Russell Vick

Sir Godfrey Russell-Vick QC (24 December 1892 – 27 September 1958)^[1] was an English lawyer, judge and Liberal Party politician.

Background

Born at Strathmore House, West Hartlepool, the youngest son of Richard William Vick JP and Emily née Oughtred, he was educated at the Leys School and Jesus College, Cambridge, and played rugby for Hartlepool Rovers.

He married Marjorie Hester Compston and the couple had two daughters and two sons, the younger of whom, Sir Arnold Russell-Vick, also became a barrister then a judge.^[1]

Professional career

In August 1914 Russell-Vick was commissioned into the 11th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, serving during World War I in France and Flanders. He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1917,^[1] and practised successfully as a criminal lawyer on the North East circuit.^[2] He served both as Chairman of the Bar Council and variously as Recorder of Richmond (1930-1931), Halifax (1931-1939) and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1939-1956). Sworn as King's Counsel in 1935, he was then appointed a County Court Judge, becoming a Bencher of the Inner Temple,^[1] and knighted in 1950.^[3]

Russell-Vick's service on public enquiries included:

London County Council remand homes (1944);^[2]
The black market in petrol (1948);^[2]
Lynskey tribunal into political corruption (1948);^[2]
Ill-treatment of prisoners at HM Prison Liverpool (1958).^[4]

Political career

He contested the constituency of Bishop Auckland at the 1918 General Election for the Coalition Liberals and finished second.

In 1919 Russell-Vick contested the constituency of Shoreditch in the 1919 London County Council election. He ran for the Liberal-backed Progressive Party and narrowly missed out on election.

He contested the constituency of the Hartlepools at the 1945 General Election for the Liberal Party coming third.

Electoral record

General Election 1918: Bishop Auckland
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Benjamin Charles Spoor	10,060
	National Liberal	Godfrey Russell-Vick	7,417
	Liberal	Dr Henzell Rutherford	2,411
Majority
Turnout
	Labour hold		Swing

Shoreditch in London

London County Council election, 1919: Shoreditch^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	YHenry Ward	1,701
	Labour	Y Charles Taylor	1,464	35.3
	Progressive	Godfrey Russell-Vick	1,454
	Municipal Reform	Major William Weber	1,116
	Municipal Reform	Rosamund Smith	1,110
Majority
	Progressive hold		Swing
	Labour gain from Progressive		Swing

General Election 1945: The Hartlepools^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Thomas Jones	16,502	41.2	n/a
	Conservative	Thomas George Greenwell	16,227	40.5	−23.6
	Liberal	Godfrey Russell-Vick	6,903	17.3	n/a
	Independent	Harry Lane	390	1.0	n/a
Majority			275	0.7	−46.0
Turnout				76.1	+36.6
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	n/a

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Who Was Who 1897-2006 (2007)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Wade Baron (1966) p.58
^ 1945 Hartlepool election leaflet
^ Home Office (1958)
^ London Municipal Notes – Volumes 18-23, London Municipal Society
^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

Bibliography

Home Office (1945) "London County Council remand homes: report of Committee of Inquiry" Cmd.6594
Home Office (1958) "Allegations of Ill-Treatment of Prisoners in Her Majesty's Prison, Liverpool" Cmnd.503
Ministry of Fuel and Power.Committee on Petrol Rationing Control (1948) "Evasions of petrol rationing control" Cmd.7372
Wade Baron, S. (1966). The Contact Man: The Story of Sidney Stanley and the Lynskey Tribunal. Secker & Warburg.
Who Was Who 1897-2006 (2007) "Vick, His Honour Judge Sir Godfrey Russell", retrieved 25 August 2007 (subscription required)

[www-1] Who Was Who 1897-2006 (2007)

[wb-2] Wade Baron (1966) p.58

[3] 1945 Hartlepool election leaflet

[4] Home Office (1958)

[5] London Municipal Notes – Volumes 18-23, London Municipal Society

[6] British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig

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