Thomas Ingham Joynt (December 1830 – 5 September 1907) was a senior member of the New Zealand legal profession from
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
with his wife and child in 1856. He had commenced legal training in Dublin and was admitted to the bar in 1863 in
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
; at the same time, he set up his own legal firm. Over the years, he formed various partnerships with other solicitors. Joynt became known as a defence lawyer and had many high-profile cases, but he was equally successful in civil cases. In 1907, when the first ten
King's Counsel
In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...
were appointed in New Zealand, Joynt was acknowledged as the senior member of the bar. He practised until shortly before his death.
He represented
Kaiapoi
Kaiapoi is a town in the Waimakariri District of the Canterbury region, in the South Island of New Zealand. The town is located approximately 17 kilometres north of central Christchurch, close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River. It is con ...
on the
Canterbury Provincial Council
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Its capital was Christchurch.
History
Canterbury was founded in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association of influential Eng ...
from 1871 until the abolition of provincial government some five years later. He served on the Canterbury Executive Council as Provincial Solicitor for 15 months under
William Montgomery. He unsuccessfully stood for
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in and this marked the end of his political ambitions.
Early life
Joynt was born in 1830 in
Dunmore, County Galway
Dunmore () is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It is located on the N83 national secondary road at its junction with the R328 and R360 regional roads.
The town belongs to an ancient tuath called Conmhaícne Dúna-Móir and Cenél Dubáin, ...
, Ireland.
His parents were Thomas and Sarah Joynt (née Kennedy).
He went to school in
Tuam
Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...
and then
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
.
He trained as a lawyer in Dublin, where he met
Justice Gresson, who would later admit him as a barrister to the
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 ...
.
He married Edith Abbott, the daughter of John Abbott, on 11 June 1856 in
Glasnevin
Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home t ...
.
On the suggestion of Gresson, they emigrated on the ''Mariner'' to New Zealand, arriving 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 ...
on 25 November 1856 after an eventful journey that resulted in several deaths.
They continued on the ''Canterbury'' to
Lyttelton, which was reached on 1 December.
Legal career
![Reuben Blades Building 63](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Reuben_Blades_Building_63.jpg)
He first worked as a law clerk in Lyttelton at the Magistrate's Court, but moved to
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
in 1858 to take up employment with Gresson and then with
Thomas Smith Duncan. After five years with Duncan (whose law firm still exist today as Duncan Cotterill), he was admitted in 1863 as a barrister and solicitor to the Supreme Court by Gresson, and he started his own law firm.
During his legal career, he formed various partnerships. The first was with Richard Dunn Thomas, his brother-in-law, who had received his legal training from him. He then had a partnership with Allan William O'Neil, followed by one with
Westby Perceval
Sir Westby Brook Perceval (11 May 1854 – 23 June 1928) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.
Biography
Perceval was born in Launceston, Tasmania in 1854. His mother was Sarah Brook (née Bailey) and his father was her husban ...
, and then with
Acton Adams
William Acton Blakeway Adams (1843 – 24 January 1924), known as Acton Adams, was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from Nelson, New Zealand, Nelson, New Zealand.
Early life
Adams was born at Wilden Manor, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, Engl ...
. The next partnership was with A C Andrews, which still existed when Joynt died.
Joynt trained others in law, and this included his brother-in-law,
James Arthur Flesher
James Arthur Flesher (13 August 1865 – 18 August 1930) was a politician in Christchurch, New Zealand. He held many public offices and was Mayor of Christchurch from 1923 to 1925.
Early life
Flesher was born on 13 August 1865 in Christchurch. ...
,
Walter Stringer
Sir Thomas Walter Stringer (4 November 1855 – 8 December 1944) was a New Zealand judge appointed to the King's Counsel.
Early life and career
Stringer was born and raised in Christchurch. He was educated at Canterbury University College a ...
(KC), James Hay, and Maurice James Gresson (an older brother of
Kenneth Macfarlane Gresson; both grandsons of Justice Gresson).
The first case that made him prominent was the successful defence of Mrs Patterson and Miss Williams, who were charged with arson of their leased cafe in
Cashel Street
City Mall is the main pedestrian mall in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, comprising two sections of Cashel Street plus the Bridge of Remembrance and one section of High Street. It is also known colloquially as Cashel Mall. The Brid ...
