Sir John Hollams (23 September 1820− 3 May 1910) was an English solicitor. For more than 60 years he was a partner in one of London's most significant law firms and was involved in several high profile cases, including ''Bank of England v Vagliano Bros'' (1891), ''

British South Africa Co v Companhia de Moçambique The Moçambique rule, or (to adopt an anglicised form of spelling) Mozambique rule, is a common law rule in private international law. The rule renders actions relating to title in foreign land, the right to possession of foreign land, and tre ...

'' (1893), and the trial of Leander Starr Jameson and his compatriots for their actions in the Jameson Raid in 1895-1896. A President of the Law Society of England and Wales, he served on the Judicator Commission which was instrumental in drafting the

Judicature Act of 1873 The Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873 (sometimes known as the Judicature Act 1873) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1873. It reorganised the English court system to establish the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and ...

and Judicator Act of 1875; laws that substantially restructured the legal system in Britain. He was knighted in 1902.

Life and career

Born in Loose, Kent, John Hollams was the son of John Hollams and his wife Mary Pettit. His father was the

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

overseeing Loose. His grandfather, also named John Hollams, served as the mayor of

Deal, Kent Deal is a coastal town in Kent, England, which lies where the North Sea and the English Channel meet, north-east of Dover and south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town whose history is closely linked to the anchora ...

five times and was knighted in 1831. Poor health prevented the youngest John Hollams from attending school in his youth, and he was educated privately. Ill health plagued much of his family, and his father (died 1841, aged 52), brother, and three of his sisters all died from consumption during his formative years. Ill health further prevented him from continuing the family tradition of attending the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, and he began his legal career apprenticed as a clerk to a local solicitor in Maidstone. In 1840 Hollams went to London to join the firm of Brown, Marten, & Thomas (now

Clifford Chance Clifford Chance LLP is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and a member of the "Magic Circle", a group of London-based multinational law firms. It ranks as one of top ten largest law firms in the world measured bo ...

). In 1844 he was admitted as a solicitor, and in 1845 he became a partner in the firm of Brown, Marten, & Thomas. He remained a partner at that firm for more than 60 years; with the firm becoming Thomas & Hollams upon the retirement of senior partners Marten & Brown, and later Hollams, Son, & Coward. At the time of his death, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' wrote "Sir John Hollams had for many years held a position among solicitors to which few parallels can be found. His firm was probably the highest in standing and importance in the City of London in what is commonly known as "commercial" business. No solicitor is the city was more respected and more popular." His firm was involved in many important commercial litigations in the British Empire during the 19th century, among them '' Bank of England v Vagliano Bros'' (1891) and ''

'' (1893). He also served as the defense lawyer for Leander Starr Jameson and his confederates for their actions during the Jameson Raid in December 1895 and January 1896. In 1866 Hollams was elected to the council of the Law Society of England and Wales. There he served on the Judicature Commission whose work was responsible for drafting the

and the Judicator Act of 1875. For his work with that commission he was honored with the offer of a knighthood; an offer he turned down. He served as president of the Law Society in 1878-1879; at which time his portrait was painted by

John Collier John Collier may refer to: Arts and entertainment *John Collier (caricaturist) (1708–1786), English caricaturist and satirical poet *John Payne Collier (1789–1883), English Shakespearian critic and forger *John Collier (painter) (1850–1934), ...

for hanging in the Law Society's hall. From 1879 until his death in 1910, Hollams served as one of two solicitors on the

Incorporated Council of Law Reporting The Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales (ICLR) is a registered charity based in London, England, that publishes law reports of English law. The company is widely recognised as a reputable producer of reports (and the only ' ...

. In 1882 he was made deputy lieutenant for the

County of London The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government A ...

. He also 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 ...

for Kent. He was made 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

1902 Birthday Honours The 1902 Birthday Honours were announced on 10 November 1902, to celebrate the birthday of Edward VII the previous day. The list included appointments to various orders and honours of the United Kingdom and the British Empire. The list was publi ...

. In 1906 a memoir of his legal career, ''Jottings of an old solicitor'', was published by John Murray. Hollams died at his country estate

Dene Park Dene Park is a Victorian mansion house and estate in the parish of Hadlow, Kent, United Kingdom. It served as the site of the Thomas Delarue School between 1955 and 1965. History The Dene Park estate was advertised for sale in ''The Times'' of ...

near

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated population ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

on 3 May 1910. His funeral service was held at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge and he was buried at Brompton Cemetery. He married Rice Allfree in 1844; a union that lasted until her death in 1891. The couple had three sons.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hollams, John 1820 births 1910 deaths English solicitors Knights Bachelor