Butler Cole Aspinall

Last updated

Butler Cole Aspinall. Butler Cole Aspinall.png
Butler Cole Aspinall.

Butler Cole Aspinall (11 November 1830 4 April 1875) [1] was a British-born journalist, barrister who migrated with his young wife to Melbourne, Australia, at first as an editor and writer for The Argus . He soon took up his lucrative legal practice as a defence advocate and later as a politician in the state of Victoria.

Contents

Aspinall was one of the chief counsel for the leaders of the Ballarat Riots, also known as Eureka Stockade, and later defended Henry James O'Farrell for the attempted assassination of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. He was briefly appointed as Attorney-General in 1861 and Solicitor-General in 1870. [2]

Aspinall died in April 1875 in Liverpool, England.

Biography and career

The son of the Reverend James Aspinall, Butler Cole Aspinall was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, in 1830, educated for the law, and was called to the Bar in 1853. He engaged in newspaper work, contributing to the Morning Chronicle and other London papers. [3] In 1854, he came to Melbourne as a law reporter for The Argus, and also contributed to the Morning Herald, Age, and Melbourne Punch. [3] He soon began to practise as a barrister and gained a great reputation as an advocate, and as a wit and humorist. [4]

Eureka Stockade trial

In February 1855, Aspinall was one of the counsel for the leaders of the Eureka Rebellion.

Politics

In 1856, Aspinall was elected a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Talbot. [3] He also represented Castlemaine (1859–60), Geelong East (1861–64), Portland (1866–67) and St Kilda (1868–1870). [2] At the end of July 1861 he became Attorney-General in the Richard Heales ministry, but the cabinet resigned a few weeks later. [5] He resigned as member for St Kilda on 1 January 1870, [2] was appointed Solicitor-General in the John MacPherson ministry, on 19 January 1870, [6] before resigning on 9 April 1870 with the rest of the ministry. [7]

Court practice

Aspinall was a first-rate advocate and a good parliamentary debater, but he broke down when 40 years old, an age when most men are scarcely past the beginning of their career. He had much charm of manner, and stories of his wit and humour were still being told in legal circles 70 years after his death. The Dictionary of Australian Biography quotes one example of his inspired impudence, which arose out of a brush with a Victorian judge.

"Mr Aspinall," said his Honour severely, "are you trying to show your contempt for this Court?" "No, your Honour," said Aspinall with an air of great humility. "I was merely trying to conceal it." [4]

Henry James O'Farrell trial

In 1868 Aspinall defended Henry James O'Farrell at Sydney for the attempted assassination of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, [3] and from January to April 1870 he was solicitor-general in the John Alexander MacPherson ministry. Towards the end of this year he resigned his seat in parliament, and in 1871 had a mental breakdown and was confined for some time. On recovering he returned to England and died there on 4 April 1875. He was married and his wife, who had been left in Melbourne, died six days later.

Personal life

A son, also called Butler Cole Aspinall, who was educated in England, became a London barrister and an authority on shipping law. He died unmarried in London on 15 November 1935. [8] [ full citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

George Kerferd Australian politician

George Briscoe Kerferd, Australian colonial politician, was the 10th Premier of Victoria.

Henry OFarrell Irish-Australian criminal

Henry James O'Farrell was the first person to attempt a political assassination in Australia. On 12 March 1868, he shot and wounded Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria.

Henry Wrixon Australian politician

Sir Henry John Wrixon was an Australian barrister and politician.

William Henry Fancourt Mitchell Australian politician

Sir William Henry Fancourt Mitchell was an Australian police commissioner and politician, President of the Victorian Legislative Council for fourteen years.

Henry Samuel Chapman Australian and New Zealand judge and politician

Henry Samuel Chapman was an Australian and New Zealand judge, colonial secretary, attorney-general, journalist and politician.

William Montagu Manning Australian politician

Sir William Montagu Manning was an English-born Australian politician, judge and University of Sydney chancellor.

James Macpherson Grant Australian politician

James Macpherson Grant was an Australian solicitor who defended the Eureka Stockade rebels and a politician who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and the Victorian Legislative Council.

