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Information about Former Past Presidents

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Jack Lyes, himself formerly a Past President of Bristol Law Society, has been looking at the records and archives held in the Bristol Records Office to find out more about Past Presidents of the Bristol Law Society.

Here he summarises information held on those who held office between 1890 and the outbreak of World War One.

1890 Charles Robert Hancock. Partner of Charles Bevan ; later in partnership with his son-in-law GH Boucher. President of Dolphin Society, Master of St. Stephens Ringers, director of Bristol United Breweries Ltd. City councillor 1893-1900. Obituary in BO 21 and 28 January 1911.

1891 Arthur Henry Wansey. Registrar and deputy judge Tolzey Court. President Anchor Society. Partnership with Henry Andrews Palmer. Represented the Smyth family in the celebrated Provis case - see Latimer 19C page 335 and Anecdotage by E.Austin (London 1872) page 141. Photograph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/13. Obituary in WDP 19 October 1901.

1892 Jeremiah Osborne. Great-grandson of the Jeremiah Osborne who founded the firm Osborne Ward (later Osborne Clarke). Clerk to the Merchant Venturers, President Dolphin Society. Chairman Unionist committee Bristol West.Photograph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/14. See BCB(I) page 130 and BW(I) page 114. Obituary in WDP 1 September 1919, funeral in WDP 4 September 1919.

1893 Francis Sturge. Member of the Society of Friends. Honorary Secretary Bristol branch NSPCC and Bristol & Clifton branch of SPCA. On governing body of General Hospital. Photograph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph 2/15. Obituary in WDP 16 December 1918 and funeral in WDP 20 December 1918.

1894 Henry Cooke. Member of Isaac Cooke [his grandfather] Sons & Acton. Honorary Secretary Bristol Musical Festival Society and Hooks Mills Orphan Asylum. One of the patrons of fifteen livings in Bristol. Member of Committee of Bristol Scripture Readings Association. See BCB(1) page 128.

1895 Charles Whitchurch Wasbrough. Member of Stanley,Wasbrough & Doggett. Son of HS Wasbrough (see 1875). Director of Public House Trust Co. Ltd. Death notice in WDP 20 March 1925.

1896 James Livett Daniell. In partnership with his son John Arthur Helton Daniell (who was killed in action in France in 1917). Treasurer Bristol Vigilance Society. Preacher with Baptist Itinerant Society. Obituary in WDP 15 February 1919; funeral in WDP 19 February 1919.

1897 William Charles Henry Cross LL.B. Member of Benson, Carpenter, Cross & Williams. Chairman Bristol & West Liberal Association. Obituary WDP 6 April 1936.

1898 Thomas Dix Sibly. Articled to Alderman JWS Dix (his uncle). Sibly’s nephew JWS Clough became his partner a few days before his death. Councillor (Liberal) for St Philips South 1884/1887. Challenged accounts of Gas Company (of which Dix was a director) – see Latimer 19C page 525. Member Mutual Improvement Society. Photograph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/16. Obituary (with photograph) in BO 29 June 1912.

1899 Charles Edward Barry (see also 1909). Member of Barry & Harris. President of Hibernian an Grateful Societies and of Bristol Chamber of Commerce. Master of St Stephen’s Ringers. Member of Committee of Bristol General Hospital. President of Law Society in 1931/2.Honorary LL.D Bristol University. Caricature in BTM 22 July 1925. See NB page 30 (photograph). Obituaries in The Times 13 October 1934 and WDP (with photograph) 13 October 1934.

1900 Robert Henry Carpenter. Member of Benson, Carpenter, Cross & Williams. President of Grateful Society. Member of committee of Colston Research Society. Churchwarden of All Saints (City). Obituary (with photograph) WDP 15 January 1925.

1901 Samuel Salter Gouldsmith. Member of Gribble [his brother-in-law] & Gouldsmith. Member of Bristol Rifle Volunteers. Winner of many prizes for rifle shooting. Member of committee of Bristol & West of England Zoological Society. Photograph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/17. See BCB(1) page 105. Funeral in WDP 12 March 1919; will in WDP 2 June 1919.

