John Bigham, 1st Viscount Mersey
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The Right Honourable The Viscount Mersey |
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Lord Mersey
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| Member of Parliament for Liverpool Exchange | |
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In office 7 August 1895 – 10 November 1897 |
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| Preceded by | Ralph Neville |
| Succeeded by | Charles McArthur |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
3 August 1840 Liverpool |
| Died | 3 September 1929 (aged 89) Littlehampton, Sussex |
John Charles Bigham, 1st Viscount Mersey (3 August 1840 – 3 September 1929) was a British jurist and politician. After early success as a lawyer, and a less successful spell as a politician, he was appointed a judge, working in commercial law.
After his retirement, Mersey remained active in public affairs, and is probably best remembered for heading the official Board of Trade inquiries into the sinking of steamships, most notably the RMS Titanic, the RMS Lusitania, and the RMS Empress of Ireland.
Bigham was born in Liverpool, the second son of John Bigham, a prosperous merchant, and his wife Helen, née East. He was educated at the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys, and the University of London, where he studied law.
Bigham left the university without taking a degree. He then travelled to Berlin and Paris to continue his education. Called to the bar in 1870 by the Middle Temple, he practised commercial law in and around his native city. On 17 August 1871 he married Georgina Sarah Rogers, also from Liverpool. The first of their three sons, Charles Clive Bigham (2nd Viscount Mersey), was born in 1872.
In 1883, Bigham was named a Queen's Counsel. His commercial practice prospered. In 1885, he tried his hand at politics, standing as a Liberal candidate for Parliament at the Liverpool constituency of East Toxteth, but lost. In 1892, he stood unsuccessfully in another Liverpool seat, the Exchange constituency. He was finally elected at his third attempt in 1895, standing as a Liberal Unionist. He was never able to make a great political impact, and his interest in politics was less than his interest in his legal work, which continued to flourish. During his last decade as a barrister, he was so in demand that he became one of the richest lawyers in his circle.
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