The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1882-05-27 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DEATH OF SIR JOHN HOLKER.  Sir John Holker died on Wednesday morning, at twenty-five minutes past eight. The late Lord Justice of Appeal was born at Bury, in Lancashire, in 1828, where his father was a manufacturer. He was educated at the Bury Grammar School, and adopting the law as his profession, was called to the Bar by the Hon. Society of Gray's Inn on the 9th of June, 1854. Not forgetting the county of his birth, he took the Northern Circuit as ,the arena in which to commence his forensic pursuits, and he soon got into high favour with the other branch of the profession, and obtained a large practice both on circuit and in town. He was returned to Parliament fer the borough of Preston at a bye election in 1872, the second election under the Ballot Act. He was again returned for the same borough at the General Election of 1874, when the Conservative Party obtained the majority and Mr. Disraeli became Prime Minister. Sir John Kerslake was selected by the Premier as his Attorney• General and Sir Richard Baggallay as his Solicitor-General but, Sir John Karstake's eyesight failing him, he resigned the office of Attorney-G enei al and Sir Richard Baggallay becoming Attorney, Mr. Holker was selected as solicitor. This post he held till November, 1875, when Sir Richard Baggallay was promoted as a Lord Justice, and Mr. Holker was appointed Attorney-General, and shortly afterwards knighted. He held the office till the dissolution of 1880, when Mr. Gladstone came into power. Sir John Holker was returned at that election also for his old borough, and in January last the Prime Minister, who had also been a great admirer of Sir John, made him a Lord Justice of Appeal in the place of Lord Justice Lush, deceased. On the 16th of January Sir John Holker took his seat in the Court of Appeal at Lincoln's-inn, in the presence of a large assemblage of both branches of the profession. In that Court he continued to discharge his duties up to and including Thursday in last week, though it was evident from the first day he took his seat that he was a dying man, a remark which was made at the time by several persons in Court. Day by day it was clear he was getting worse, till at last it was painful to see him discharging his judicial duties. The easterly winds of last week sorely tried him, and on Thursday he caught a chill which compelled him to take to his bed when he got home, from which he never again rose. - - -  Sir John Holker was always distinguished by great kindness of heart, and it was noticeable that whenever he was engaged in the sad duty of appearing for the Crown in cases of murder, although he did the best he could for the prosecution, he never unduly pressed the case against the prisoner.  Lady Holker, to whom he was greatly attached, had been in constant attendance on the Lord Justice during his illness and no one, with the exception of herself, the medical gentlemen, and the deceased's brother, was allowed in his room. His death has caused profound grief on the Bench and at the Bar.  At the sitting of the Court of Appeal at Lincoln'sinn on Wednesday morning, the Master of the Rolls referred to the death of Lord Justice biker. He said—l am very sorry to say that we have just received news of the death of our late colleague, Sir J. Holker. I wish to express our deep sorrow at the event. His career as a Judge was so short, and his health during that period so bad, that we can only say that the hopes of the successful prosecution of his career have been disappointed by the unfortunate break•down of his health so soon after his elevation to the Bench.  Mr. Collins, Q.C., on behalf of the Bar, desired to express the feelings of regret which the announcement of the death had caused. He believed that there had never been a more generous opponent a c the Bar, or a more warm-hearted and kindly man than the late Lord Justice Holker.