Sir William Atherton QC (October 1806 – 22 January 1864) was a Scottish

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and

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politician. An advanced Liberal who favoured the

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and widening of

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, he held a seat in the

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from 1852 to 1864, and was a Law Officer of the Crown for four years.

Early years

Atherton was the only son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister, Rev.

William Atherton William Atherton Knight (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor, best known for portraying Richard Thornburg in '' Die Hard'' and its sequel and Walter Peck in ''Ghostbusters''. Early life Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, the son ...

, and his wife Margaret who was a daughter of the

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minister Rev. Walter Morison.

Career

He was

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at the

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and practised on the

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, becoming a

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(QC) and a bencher in 1852. While practising below the bar he published 'An Elementary and Practical Treatise on the Commencement of Personal Actions, and the Proceedings therein to Declaration, in the Superior Courts at Westminster. Comprising the Changes effected by the Uniformity of Process Act (2 W. 4. c. 39) and recent Rules of Court.' Lond. 1833. 12mo. He was elected at the 1852 general election as a

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(MP) for City of Durham, and held the seat until his death in 1864. Atherton was appointed as Solicitor General on 16 December 1859, having previously served as Counsel to the Admiralty and

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. He was

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ed on 23 February 1860, and promoted to

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on 9 July 1861. Having taken an

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under the Crown, he was obliged on each occasion to present himself for re-election, and was returned unopposed at by-elections on 9 January 1860 and 8 July 1861. In his acceptance speech in July 1861 he called for greater unity in the Liberal Party, and supported British neutrality in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Atherton retired as Attorney General in the autumn of 1863 due to ill-health. He died on 22 January 1864, at his home in Westbourne Terrace, near

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

in London.

Family

In 1843 he married Agnes Mary Hall Stand (died 1866), daughter of Thomas J. Hall, the chief magistrate of

Bow Street Magistrates' Court Bow Street Magistrates' Court became one of the most famous magistrates' court in England. Over its 266-year existence it occupied various buildings on Bow Street in Central London, immediately north-east of Covent Garden. It closed in 2006 and ...

. When knighted, she became Lady Agnes Atherton. He was the father of 8 children. Walter H. Atherton, his eldest son, was born on 15 January 1855 and christened at St Pancras, Middlesex. Educated at Charterhouse and commissioned Lieutenant in the 5th Dragoon Guards on 2 December 1874, becoming Captain on 27 August 1879. He was attached to the 4th Dragoon Guards in Egypt 1882 and was present at the battle of Tel-El-Kebir on 13 September 1882. Promoted to Major on 16 April 1884, he commanded the 5th Dragoon Guards detachment of 31 men at the battle of Abu Klea on 17 January 1885, during which action he was killed. Of the nine British officers killed in action at Abu Klea

ref> His other son, Thomas James Atherton was born on 19 August 1856, and was also educated at Charterhouse. Thomas entered the 12th Lancers in 1880

and succeeded to the command of the regiment in South Africa, during the Boer War, after the death in action of Lieutenant-Colonel The Earl of Airlie. He was created a Companion of the Bath on 27 September 1901, and mentioned in Lord Roberts’ despatch of 29 November 1900, the London Gazette 10 September 1901

During the Great War he served in the rank of Colonel with the Reserve Regiment of Cavalry and with the Labour Corps in France. He was twice mentioned in despatches, London Gazette 4 January and 11 December 1917, and created a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, London Gazette 1 January 1918. He was also subject to a public scandal and divorced his wife, who was very much part of London High Society

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, William 1806 births 1864 deaths Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 Members of the Inner Temple British King's Counsel 19th-century King's Counsel Solicitors General for England and Wales Attorneys General for England and Wales Knights Bachelor Politicians awarded knighthoods Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Politicians from Glasgow Lawyers from Glasgow 19th-century Scottish writers 19th-century Scottish lawyers Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for City of Durham