Frederick Chapman (judge)

Frederick Chapman

Sir Frederick Revans Chapman (23 October 1849 – 24 June 1936) was a New Zealand judge and was the first New Zealand-born Supreme Court judge.

Biography

Chapman was born in Wellington, the fifth son of Henry Samuel Chapman, then resident judge in Wellington. Martin Chapman was an elder brother.[1] He was educated at the Church of England Grammar School, Melbourne, and in Europe, before reading law in London. He was admitted to the bar of the Inner Temple and practised in London, before moving to Dunedin where his father was now resident judge.

He practised law with the firm of Smith, Chapman, and Sinclair. In 1903 he was appointed President of the Court of Arbitration with the status of a Supreme Court judge, and in 1907 went on to the Supreme Court. In 1921 he resigned, though for three years he accepted temporary assignments to the bench before retiring in 1924. He continued as Chairman of the War Pensions Appeal Board. He was knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the 1923 King's Birthday Honours.[2]

He was associated with the University of Otago, and the Hocken and Turnbull Libraries. He collected many letters and manuscripts related to New Zealand's history and was a member of several learned societies. He was also an accomplished scientist specialising in the flora and fauna of New Zealand.[3]

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[4]

He died on 24 June 1936, aged 87 years.

Personal life

He married Clara Cook, daughter of Dunedin barrister George Cook in 1879.[5] His daughter, Vera, was an artist.[6] Another daughter, Hilda, married Australian lawyer and judge Sir Langer Owen in 1925.[7][8]

Botany

Published names

  • Celmisia brownii F.R.Chapm., Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 22: 444 (1890).[9] (an unplaced name)[10]
  • Celmisia campbellensis F.R.Chapm., Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 23: 407 (1891)[11] (synonym of Damnamenia vernicosa (Hook.f.) Given)[12]

Names honouring Chapman

The standard author abbreviation F.R.Chapm. is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Obituary". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXI, no. 18661. 18 March 1924. p. 10. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  2. ^ "No. 32830". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1923. p. 3944.
  3. ^ "The Return of the Tutanekai", Otago Daily Times (11 April 1923).
  4. ^ "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  5. ^ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Chapman, Frederick Revans". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  6. ^ "CHAPMAN, Vera (Clara Vera) (Mrs Vera Eichelbaum) 1885–1953 | NZETC". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Women you ought to know about – no. 19". The Sun. 4 November 1937. p. 29. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  8. ^ Rutledge, Martha (1988). "Owen, Sir Langer Meade (1862–1935)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 11. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  9. ^ Chapman, F.R. (1889). "Art. LIII.—Description of a New Species of Celmisia". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 22: 444.
  10. ^ "Celmisia brownii F.R.Chapm. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  11. ^ Chapman, F.R. (1890). "Art. XLIII.—On a New Species of Celmisia". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 23: 407.
  12. ^ "Celmisia campbellensis F.R.Chapm. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  13. ^ International Plant Names Index.  F.R.Chapm.