.
Other prominent cases were the defence for
Cedeno, the murder that happened at the house of
William Robinson, and the defence of Hugh McLeod, who had murdered his wife.
Joynt appeared in a large number of important civil cases, of which a Kaiapoi case in 1872 was remarkable. Joynt's client, Mr Keetley, proceeded against the Minister of Public Works,
William Reeves, for compensation against losses resulting from the construction of the
Main North railway line. The case was successful and considerable compensation was paid.
In June 1907, he was one of ten people appointed as the first
King's Counsel
In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...
in New Zealand; at the time, he was the senior member of the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
in New Zealand.
He was sworn in on 12 June 1907, together with Walter Stringer, the other Canterbury appointment.
On the day of his death, which occurred less than three months later, the sitting of the Magistrate's Court was adjourned as a mark of respect.
Joynt was the solicitor of the Avon Road Board for 40 years until his death. He had a close association with
Robert Stout
Sir Robert Stout (28 September 1844 – 19 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who was the 13th premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was the only person to hold both ...
, who at the time of Joynt's death was
Chief Justice.
Joynt practised until a fortnight before his death. It is said that he had an excellent command of the English language, and he drew heavily on the bible,
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, and other poets. He was quick-witted and could cite numerous quotes. In one case, argument was made whether a dog was or was not vicious. One witness described it as "gentle and amiable", whereas the other testified that it had often barked at him savagely. Joynt wryly addressed the judge:
Vox, et praeterea nihil ( Voice and nothing more), your Honour.
He was well read and conversations with him were enjoyed by all. He was immensely proud of the progress that Canterbury had made during his time in the colony.
Political career
Although not a resident of
Kaiapoi
Kaiapoi is a town in the Waimakariri District of the Canterbury region, in the South Island of New Zealand. The town is located approximately 17 kilometres north of central Christchurch, close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River. It is con ...
, Joynt went there for business regularly and was elected unopposed on 14 June 1871 to represent the township on the
Canterbury Provincial Council
The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Its capital was Christchurch.
History
Canterbury was founded in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association of influential Eng ...
. He was re-elected in March 1874 and remained a member of the provincial government until its abolition on 31 October 1876. During the time of
William Rolleston
William Rolleston (19 September 1831 – 8 February 1903) was a New Zealand politician, public administrator, educationalist and Canterbury provincial superintendent.
Early life
Rolleston was born on 19 September 1831 at Maltby, Yorkshire as th ...
as
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
of
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
,
William Montgomery as Provincial Secretary appointed Joynt onto the Executive Council, where he served from January 1874 to April 1875 as Provincial Solicitor.
Joynt contested the electorate in the , but was beaten by the incumbent,
John Holmes, with 638 votes to 600. This marked the end to Joynt's ambitions of public service; he never stood again for election after this defeat.
Family and death
When the Joynts first arrived in New Zealand, they had one child. Many members of his wife's family emigrated to New Zealand after they had settled in.
From 1866 to 1885, the Joynt family home was Scotstown in
St Albans
St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
, which he renamed Finglas after the
Dublin suburb. Scotston Avenue in St Albans commemorates the property.
His wife died in January 1881 in
Sumner
Sumner may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Sumner, a mountain in the Rare Range, Antarctica
* Sumner Glacier, southern Graham Land, Antarctica
Australia
* Sumner, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane
New Zealand
* Sumner, New Zealand, seaside sub ...
.
Thomas Joynt died on 5 September 1907 after a short illness at his home, survived by five sons and two daughters, and was buried at
Barbadoes Street Cemetery
The Barbadoes Street Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was set up with three discrete areas for different denominations.
Description
The cemetery was included in the original survey of Christchurch that was carrie ...
.
Notes
References
*
*
External links
Photo of Finglas the Joynt family home
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joynt, Thomas Ingham
1830 births
1907 deaths
People from Christchurch
19th-century New Zealand lawyers
New Zealand King's Counsel
Members of Canterbury provincial executive councils
Members of the Canterbury Provincial Council
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1884 New Zealand general election
19th-century New Zealand politicians
20th-century New Zealand lawyers