Edwin James (lawyer)

Edwin John James QC (c.1812 – 4 March 1882) was an English lawyer who also practised in the U.S., a Member of Parliament and would-be actor. Disbarred in England and Wales for professional misconduct, he ended his life in poverty. He was the first ever Queen's Counsel to suffer disbarment.

His parents were John James, a solicitor and secondary of the City of London, and his wife Caroline née Combe, niece of Harvey Christian Combe.

He unsuccessfully attempted to establish a career as an actor at an early age, taking lessons from John Cooper. He played at a private theatre in Gough Street, Gray's Inn Road, London and appeared as George Barnwell in The London Merchant at Cooper's Theatre Royal, Bath. But, he lacked the natural good looks to succeed in the theatre, being said by Cyrus Jay to have "the appearance of a prize fighter". He turned to the law to become a barrister, being called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1836.

James practised on the Home circuit and his most famous cases included:

James was made QC in 1850 but was not elected a bencher of the Inner Temple as was customary. This may have been because of the Establishment's distaste for his radical sympathies and the nature of his practice.The Spectator described him as:

... a leader in all actions for seduction, breach of promise of marriage, assault, and false imprisonment, and in all cases that involved the reputation of an actress or a horse.

...
Wikipedia