Sir George Farwell (22 December 1845 – 30 September 1915) was an English judge, noted for trying the ''Taff Vale'' case at the first instance.

Biography

Farwell was born in

Codsall Codsall is a large village in the South Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. It is situated 4.5 miles northwest of the city of Wolverhampton and 13 miles east-southeast of Telford. It forms part of the boundary of the Staffordshire ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, the second son of Frederick Cooper Farwell, agent to the

Duke of Cleveland Duke of Cleveland was a title that was created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The dukedoms were named after Cleveland in northern England. The first creation in 1670 (along with the barony ...

, and of Louisa Whitbread, ''née'' Michell, daughter of Admiral Sir Frederick Michell. He was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...

and

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 ...

, where he took first class honours in

classical moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ' ...

and second class honours in '' literae humaniores''. He was called to the bar in 1871. In 1891 he became a QC and in 1895 a

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can ...

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

, while in 1899 he was raised to the bench. In 1900 he came into prominence over the case known as the Taff Vale judgment. His decision, though reversed by the court of appeal, was upheld in 1901 by the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

, and ultimately led to the passing of the Trade Disputes Act (1906). In 1906 Farwell was made a Lord of Appeal, but resigned this position in 1913. He published ''Concise Treatise on the Law of Powers'' (1874). His son Sir Christopher John Wickens Farwell was also a High Court Chancery judge.

Notable Cases

*''

Whittington v Seale-Hayne ''Whittington v Seale-Hayne'' (1900) 82 LT 49 is an English contract law case concerning misrepresentation. It holds that indemnities can be claimed under English law for any consequential costs of a contract not turning on an innocent misreprese ...

'' (1900) 82 LT 49 *'' Borland’s Trustee v Steel Brothers & Co Ltd'' 9011 Ch 279

Arms

Notes

References

* 1845 births 1915 deaths People educated at Rugby School Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Lords Justices of Appeal Members of Lincoln's Inn 20th-century English judges Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Knights Bachelor English King's Counsel People from Codsall Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council English barristers 19th-century English lawyers {{England-law-bio-stub