Newman Knowlys

Newman Knowlys (1758– 5 January 1836) was an English barrister and judge and the Common Serjeant of London and Recorder of London.

Knowlys was born in London, the fourth son of William Knowlys, a merchant of London. He was educated at Botesdale and at Christ's College, Cambridge but left before taking his degree. Knowlys was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1774 and called to the Bar in 1782. He began to practise at the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey) immediately after his call to the Bar and between 1783 and 1803 he was engaged in over 1300 cases there. During the 1790s Knowlys shared the leadership of Old Bailey practice with Jerome William Knapp. Knowlys was made a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 1817, Reader in 1819 and Treasurer in 1826.

He was elected Common Serjeant of London (1803-1811), the second most senior permanent judge of the Central Criminal Court and Recorder of London (1822–33), the senior Circuit Judge at the Central Criminal Court. hearing trials of criminal offences. His term as Common Serjeant was compared by The Morning Chronicle with the severity of that of Judge Jefferys and reported on Knowlys' "unparalleled severity" and "bare-faced system of frightening a jury into a verdict of conviction" during the trial for libel of Richard Carlile.

His term as Recorder made him and the office unpopular through his uncouth and severe actions. The Times had been against his election, disparagingly describing him as "a mere practitioner in the courts" adding that he lacked the personal dignity and legal ability required for the role. Like John Silvester before him Knowlys was against reforming England's severe criminal law. Knowlys was forced to resign in 1833 after issuing a warrant for the execution for Job Cox, a postman in the service of the General Post Office who was charged with stealing the contents of a letter entrusted to him for delivery. Knowlys had sentenced Cox to death and later sent the warrant for his execution even though Cox in the meantime had received a Royal Pardon commuting his sentence to transportation for life. On the error being discovered it was reported that:

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