William Swainson (1809-1884) was born in Lancaster, England on 25 April 1809 and educated in Lancaster Grammar School. His legal education was in Middle Temple and he was called to the bar in 1838. He became the second, and last, Attorney-General of the Crown Colony of New Zealand and instrumental in setting up the legal system of New Zealand.
He worked in conveyancing for only a few years, and with this relatively little experience was appointed...
more
William Swainson (1809-1884) was born in Lancaster, England on 25 April 1809 and educated in Lancaster Grammar School. His legal education was in Middle Temple and he was called to the bar in 1838. He became the second, and last, Attorney-General of the Crown Colony of New Zealand and instrumental in setting up the legal system of New Zealand.
He worked in conveyancing for only a few years, and with this relatively little experience was appointed to be Attorney-General of New Zealand in 1841. The boat The Tyne left England taking Swainson and two other prominent figures in the future of New Zealand law, William Martin, who was to become the first Chief Justice, and Thomas Outhwaite, who was to become Registrar of the Supreme Court in Auckland, to New Zealand. The Tyne carried a vanguard for the creation of the legal system with which New Zealand was to achieve home rule.
It is said that during their five month voyage they set out much of the foundations of the laws they intended to...
less
