Richard Garth

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Sir Richard Garth, 1875

Sir Richard Garth

Chief Justice of Bengal
from 1875 to 1886.

Early life

Garth was born Richard Lowndes at Morden, Surrey (now south-west London), the son of the Reverend Richard Lowndes (1790 – 30 January 1862)[1][2] and his wife Mary Lowndes (née Douglas).[3][4] Rev. Lowndes was, through his mother, the grandson of Richard Garth (d. 1787),

will, he changed his and his family's surname to Garth by royal licence in 1837.[6]

Garth was educated at Eton College and matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1838, graduating B.A. in 1842 and M.A. in 1845.[7] He was captain of the university cricket team in 1840 and 1841.[3] He also played cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club, Hampshire and Surrey between 1839 and 1844.[8] He received his MA from Oxford in June 1845.[9]

A student at Lincoln's Inn from 1842, he became a barrister there on 19 November 1847.[3] When his father died in 1862, Garth inherited the manor and its estate at Morden Hall. Garth sold the manor in about 1872.[10] He was also instrumental in the early planning of parts of Raynes Park,[11] on land he owned in the neighbouring parish of Merton.

Garth practised

Queen's Counsel[12] and, two days later, became a bencher of Lincoln's Inn.[3] At a by-election on 17 December 1866, he became one of the two members of parliament for Guildford, Surrey,[13] replacing Sir William Bovill. His period as an MP ended at the 1868 general election when, as a consequence of the 1867 Reform Act
, Guildford's second parliamentary seat was abolished.

In India

On 2 March 1875, Garth was made

Surendranath Banerjea to two months' imprisonment for libel against another of the high court's judges.[3] He remained in the post at Fort William, Calcutta until 26 February 1886.[16]

Although he had opposed legislation which would have brought the legal rights of whites and Indians closer together, Garth was a supporter of the Indian National Congress and, in 1888, wrote a pamphlet A Few Plain Truths about India in support of the organisation's aims stating, "for myself I have long been persuaded that many of the abuses complained of are real and serious; and that some of the proposed reforms would be not only of advantage to India, but would materially strengthen the hands of the Government."[17]

Later life and death

On 21 February 1888, Garth was appointed a

Privy Counsellor.[18] He died on 23 March 1903 at 10 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington, only weeks after his wife.[19]

Family

On 27 June 1847, Garth married his cousin Clara Lowndes (1824–1903), daughter of Loftus Lowndes, QC.[3][4] Lady Garth died at Cedar House, Cheniston-gardens, on 15 January 1903.[20][21]

The Garths had seven children:[4]

  • Richard Garth, b. 1848
  • George Douglas Garth, 1852–1900
  • William Garth, b. 1854
  • Charles Garth, b. 1870
  • Mary Eliza Garth, d. 1932
  • Helen Frances Garth
  • Evelyn Selina May Garth

References

  1. ^ "Deaths". The Times. 3 February 1862. p. 1. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Lowndes (post Garth), Richard (LWNS807R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ^
    doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/33343. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  4. ^ a b c www.william1.co.uk – Descendants of William the Conqueror
  5. ^ 'Morden', The Environs of London: Volume 1: County of Surrey (1792), pp. 361–63
  6. ^ "No. 19480". The London Gazette. 31 March 1827. p. 876.
  7. Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715–1886. Oxford: Parker and Co – via Wikisource
    .
  8. ^ Cricket Archive – Richard Garth
  9. ^ "University Intelligence". The Times. 6 June 1845. p. 8. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  10. ^ 'Parishes: Morden', A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4 (1912), pp. 235–37.
  11. ^ Raynes Park & West Barnes Residents' Association – history
  12. ^ "No. 23143". The London Gazette. 24 July 1866. p. 4165.
  13. ^ "No. 23201". The London Gazette. 21 December 1866. p. 7056.
  14. ^ "No. 24187". The London Gazette. 5 March 1875. p. 1476.
  15. ^ "No. 24209". The London Gazette. 18 May 1875. p. 2681.
  16. ^ "No. 25563". The London Gazette. 26 February 1886. p. 965.
  17. ^ Quoted in Hansard, 6 December 1888, Questions on the Speech of Marquess of Dufferin. Retrieved on 3 September 2008
  18. ^ "No. 25790". The London Gazette. 24 February 1888. p. 1218.
  19. ^ "No. 27562". The London Gazette. 9 June 1903. p. 3673.
  20. ^ "Deaths". The Times. No. 36981. London. 19 January 1903. p. 1.
  21. ^ "Index entry for death of Clara Garth". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 25 February 2009.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Guildford
1866–1868
With: Guildford Onslow 		Succeeded by
Guildford Onslow
(Second seat abolished)
Legal offices
Preceded by Chief Justice of Bengal
1875–1886 		Succeeded by
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