HE UNMADE MARRIAGES

Evening Star, Issue 23353, 24 August 1939, Page 4

HE UNMADE MARRIAGES

FAMOUS DIVORCE JUDGE President of the Probate Divorce and Admiralty Division from 1919 to 1933, during which period he tried over 11,000 divorce cases, Lord Merrivalo died recently at his home in Loudon, aged 83. He was famous as the judge who unmade marriages in - less time than it took to make them. His average time for the _ hearing of undefended cases was six minutes, and ho held the record for high-speed divorce. This was a case in which he heard the evidence of two witnesses and granted g decree nisi to a woman petitioner in exactly two minutes. He himself married when he was 20, and lived happily with his wife for 83 years. She died in 1914, and ha never remarried. Son of a Devon granite merchant, Lord Merrivale—then Mr Henry Edward Duke—started his career as a journalist in Plymouth, but relinquished this occupation to become a lawyer soon after he was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn, in 1885—the Inn of which he became a Bencher in 1899 and treasurer in 1908 and: 1927. Before he took silk in 1899, at the age of 44, he had served as Recorder of Plymouth and Devonport, ftnd for the 14 years 1900-14, after the town, ship had divided he was Recorder of Devonport alone. Meanwhile, having, adopted politics, he entered Parliament as Conservative member for Plymouth in 1900, holding that seat until 1906. From 1910 to 1918 he represented Exeter. lu 1915 ho reached) the high-water mark of his political career, for be was' appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland. Lord Merrivale held decided views on divorce and gave utterance to them on the Bench, in the House of Lords, and in a book on the subject; which was published in 1936. While strongly condemning anything which might interfere with-the:sanctity of marriage, ha urged) various' reforms of the law. His prominence among the judges of his day was due mainly to' bif shrewdness, transparent honestly, and dignity. His greatest admirers did not class him among Britain’s greatest lawyers, but were impressed by nis efforts to apply the law to the needs of changing circumstances.

Deliberate and somewhat ponderous in method, and with a leaning to tha ceremonious side of things, he waS ye* very practical; and there was weight ’* in wnat he said not less than in his manner of saying it. Sensitive to a degree, he was of kind and sympathetic disposition, but intolerant of deception, •

His heir isC Captain ■ the -Hoii. Kdward Duke, who was called to the Bar at Grey’s Inn in 1908, and was secre-. tary to his father from 1919 to '1930.