A.P. Herbert
Famous as | Playwright, Member of Parliament, Law Reform Activist, Humorist, Writer |
Born on | 24 September 1890 |
Born in | Ashtead, Surrey, England |
Died on | 11 November 1971 |
Nationality | United Kingdom |
A.P. Herbert Childhood & Early Years
A. P. Herbert was born on 24 September 1890 in Ashtead, Surrey,
England to civil servant father Patrick Herbert and mother Beatrice
Herbert. Young Herbert lost his mother at a tender age of 7. His mother
died leaving two of his younger brothers, who died later in battles of
1914 and 1941.
Education and Early Career
Herbert attended Winchester College and New College in Oxford where he earned a first class honours degree in jurisprudence.
In 1919 Herbert was invited by The Honourable Society of the Inner
Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple (associations comprising of
barristers and judges) to join the bar council but he never practiced.
Herbert was a member of the parliament and he was busy serving his
nation during the Second World War through his parliamentary duties as
well as in the Royal Navy that served on patrol-boats in the Thames
River. Herbert was probably the very first serving Member of Parliament
to have simultaneously taken the responsibility in the Royal Navy
without being an officer.
In 1935 Herbert became an independent Member of Parliament for
Oxford University with help and guidance from Frank Pakenham. Herbert
was sent to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1943 along with Derrick Gunston
and Charles Ammon as part of a team sent as a Parliamentary Commission
for investigating the future prospect of the dominion where he had
supported the cause of independence over confederation. In 1945 Herbert
received his Knighthood in Winston Churchill's Resignation Honours.
Role as a Law Reformer
Herbert lobbied and made all efforts to bring success in reforming
of certain laws that he felt were outdated and went against the
developing society throughout his life. The causes that he vehemently
fought against were divorce and obscenity for which he often used his
satirical skills to explain and speak against. Herbert was critical of
the very complex British licensing laws of his times and in 1935 he
protested more firmly and became the first person ever to submit
criminal information against the House of Commons for selling unlicensed
alcohol. To this the High Court Ruling stated that the act was exempt
due to Parliamentary privilege.
It was on his second day of office at the House, when Herbert gave
his first speech which was fiery and bold as he stated his plans to
introduce the Matrimonial Causes Bill, to reform divorce and also placed
his view that he wanted the bill to be passed before the Parliament was
over. In 1934 he published his humorous book
(which was based on his matrimonial and divorce bill passing cause)
novel âHoly Deadlockâ where he presented his views humorously. In 1938
the bill got passed as the Matrimonial Causes Act 1937. The law allowed
the act of divorce and curtailed the requirement of the proof of
adultery which was necessary to get a divorce during that time. Herbert
advocated the reforms of many other laws like gambling laws and the
repeal of the entertainments tax.
Works
Punch Magazine started in 1910 and Herbertâs humorous writings
regularly appeared in it. Herbertâs best ever written work, âUncommon
Law Misleading Casesâ was a book published in 1935 which first appeared on Punch. His book
consisted of satirical representations of âlaw reportsâ and
âjudgementsâ representing various areas and aspects of British legal and
judicial system. Underneath his satirical pieces lay the crux of sharp
political points. Herbert lashed out with his personal crusades against
obsolete legislatures. He often referred to a certain Albert Haddock, a
tireless and veteran litigant who was often represented as âA. P.
Haddockâ (referring to himself) in Punch magazine. Herbertâs plays and
novels were purely fictional but had a certain level of professional and
real platforms. In spite of its fictional value his works are referred
as foundations for judicial decisions and are also regarded as a subject
of academic research. âBoard of Inland Revenue v Haddockâ, also known
as âThe Negotiable Cowâ is one of Herbertâs most popular and colourful
fictitious legal cases that came out in as part of his series of
âMisleading Cases in the Common Lawâ in 1930.
