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Augustus Keppel Stephenson

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Sir Augustus Keppel Stephenson
Born(1827-10-18)18 October 1827
London
Died26 September 1904(1904-09-26)(aged 76)

SirAugustus Frederick William Keppel Stephenson,KCB,KC(18 October 1827 in London – 26 September 1904)[1][2]was aTreasury Solicitorand the second person to hold the office ofDirector of Public ProsecutionsinEngland and Wales.[3]

Early life and family

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Stephenson was born in London on 18 October 1827, the eldest child ofHenry Frederick Stephenson,MP, and Lady Mary Keppel.[4]His mother was one of eleven children born toWilliam Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle.[5][6]His father, Henry Frederick Stephenson, was the illegitimate son ofCharles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk.[7]Henry Frederick Stephenson was a barrister-at-law and served as M.P. for Westbury (1831–49).[8]

His younger brother,Admiral Sir Henry Frederick Stephenson,was a Royal Navy officer, courtier and Arctic explorer.

Education

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Stephenson was educated privately, and later attendedCaius College, Cambridge,taking his MA in 1819.[9]He was called to the Bar as barrister-at-law ofLincoln's Innin 1852.[10]

Career

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For two years (1852–1854) he was Marshal and Associate in the Court of the Queen's Bench to the Lord Chief Justice.[11]Stephenson then went to the Norfolk Circuit and was appointed aRevising Barristerand a Recorder of Bedford.[12]He was appointed Assistant Solicitor of the Treasury byLord Russellin 1865.[13]TheChancellor of the Exchequer,Mr. Lowe, made him interim Registrar of Friendly Societies that same year.[14]

In 1876 Stephenson was appointed Solicitor to the Treasury.[15]The following year,the First Lord of the Treasuryappointed him to serve asHer Majesty'sProcurator General.[16]

Stephenson was created aCBon the recommendation ofMr. Gladstonein 1883, and aKCB,in 1886.[17]He was made Director of Public Prosecutions in 1884.[18]

In 1889, he was madeQueen's Counselon the recommendation ofLord Chancellor Halsbury.[19]

Marriage

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Stephenson married Eglantine Pleydell-Bouverie, second daughter of Rt. Hon.Edward Pleydell-Bouverieand Elizabeth Anne Balfour, on 5 December 1864.[20]Their children includedGuy Stephenson.

Cleveland street scandal

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One notable case occurred in 1889 when Stephenson was given theCleveland Street scandalto prosecute. It involved various members of the aristocracy (such asLord Arthur Somersetand theEarl of Euston), but these people were "allowed" (in the words of the radical journal theNorth London Press) to escape prosecution, something which attracted Stephenson a lot of criticism from the press.[21]

References

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  1. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[1]
  2. ^"Sir Augustus Frederick William Keppel Stephenson, KCB, QC (DPP 1884-94) discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk".National Archives.Retrieved27 July2021.
  3. ^The history of the Crown Prosecution Service: The CPSat www.cps.gov.uk
  4. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[2]
  5. ^The Times, 28 September 1904.
  6. ^Fisher, D. R. (2009).The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820–1832Cambridge: Cambridge Press[3]
  7. ^Fisher, D. R. (2009).The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820–1832Cambridge: Cambridge Press[4]
  8. ^Fisher, D. R. (2009).The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820–1832Cambridge: Cambridge Press[5]
  9. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[6]
  10. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[7]
  11. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[8]
  12. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[9]
  13. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[10]
  14. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[11]
  15. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[12]
  16. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[13]
  17. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[14]
  18. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[15]
  19. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[16]
  20. ^Moon, George Washington (1891).Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporariesp. 849 London: Sutton Publishing[17]
  21. ^Googlebooks, pages 122,123
Legal offices
Preceded by Treasury Solicitor
1875–1894 		Succeeded by
Preceded by HM Procurator General(Queen's Proctor)
1876–1894
Preceded by Director of Public Prosecutions
1884–1894
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