF Commons
with a definite object in view he did not
allow his professional work to suffer by it,
and his labors were almost beyond human
endurance. In June. 1920. he was appointed
Solicitor General amid a chorus of approval,
both from the Chanoery bar. glad to see
Equity represented among the law officers,
and from the public at large. Sugden was
elected again for Weymouth at the general
election OF 1880, but on the resignation of
his colleagues in the following November
he went back to his private practice at the
bar. After Brougham succeeded Lynd-
hurst as Lord Chancellor there were many
passages at arms between the former and
Sugden. now Sir Edward, who, had long
been the leader Of the Equity bar. Familiar
is Sugden's bitter saying that il Brougham
knew a little law he would know a little
Of everything. In spite. however, Of the
long continuance Of their acrimonious rela-
tions Brougham communicated to Sugden
through Lord Lyndhurst an offer TO make
the former a Baron Of the Exchequer, a
Privy Councillor and Deputy Speaker Of
the House of Lords. Sugden refused the
offer. but a little later the two were recon-
ciled. just before Sugden accepted the ap-
pointment Of Lord Chancellor for Ireland,
a position which he held. however. for only
a few months in 1885. Two years later he
reentered the House OF Commons and on
the formation OF Sir Robert Peel's second
Ministry in 1s41 he was restored to his old
place of Lord Chancellor for Ireland, which
he now retained until Peel's overthrow in
July, 1915.
In 1852, when Lord Derby formed his first
Ministry, Sir Edward Sugden took his seat
in the House OF Lords as Baron St. Leonards
and Lord High Chancellor. No man was
ever better fitted for the post Of which he
now became the occupant. In the first
appeal that came before him in the House
of Lords he construed a most obecurely
worded will in an extempore speech which
fills twenty pages Of the printed report.
And although the defects Of his emperr rem
dered him sometimes a difficult colleague.