author
Baron Henry Hawkins Brampton
1817–1907
A formidable Victorian judge and bestselling memoirist, he brought courtroom drama to life with stories drawn from some of 19th-century England’s most famous trials. His career made him a well-known public figure long before he was raised to the peerage as Baron Brampton.
1 Audiobook
The Reminiscences of Sir Henry Hawkins (Baron Brampton)
by Baron Henry Hawkins Brampton
About the author
Born in Hitchin in 1817, he was educated at Bedford School and trained for the law through the Middle Temple. After building a successful practice at the bar, he became a High Court judge in 1876, serving until his retirement in 1898.
He was closely associated with major criminal and election cases of the Victorian era, and his tough reputation on the bench led to the nickname “Hanging Hawkins.” In 1899 he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Brampton.
He is also remembered as the author of lively legal reminiscences, including The Reminiscences of Sir Henry Hawkins, Baron Brampton, which helped preserve the atmosphere of the 19th-century English courts for later readers. He died in 1907.