Julian Salomons Australian politician

Sir Julian Emanuel Salomons was a barrister, royal commissioner, Solicitor General, Chief Justice and member of parliament. He was the only Chief Justice of New South Wales to be appointed and resign before he was ever sworn into office. Salomons was said to be short of stature and somewhat handicapped by defective eyesight. However, he had great industry, great powers of analysis, a keen intellect and unbounded energy and pertinacity. His wit and readiness were proverbial, and he was afraid of no judge.

George Milner Stephen Australian politician

George Milner Stephen, often written G. Milner Stephen, was a South Australian and Victorian politician and faith healer.

Thomas Howard Fellows was an English rower and an Australian politician and Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Robert Stirling Hore Anderson Australian politician

Robert Stirling Hore Anderson, MLC was an Irish-born solicitor and Australian colonial (Victorian) parliamentarian.

The third Cowper ministry was the seventh ministry of the Colony of New South Wales, and third occasion of being led by Charles Cowper.

The Solicitor-General of Victoria, Australia is the state's Second Law Officer, behind the Attorney-General. The holders of this office are appointed by Cabinet on the basis of their legal expertise. Solicitors-General are members of the Executive. Formerly, they were elected members of parliament, but have not been so since the early/mid twentieth century.

Sir Archibald Michie, was an English-born Australian lawyer, journalist, Agent-General, Attorney-General of Victoria and politician.

Hon. Frank Stanley Dobson, M.L.C., M A., LL.D., F.L.S., was an Australian politician, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

Robert Wisdom (politician) Politician and barrister in New South Wales, Australia

Sir Robert Wisdom, was a politician in colonial New South Wales and Attorney General of New South Wales.

James Joseph Casey was a politician in colonial Victoria (Australia), a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly almost continuously from 1861 to 1880, County Court Judge and Land Tax Commissioner, Victoria.

Richard Davies Ireland was an Australian politician, a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and Attorney-General.

James McKean (Australian politician) Australian politician

James McKean was a solicitor and politician in colonial Victoria (Australia), a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, President of the Board of Land & Works and commissioner Crown Lands & Survey from 1869 to 1870.

Solicitor General for New South Wales Second law officer for the state of New South Wales, Australia

Solicitor General for New South Wales, known informally as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General. They can exercise the powers of the Attorney General in the Attorney General's absence. The Solicitor General acts alongside the Crown Advocate, and Crown Solicitor, and serves as one of the legal and constitutional advisers of the Crown and its government in the Australian state of New South Wales.

References

  1. Richardson, Joanne. "Aspinall, Butler Cole (1830–1875)". Australian Dictionary of Biography . Melbourne University Press. ISSN   1833-7538 . Retrieved 27 April 2013 via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  2. 1 2 3 "Butler Cole Aspinall". re-member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mennell, Philip (1892). "Aspinall, Hon. Butler Cole"  . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co via Wikisource.
  4. 1 2 Serle, Percival (1949). "Aspinall, Butler Cole". Dictionary of Australian Biography . Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
  5. "Resignation of Ministers of the Crown (per 1861-166)". Victorian Government Gazette. 14 November 1861. p. 1861:2191.
  6. "Appointment Solicitor-General Cole Aspinal". Victorian Government Gazette. 19 January 1870. p. 1870:69.
  7. "Appointment Solicitor-General Henry Wrixon MLA". Victorian Government Gazette. 9 April 1870. p. 1870:599.
  8. The Times , 16 November 1935

 

Victorian Legislative Assembly
New creation Member for Talbot
1856–1859
With: David Blair
Redistribution
New creation Member for Castlemaine
1859–1860
With: John Macadam
Vincent Pyke
Succeeded by
James Chapman
Alexander John Smith
George Smyth
Preceded by
Augustus Greeves
Alexander Thomson
Member for Geelong East
1861–1864
With: John Richardson
Succeeded by
George Cunningham
Preceded by
John MacPherson
Member for Portland
1866–1867
Succeeded by
James Butters
Preceded by
Joshua Snowball
Brice Bunny
Member for St Kilda
1868–1870
With: Thomas Fellows
Succeeded by
James Stephen
Political offices
Preceded by
Richard Ireland
Attorney-General of Victoria
1861
Succeeded by
Richard Ireland
Preceded by
James Casey
Solicitor-General of Victoria
1870
Succeeded by
Henry Wrixon