James Parke, 1st Baron Wensleydale

James Parke, Baron and 1st Baron Wensleydale (22 March, 1782–25 February, 1868) was an English judge, born near Liverpool.

Career

He was educated at The King's School, Macclesfield and Trinity College, Cambridge. He had a brilliant career at the university, winning the Craven scholarship, Sir William Browne's gold medal, and being fifth wrangler and senior chancellor's medallist in classics.

Called to the bar at the Inner Temple he rapidly acquired an excellent common law practice and in 1828 was raised to the King's Bench, while still of the junior bar. In 1834 he was transferred from the King's Bench to the Court of Exchequer, where for some twenty years he exercised considerable influence. The changes introduced by the Common Law Procedure Acts of 1854 and 1855 proved too much for his legal conservatism and he resigned in December of the latter year.

The government under Lord Palmerston was anxious to have his services as a Law Lord, and he was created him a life peer as Baron Wensleydale, of Wensleydale in the North Riding of the County of York, on 16 January 1856, but his right to sit in the House of Lords was challenged by that House, and so he was created a hereditary peer as Baron Wensleydale, of Walton in the County Palatine of Lancaster, on 23 July the same year. He died at his residence, Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire. Since he had outlived his three sons, the hereditary peerage became extinct.

Marriage and children

On 8 April, 1817, Parke married Cecilia Arabella Frances Barlow (c. 1794 - 10 May, 1879). Though their sons died young, the Parkes were parents to three daughters with further descendants:

*Mary Parke (died 26 August 1843), married Charles Howard, a son of the 6th Earl of Carlisle, and was the mother of the 9th Earl of Carlisle
*Cecilia Anne Parke (died 20 April 1845), married Sir Matthew Ridley, 4th Baronet, and was the mother of Sir Matthew Ridley, 5th Baronet (who was created Viscount Ridley and Baron Wensleydale in 1900)
*Charlotte Alice Parke (d. 5 January 1908), married William Lowther, a grandson of the 1st Earl of Lonsdale

References

*1911