Sir Frederick Revans Chapman (23 October 1849 – 24 June 1936) was a New Zealand judge and was the first New Zealand-born

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

judge.

Biography

Chapman was born in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, the fifth son of

Henry Samuel Chapman Henry Samuel Chapman (21 July 1803 – 27 December 1881) was an Australian and New Zealand judge, colonial secretary, attorney-general, journalist and politician. Early life Chapman was born at Kennington, London, the son of Henry Chapman, Engli ...

, then resident judge in Wellington. Martin Chapman was an elder brother. He was educated at the

Church of England Grammar School The Anglican Church Grammar School (ACGS), formerly the Church of England Grammar School and commonly referred to as Churchie, is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in East Brisbane, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Q ...

, Melbourne, and in Europe, before reading law in London. He was admitted to the bar of the

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 ...

and practised in London, before moving to

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

where his father was now resident judge. He practised law with the firm of Smith, Chapman, and Sinclair. In 1903 he was appointed President of the Court of Arbitration with the status of a Supreme Court judge, and in 1907 went on to the Supreme Court. In 1921 he resigned, though for three years he accepted temporary assignments to the bench before retiring in 1924. He continued as Chairman of the War Pensions Appeal Board. He was knighted as a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in the 1923 King's Birthday Honours. He was associated with the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

, and the Hocken and Turnbull Libraries. He collected many letters and manuscripts related to New Zealand's history and was a member of several learned societies. He was also an accomplished scientist specialising in the flora and fauna of New Zealand. In 1935, he was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

. He died on 24 June 1936, aged 87 years.

Personal life

He married Clara Cook, daughter of Dunedin barrister George Cook in 1879. His daughter, Vera, was an artist. Another daughter, Hilda, married Australian lawyer and judge Sir Langer Owen in 1925.

Botany

Published names

*''Celmisia brownii'' F.R.Chapm., Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 22: 444 (1890). (an unplaced name) *''Celmisia campbellensis'' F.R.Chapm., Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 23: 407 (1891) (synonym of '' Damnamenia vernicosa'' (Hook.f.) Given)

Names honouring Chapman

Deschampsia chapmanii ''Deschampsia chapmanii'' is a plant species in the grass (Poaceae) family, native to New Zealand and Macquarie Island. Etymology The genus, ''Deschampsia,'' was named for Louis Auguste Deschamps who served as surgeon (and botanist) in the exp ...

Petrie

References

External links

Biography in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Frederick Revans New Zealand people of English descent 1849 births 1936 deaths 19th-century New Zealand lawyers High Court of New Zealand judges New Zealand Knights Bachelor Colony of New Zealand judges 20th-century New Zealand judges