Sir George Rose (1782–1873) was an English barrister and law reporter, a master in chancery.

Life

Rose, eldest son of James Rose, barge-owner, of Tooley Street, Southwark, was born in London on 1 May 1782. He received a presentation to

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

, and became king's scholar in 1797. He was admitted to

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

, but did not take a degree. According to the '' DNB'', he was elected to

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has around 300 undergraduate and 175 graduate stud ...

in 1801, but poverty prevented him from completing his education there, and it was not until 1835 that he took his M.A. degree as a member of

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

. On 5 May 1809 he was called to the bar at 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 association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

, and commenced attendance in the common-law courts and on the northern circuit. Rose was a witty man, and his first success is attributed to the publicity he attained by the composition while in court, when Lord Eldon was the presiding judge, of the following verse: :Mr. Leach made a speech, :Angry, neat, and long; :Mr. Hart, on the other part, :Was right, but dull and long. :Mr. Parker made that darker :Which was dark enough without; :Mr. Cook quoted his book, :And the Chancellor said I doubt. In May 1827 he was named a king's counsel, and in the same year became a bencher of his inn, of which he was reader in 1834 and treasurer in 1835. The misfortune of his father's bankruptcy attracted his attention to the bankruptcy branch in chancery, where he obtained a fair practice. He published ‘Reports of Cases in Bankruptcy decided by Lord Eldon,’ vol. i. 1812, reprinted 1813; vol. ii. 1816, reprinted 1821; this book was continued by J. W. Buck. In 1813 he published ‘An Inquiry into the Nature of Trading as a Scrivener.’ On 5 Dec. 1831 he was sworn in as one of the four judges of the court of review, which had jurisdiction in bankruptcy cases, and on 7 Dec. was knighted at St. James's Palace. On some change being made in the court of review, Lord Cottenham gave Rose on 7 Dec. 1840 the lucrative and comparatively easy post of a mastership in chancery, which he held till the masterships were abolished on 1 Feb. 1858; he then retired on his full salary of 2,500l. a year. Rose was the first chairman of the Law Life Insurance Society in 1844, and attended the board meetings until 1859. On 5 June 1834 he was elected a fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

, and later on became a fellow of the Geographical Society. He was one of the old school of wits. Many of his jokes were of a professional character, and referred to legal proceedings long since obsolete; others, however, related to general matters, and were remarkable for their readiness and originality. To Westminster School he always felt grateful, and with it kept up a friendly connection; he was a steward of the anniversaries in 1827, 1833, and 1848, a constant attendant at the plays, and sometimes aided in the preparation of the prologue and epilogue. He died at Brighton on 3 Dec. 1873, having married Anne, daughter of Captain Robert Pouncey.

References

;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rose, George 1782 births 1873 deaths People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of the Inner Temple Fellows of the Royal Society Masters in chancery