Herbertâs writing had a great point of realism which was often
mistakenly misinterpreted as factual reports by several British and
foreign newspapers. Herbert published a total of five collections of the
âMisleading Casesâ which were âMisleading Cases in the Common Lawâ,
âMore Misleading Casesâ, âStill More Misleading Casesâ, âCodd's Last
Caseâ and âBardot M.P.?â throughout his life. Herbert also presented
stray legal cases as humorous essays in his miscellaneous collections
like âGeneral Cargoâ. All of the cases were compiled and produced into
two omnibus volumes, Uncommon Law in 1935 and More Uncommon Law in 1982.
In 1966 a short selection of cases came out as âWigs At Workâ. Such
was the popularity and acceptance of these cases that BBC brought out a
television adaptation as three series of A P Herbert's Misleading Cases
(1967, 1968 and 1971), with Roy Dotrice as Haddock and Alastair Sim as
the judge, Mr. Justice Swallow.
Herbert wrote eight novels that include The Water Gypsies written
in 1930 and 15 plays that include the light opera âTantivy Towersâ and
the comedy âBless the Brideâ which was written in 1947 and ran
successfully for two and a quarter years in London.
Herbert started and continued with his English campaign in Punch
magazine that was to circulate better use of English. Herbert also wrote
the lyrics of the patriotic song
âSong of Libertyâ set in 1940 to the music of Edward Elgar's Pomp and
Circumstance March No. 4. Herbert wrote and published âSundials Old and
New; or, Fun with the Sunâ in 1967 which was a book on details about his personal fascination and experiments in sundial technology. In the book
Herbert discusses about several experiments that he had carried out, on
designing and building a number of different models that could
determine a personâs position on the earth as well as the local time. In
1970 Herbert published âA.P.H., His Life and Timesâ which he dedicated
to his dear wife and had mentioned as a gift for their 56th anniversary.
Death
A. P. Herbert died on 11 November 1971.
| ||||
A.P. Herbert Timeline: | ||||
1890 â He was born on 24 September
1910 - Punch Magazine started and Herbertâs humorous writings regularly appeared in it
1914 - One of his two younger brothers died in the battle of 1914
1919 - Herbert was invited by The Honourable
Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple
(associations comprising of barristers and judges) to join the bar
council but he never practiced
1930 - âBoard of Inland Revenue v Haddockâ also
known as âThe Negotiable Cowâ is one of Herbertâs most popular and
colourful fictitious legal cases that came out in as part of his series
of âMisleading Cases in the Common Lawâ
1930 â He wrote his novel âThe Water Gypsiesâ
1934 - He published his humorous book (which was
based on his matrimonial and divorce bill passing cause) novel âHoly
Deadlockâ where he presented his views humorously.
1935 - Herbert found himself an Independent Member of Parliament for Oxford University with help and guidance from Frank Pakenham
1935 - He became the first person ever to submit criminal information against the House of Commons for selling unlicensed alcohol
1935 - âUncommon Law Misleading Casesâ was a book
published which first appeared on Punch. His book consisted of satirical
representations of âlaw reportsâ and âjudgmentsâ representing various
areas and aspects of British legal and judicial system
1938 - The bill got passed as the Matrimonial Causes Act 1937
1940 â He wrote the lyrics of the patriotic song
âSong of Libertyâ set in 1940 to the music of Edward Elgar's Pomp and
Circumstance March No. 4
1940 to 1945 - He was a non-commissioned petty officer who had served in the navy
1941 â Herbertâs second younger brother died in the battle
1943 - Herbert was sent to Newfoundland and
Labrador along with Derrick Gunston and Charles Ammon as part of a team
sent as a Parliamentary Commission for investigating the future prospect
of the dominion where he had supported the cause of independence over
confederation
1945 - Herbert received his Knighthood in Winston Churchill's Resignation Honours
1947 â He wrote comedy play âBless the Brideâ which ran successfully for two and a quarter years in London
1966 - A short selection of cases came out as âWigs At Workâ
1967 â He published âSundials Old and New; or, Fun
with the Sunâ which was a book on details about his personal
fascination and experiments in sundial technology
1970 - Herbert published âA.P.H., His Life and
Timesâ which he had dedicated to his dear wife and had mentioned as a
gift for their 56th anniversary
1971 - A. P. Herbert died on 11 November
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment