James William Freshfield
| James William Freshfield | |
|---|---|
| Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for Penryn |
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In office 1830–1832 |
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| Preceded by |
William Manning David Barclay |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for Penryn and Falmouth |
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In office 1835–1841 |
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| Preceded by |
Robert Monsey Rolfe Charles William Bury |
| Succeeded by |
John Cranch Walker Vivian James Hanway Plumridge |
| Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for Boston |
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In office 1851–1852 |
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| Preceded by |
Benjamin Bond Cabbell Hon. Dudley Pelham |
| Succeeded by |
Benjamin Bond Cabbell Gilbert Heathcote |
| Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for Penryn and Falmouth |
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In office 1852–1857 |
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| Preceded by |
Howel Gwyn Francis Mowatt |
| Succeeded by |
Thomas Baring Samuel Gurney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 April 1774 |
| Died | 27 June 1864 (aged 90) |
| Nationality |
 Great Britain
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| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Blacket (1799–1819) Jane Simms (1821–†) |
| Children |
Henry Ray Freshfield Charles Kaye Freshfield |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
James William Freshfield (8 April 1774 – 27 June 1864) was an English lawyer and founder of the international law firm of Freshfields. He was also a Conservative politician and Member of Parliament, representing the seats of Penryn and Boston.
Freshfield was born at Windsor, Berkshire, the eldest son of James Freshfield, a clockmaker of Holborn and later of Chertsey Surrey. He was initially apprenticed to a watchmaker, but became a solicitor, being articled to Thomas Tompson in July 1790. After reading the law, he was sworn in as attorney at the King's Bench on 8 June 1795 and in the Court of Common Pleas on 14 June 1795. He set up his own practice at first at Smithfield, London, but later joined Winter & Kaye, a well-established law firm, as a partner.
Freshfield had close connections with the Clapham Sect, a group of leading Evangelicals who held influential positions in the City and the legal profession. This may have helped his career. William Wilberforce, who became a prominent abolitionist, was one of the leading members of the sect. Freshfield was an active member of the Church Missionary Society, which was dedicated to the abolition of slavery and later became one of its trustees.
By 1811 the firm of Kaye & Freshfield had moved to New Bank Buildings.
Freshfield’s home was the Manor House, Stoke Newington, then north of London. The dwelling, otherwise known as Abney House, was surrounded by parkland of the same name laid out by Lady Mary Abney and Dr Isaac Watts. One side of the estate ran along Church Street. The house was demolished in the last century (?) but its gates remain as the main entrance to the cemetery there. Freshfield lived next to Fleetwood House, where his neighbour and associate William Allen set up the Newington Academy for Girls in 1824.
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