John Dodson (judge)
| Sir John Dodson | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 19 January 1780 Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, England |
| Died | 27 April 1858 (aged 78) Mayfair, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Spouse(s) | Frances Priscilla Pearson |
Sir John Dodson (19 January 1780 – 27 April 1858) was an English judge, aka Dean of Arches, and member of parliament.
Dodson was born at Hurstpierpoint on 19 January 1780. He was the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. John Dodson (1734–1807), rector of Yoxall, Staffordshire, and then rector of Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, who died in July 1807. He entered Merchant Taylors' School in 1790, and proceeded to Oriel College, Oxford, in 1797, where he graduated B.A. 1801, M.A. 1804, Middle Temple 1807 (called to the bar 1834), and D.C.L. 1808. He was admitted an advocate of the College of Doctors of Laws (Doctors' Commons) 3 November 1808, and acted as commissary to the dean and chapter of Westminster from 1808. A civil lawyer and editor of the Admiralty Reports 1811–22. Dodson died at 6 Seamore Place, Mayfair, London, 27 April 1858. For many years before that he had lived at 12 Hertford street, Mayfair.
From July 1819 to March 1823 he sat for Rye in parliament as, essentially, a Tory member, on death of its patron Thomas Phillipps Lamb, (?1752–1819), of Mountsfield Lodge, Rye, of the family of Rye's Lamb House. On 11 March 1829 he was appointed by the Duke of Wellington to the office of advocate to the Admiralty Court, and on being named advocate-general, 15 October 1834, was knighted at St. James's Palace on the 29th of the same month. As J. M. Collinge puts it: 'He voted in the (Tory) government majority on the blasphemous libels bill, 23 December 1819, and later received all his major legal appointments from Tory ministries. He is not known to have spoken in the House before 1820.'
He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple 8 November 1834, Admiralty Advocate 1829–34, and King's Advocate 1834–52, 1835 he was elected a bencher of his inn, Middle Temple, and reader in 1838, treasurer 1841. He became master of the faculties in November 1841, and vicar-general to the lord primate (archbishop of Canterbury) in 1849–52. From February 1852 he was judge of the prerogative court of Canterbury (PCC) until the abolition of this jurisdiction on 9 December 1857. He was dean of the Arches Court till his death. Herbert Jenner-Fust preceded him as Dean, and both were painted by F. Y. Frederick Yeates Hurlstone. He was sworn a privy councillor 5 April 1852. Knighted 29 October 1834.
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