1902 Henry Graham Bush. Member of Bush & Bush. Somerset County Councillor and later Gloucestershire County Councillor. Follower of the Berkeley Hunt. Obituary in WDP 20 October 1939; will in WDP 9 June 1940

1903 Humphrey Thomas Martin Crowther Gwynn. Also practised in Thornbury. Superintendent Registrar of Births Marriages & Deaths (retired in 1906). Member of Anchor Society. Agent for successful Liberal candidate in Thornbury division in 1885. Died in Poole in 1908.

1904 William Roberts. With Burges & Lawrence, later-Strickland, Roberts & Tratman. See BCB(11) page 275.Phptpgraph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/18.Clerk to Bristol Sanitary Authority (Streets Improvement Committee), Vestry Clerk of All Saints (City), joint solicitor to Economic Building Society, Conservative election agent, chairman of Iron Acton Conservative Association, hon..treasurer & secretary of Bristol Madrigal Society.

1905 Henry Reginald Wansbrough. Founder of Wansbroughs, Robinson, Tayler & Taylor. Phptpgraph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/19. See BCB (1) page 132, BW(2) page216, NB page 46. Caricature in BTM 20 June 1922. President of the Wheelers Cycling Club and the Wiltshiremens Society. Once played eight rounds of golf in a single day! See The First Hundred Years:a history of Wansbroughs 1882-1982 by RJ Archer and Piano and Gown by Fred Weatherley (London 1926) page 221..

1906 Louis Charles Danger. In partnership with his nephew Edward Cartwright as Danger & Cartwright. Clerk of the Peace (an office held by his father Thomas Danger). Held a commission in Bristol Rifles. President of Dolphin Society, director of Clifton Suspension Bridge Company. Obituary in WDP 15 and 23 January 1941. Memorial service in WDP 18 January 1941

1907 Alfred Edward Bobbett. Member of Bobbett Bros.. One of the original members of the Bristol Liberal Club. President of the Band of Hope at the [Society of Friends] New Street Mission. Obituary in WDP 17 December 1915.

1908 Henry Caleb Trapnell. Sole practitioner. Long standing member and deacon of Highbury [Congregational] Chapel. Secretary Bristol Benevolent Institution. Associated with Congregational Union of Gloucestershire & Herefordshire. Photograph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/20. For funeral see WDP 25 January 1928.

1909 Charles Edward Barry. See 1899.

1910 Harry Graeme Vassall. Member Osborne, Ward, Vassall & Co. President of Grateful Society, Commercial Rooms and West Gloucestershire Farmers Club. Master of St. Stephens Ringers. Clerk to the Society of Merchant Venturers. Photograph in BA ref 44687/ BLS/IM/Ph/2/21. Obituary (with photograph) in WDP17 July 1943. For funeral see WDP 21July 1943.

1911 Charles Edward Douglas Boutflower. Member Harwood & Boutflower, later Fussell, Boutflower & Richardson. Vice Chairman Poor Law Guardians, City councillor (1904). Churchwarden St. Johns, (City). Master of Bristol, Gloucester and Bath & Wells Change Ringing Associations. Chairman Redland Branch of Conservative Working Men’s Association. Trustee Blue Maids’ Orphanage. Secretary Long Ashton Horticultural Association. Photograph in BA ref   44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/22. See BCB(1) page 126. Obituary in WDP 16January 1917. For funeral see WDP 20January 1917.

1912 Herbert Edward Meade-King. Member Meade-King, Cooke, Wansey & John Miller. Secretary Bristol Branch of the National Union for the Abolition of Vivisection and the Bristol Dogs’ Home. Photograph at BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/23. Obituary (with photograph) in WDP 21September 1935. For funeral see WDP 25 September 1935.

1913 Thomas Holmes Gore. Clerk to Bristol Justices (formerly assistant clerk City of London justices).Photograph in BA ref 44687/BLS/IM/Ph/2/24. See BW(1). Obituary in WDP 28 September 1919.