Sir Alfred Rupert Neale Cross (15 June 1912 in

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

– 12 September 1980,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

) was a prominent English lawyer and academic. He was the second of two sons of Arthur George Cross, an architect in Hastings,H. L. A. Hart, 'Arthur Rupert Neale Cross', ''Proceedings of the British Academy, LXX, 1984'', London : Oxford University Press, 1985, pp. 405–407. and Mary Elizabeth (née Dalton).''Who Was Who, 1971–80'', London : A. & C. Black, 1981, p. 186. He was born with cancer of the eyes and was completely blind after an operation at the age of 1. Worcester College for the Blind provided his education before he went to

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

in 1930 where he took a Second in Modern History in 1933.''Oxford University Calendar 1935'', Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1935, p. 717. Cross remained at Oxford to read for a second school, that of Jurisprudence. He received great help and encouragement from Theo Tyler, Fellow and Tutor in Law at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

. Tyler himself was nearly blind. Under his stimulus and rigour, Cross gained a First in Jurisprudence in 1935. ' d he not been overstanding for honours he would have obtained a First in BCL, which he took in 1937', according to

H. L. A. Hart Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart (18 July 190719 December 1992), known simply as H. L. A. Hart, was an English legal philosopher. He was Professor of Jurisprudence (University of Oxford), Professor of Jurisprudence at Oxford University an ...

. He was awarded the degree of D.C.L. in 1958. Cross became a solicitor in 1939 and was a tutor,

Law Society A law society is an association of lawyers with a regulatory role that includes the right to supervise the training, qualifications, and conduct of lawyers. Where there is a distinction between barristers and solicitors, solicitors are regulated ...

, from 1945 to 1948. From 1948 to 1964 he was a Fellow of

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

. He held a Visiting Professorship in the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, 1962, and in the University of Sydney, 1968. On the retirement of

Harold Hanbury Harold Greville Hanbury (19 June 1898 at Compton Verney House, Warwickshire – 12 March 1993 at Pinetown, Natal, South Africa) was Vinerian Professor of English Law at the University of Oxford from 1949 to 1964. Biography He was the only chil ...

, Cross was elected

Vinerian Professor of English Law The Vinerian Professorship of English Law, formerly Vinerian Professorship of Common Law, was established by Charles Viner who by his will, dated 29 December 1755, left about £12,000 to the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of O ...

in the University of Oxford, a position he held from 1964 to 1979. The Vinerian Professorship carried a Fellowship at

All Souls College All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...

. He was a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

from 1967 and received a

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

in 1973. In 1937 he married Aline Heather Chadwick, the daughter of a Leeds solicitor; they had no children. As an undergraduate Cross represented

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

four times (1931–34) on the top board in the prestigious annual Varsity chess match against

Cambridge University , 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 ...

. He played several times in the top section of the

British Chess Championship The British Chess Championships are organised by the English Chess Federation. The main tournament incorporates the British Championship, the English Chess Championships and the British Women's Chess Championship so it is possible, although it has ...

in the 1930s (for which only an elite group of twelve players qualified). Cross's elder brother, Geoffrey, also became a lawyer and achieved distinction. He was a Prize Fellow at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

and became in succession a Judge of the Chancery Division, a

Lord Justice of Appeal A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Justice ...

, and a Lord Appeal in Ordinary.

Works

His best-known work is probably ''Cross on Evidence'', first published in 1959. In 1976 Cross published ''Statutory Interpretation''. This book has been sufficiently well regarded that two posthumous editions have been produced, under the editorship of John Bell and George Engle. In recognition of Cross's great prestige, his name has remained in the predominant spot on the title page.

References

External links

Braillechess.org: full account of Cross's chess and legal careers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross, Rupert 1912 births 1980 deaths Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford Blind academics British blind people English chess players Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford English legal scholars Vinerian Professors of English Law Fellows of the British Academy Knights Bachelor Lawyers awarded knighthoods English solicitors 20th-century chess players 20th-century English lawyers