23 Facts About Rigby Swift

Sir Rigby Philip Watson Swift was a British barrister, Member of Parliament and judge.

Rigby Swift took up a place in his father's chambers, and his work steadily increased.

Rigby Swift moved to London in 1911, and was made a King's Counsel in 1912.

Rigby Swift's work continued to increase, and by 1916 he was earning 10,000 guineas a year.

Rigby Swift died on 19 October 1937 while still a High Court judge, and was buried in Rotherfield.

Rigby Swift was born on 7 June 1874 at Hardshaw Hall, Lancashire to Thomas Rigby Swift and his second wife Emily.

The male members of the family were mostly lawyers - Thomas Swift was a solicitor, three of his sons became solicitors, his brother was a registrar and his cousin, Sir John Rigby was a barrister and later judge.

Rigby Swift instead studied both simultaneously, and became noticed by the solicitors of Liverpool before he was even called to the Bar.

Rigby Swift's work increased over the next two years, and in 1897 he acted as a junior for John Bigham QC, later a High Court Judge.

On 26 September 1899 his father, Thomas Rigby Swift, fell ill on the way home from chambers and died on the bus.

In January 1910, Rigby Swift ran for Member of Parliament for St Helens on the Conservative Party ticket.

Swift campaigned hard, but despite his work and a "brilliant incursion" by F E Smith, Swift was defeated 6,512 votes to 5,717, leaving the sitting Labour member with a majority of 795.

Now that he was a Member of Parliament, Rigby Swift applied to become a King's Counsel.

Rigby Swift disliked going out of London, and doubled his fees to a minimum of 200 guineas for cases outside London.

Rigby Swift followed a rule that meant he would only deal with one case at a time - again this failed to cut down the number of solicitors looking to employ him, because they appreciated a barrister who would dedicate all his working hours to their particular case.

In 1921 Rigby Swift heard a case in which the controversial Treason Felony Act 1848 was applied.

The proceedings were heavily guarded - Rigby Swift was escorted into court by armed police, the court itself was surrounded by armed patrols and the public were not allowed to watch the proceedings.

Rigby Swift's judgment played an important part in and was referenced in the later decision of Lord Hanworth in Thompson v LMS Railway.

In 1925 Rigby Swift was again seconded to the Divorce Court, and began to get frustrated with the arranged divorces.

Rigby Swift's comments were widely reported by the press, and he apologised the next day, saying that he was simply disgusted by a system in which one party had to pretend to commit adultery to get a divorce.

Shortly before his death, in March 1937 Rigby Swift presided at the trial at Warwick Winter Assizes of Frederick Nodder, who was charged with abducting Mona Tinsley, aged 10, who had not been seen since leaving school on 5 January 1937.

On 15 April 1937 his wife, Lady Rigby Swift, had a large heart attack.

Rigby Swift returned to work and his life continued, but it was "continuation from mere momentum" rather than any desire to live.