Sir Donald Leslie Finnemore (13 June 1889 – 10 May 1974), was a British judge and

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

politician. He was a committed

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

and

Teetotaller Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is ...

who was an active supporter of the

Boys' Brigade The Boys' Brigade (BB) is an international interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by the Scottish businessman Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values. Following its inception ...

Background

He was the son of William and Kate Finnemore. He was a grandson of

John Skirrow Wright John Skirrow Wright (2 February 1822 – ) was one of the distinguished pioneers and social improvers of the 19th century in Birmingham, England; and inventor of the postal order. He was involved in many aspects of Birmingham's mid-Victorian li ...

Liberal MP for Nottingham. He was educated at

King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the British Public school (UK), public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by Edward VI of England, King Edward VI in 1552, it ...

and

Pembroke College, Oxford Pembroke College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is located at Pembroke Square, Oxford. The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England, using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale, and was named after ...

(Scholar). He was awarded a First Class in

Jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...

and Proxime accessit for the Vinerian Law Scholarship at Oxford. He served in

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British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...

Officer from 1916–19.

Legal career

He was called by

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

(Prize for Constitutional Law and Legal History) in 1914 and worked on the Midland Circuit. In 1930, he was involved in the so-called Blazing Car murder case. as defending counsel for

Alfred Rouse Alfred Arthur Rouse (6 April 1894 – 10 March 1931) was a British murderer, known as the Blazing Car Murderer, who was convicted and subsequently hanged at Bedford Gaol for the November 1930 murder of an unknown man in Hardingstone, Northampto ...

, who was convicted of the murder of an unknown man and hanged. The Crown was represented by his longtime friend and colleague

Norman Birkett William Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett, (6 September 1883 – 10 February 1962) was a British barrister, judge, politician and preacher who served as the alternate British judge during the Nuremberg Trials. Birkett received his education ...

.Hyde (1965) p. 299. He was Honorary Legal Adviser to the Midland Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence, 1940–45. He was Chairman of the Midland

Conscientious Objectors A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...

Tribunal, 1940–47. He was a County Court Judge] (North Staffs and Birmingham) 1940–44, (Wolverhampton, etc.) 1944–46 and (Birmingham) 1946–47. He was a Member of the Matrimonial (Trial in Provinces) Committee, 1942–43. He was Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty, 1947–48. He was Judge of the High Court (Queen's Bench Division), 1948–64, during which time he presided over the trial of the serial killer John Christie (serial killer), John Christie in 1953. He was Chairman Warwickshire Quarter Sessions, 1950–71. He was a Member, of the Criminal Law Revision Committee, from 1965. He served as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in Warwickshire.

Political career

He was Liberal candidate for the

Sparkbrook Sparkbrook is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council. Etymology The area receives its name from Spark Brook, a small stream that f ...

Division of Birmingham at the 1923 General Election. The constituency was not a good prospect for the Liberal Party, and he came third. He did not contest the 1924 General election. He then was Liberal candidate for the

Stourbridge Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The 20 ...

Division of Worcestershire at the 1929 General Election. The Liberal Party had not won the seat since 1918 and at the previous contest, the 1927 Stourbridge by-election, the Liberal had finished third. He was able to increase the party vote share; He was again Liberal candidate for the

Division of Worcestershire at the 1931 General Election. The election followed the formation of the National Government and there was a national swing to the Conservatives that was reflected in Stourbridge, where Labour lost the seat. However, Finnemore had managed to retain much of the vote he won in 1929, though he still finished third. He was Liberal candidate for the third time at the

Division of Worcestershire at the 1935 General Election. He again finished third and this time saw his vote squeezed a bit by the other two parties. This was his final attempt to enter parliament. He became a Life Governor of

Birmingham University , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

in 1945 (Hon. LLD 1966), a Governor of King Edward's School in 1946 and an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College in 1948. In 1947 he was knighted. He was President of the

Baptist Union of Great Britain Baptists Together (officially The Baptist Union of Great Britain) is a Baptist Christian denomination in England and Wales. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and Churches Together in England. The headquarters is in Didcot. Hi ...

, 1966–67.

External links

Portraits of him are held by the National Portrait Gallery: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp79267/sir-donald-leslie-finnemore

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:FINNEMORE, Donald Leslie 1889 births 1974 deaths Knights Bachelor Queen's Bench Division judges Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates County Court judges (England and Wales)