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42-563: He was born in Somerset, the son of Elijah Cameron Popham (elder brother of Sir John Popham , Lord Chief Justice) by his wife Joan Norton. George Popham's grandparents lived in St. Donat's Castle and his grandmother, Jane Stradling, was born there. Very little is known about his early years, where it appears he may have been a humble merchant. Another George Popham traveled to New Guiana with Robert Dudley. Through pedigree rolls by nephew Edward Popham and

84-458: A considerable time against Sir Richard Grenville who came to its rescue in which contest it was so battered that it was never afterward deemed worthy repairing". In March 1645 the Royalist commander Grenville was ordered to march into Somersetshire and assist in the siege of Taunton . While inspecting the fortifications of "Wellington House" he was severely wounded, and obliged for a time to resign

126-467: A distinct line between them and the political decisions on which they are giving legal advice. As a government minister, the attorney general is directly answerable to Parliament. The attorney general is also the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government, and has the primary role of advising the government on any legal repercussions of their actions, either orally at meetings or in writing. As well as

168-465: A few years". However, he was rescued and rowed to safety by Sir Ferdinando Gorges (1565–1647). He was noted for his severity towards thieves, and for strict enforcement of the Penal Laws. He was a bloody man. John Popham married Amy Adams ( alias Games), daughter and heiress of Hugh ( alias Howel) Adams ( alias Games) of Castleton, Glamorgan , a fortified manor house 800 metres north-east of

210-563: A historical fortification called St. Georges Fort Popham eventually won the elections as President of the new colony but died the following year. The colonists were disheartened by the harshness of the climate and returned in the springtime to England. John Popham (judge) Sir John Popham (c. 1531 – 10 June 1607) of Wellington, Somerset , was Speaker of the House of Commons (1580 to 1583), Attorney General (1581 to 1592) and Lord Chief Justice of England (1592 to 1607). Popham

252-643: A last will by George Popham, we know some history of the relationships between the Pophams which confirmed that Sir John was George's uncle and Edward Popham's great-uncle. Just before the voyage to New England, George was the Customer of Bridgwater Port in Somerset. The Customer was the chief customs officer in the port, who collected the customs dues and recorded all entries and exits. In 1607, he sailed from Plymouth with two ships and about 120 people and landed in August at

294-517: A law, and for a short time the attorney general did sit in cabinet, starting with Sir Rufus Isaacs in 1912 and ending with Douglas Hogg in 1928. There is nothing that prohibits attorneys general from attending meetings of the Cabinet, and on occasion they have been asked to attend meetings to advise the government on the best course of action legally. Despite this it is considered preferable to exclude attorneys general from cabinet meetings so as to draw

336-419: A manor place on a hille ascending from the ripe. And late it (be)longgid to one Hugh Adam, a man of mene lands whos doughter is now heir of it" . By his marriage Popham inherited Castleton and sold it to his maternal relative Sir Thomas Stradling of St Donat's Castle. By his wife he had issue one son and six daughters including: As his main residence he built Wellington House, a "large and stately mansion" in

378-458: A political and ministerial post, with the attorney general serving as a legal adviser to both the government as a whole and individual government departments. Despite this change, until the passing of the Homicide Act 1957 the attorney general was bound to prosecute any and all poisoning cases. However, in recent times the attorney general has exceptionally conducted litigation in person before

420-576: A professional attorney was hired to represent the King's interests in court. The position first took on a political role in 1461 when the holder of the office was summoned to the House of Lords to advise the Government there on legal matters. In 1673, the attorney general officially became the Crown's adviser and representative in legal matters, although still specialising in litigation rather than advice. The beginning of

462-610: Is the leader of the Attorney General's Office and currently attends (but is not a member of) the Cabinet . Unlike in other countries employing the common law legal system, the attorney general does not govern the administration of justice ; that function is carried out by the secretary of state for justice and lord chancellor . The incumbent is also concurrently advocate general for Northern Ireland . The position of attorney general has existed since at least 1243, when records show

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504-700: The Crown Prosecution Service and appoints its head, the Director of Public Prosecutions . Decisions to prosecute are taken by the Crown Prosecution Service other than in exceptional cases i.e. where the attorney general's consent is required by statute or in cases relating to national security. An example of a consent case is the Campbell Case , which led to the fall of the first Labour government in 1924. The attorney general also superintends

546-624: The Government Legal Department and the Serious Fraud Office . The attorney general also has powers to bring "unduly lenient" sentences and points of law to the Court of Appeal , issue writs of nolle prosequi to cancel criminal prosecutions, supervise other prosecuting bodies (such as DEFRA ) and advise individual ministers facing legal action as a result of their official actions. They are responsible for making applications to

588-482: The 20th century saw a shift away from litigation and more towards legal advice. Today, prosecutions are carried out by the Crown Prosecution Service and most legal advice to government departments is provided by the Government Legal Department , both under the supervision of the attorney general. Additional duties include superintending the Serious Fraud Office , HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, Service Prosecuting Authority , and other government lawyers with

630-801: The British State, and for being one of the "real colonisers" of the British Empire; hosting two Wabanaki tribesmen kidnapped on the Maine coast in 1605, subsequently funding and orchestrating the aborted Popham Colony at the mouth of the Kennebec River , Maine (1607–1608). Popham became a very wealthy man, and amongst the many estates he owned was Publow in Somerset, Littlecote in Wiltshire , and Hemyock Castle in Devon . In Peter Blundell 's will of 1599 Popham

672-446: The attorney general officially became the Crown's representative in legal matters. In 1890, the ability of an attorney general to continue practising privately was formally taken away, turning the office-holder into a dedicated representative of the government. Since the beginning of the twentieth century the role of the attorney general has moved away from representing the Crown and government directly in court, and it has become more of

714-452: The attorney general to the Lords by writ when appointed continues unbroken to this day, although until the appointment of Lord Williams of Mostyn in 1999, no attorney general had sat in the Lords since 1700, and no attorney general had obeyed the writ since 1742. During the 16th century, the attorney general was used to pass messages between the House of Lords and House of Commons, although he

756-533: The attorney general. The corresponding shadow minister is the Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales , and the work of the attorney general is also scrutinised by the Justice Select Committee . The origins of the office are unknown, but the earliest record of an "attorney of the crown" is from 1243, when a professional attorney named Laurence Del Brok was paid to prosecute cases for

798-615: The authority to prosecute cases. The attorney general advises the government, individual government departments, and individual government ministers on legal matters, answering questions in Parliament and bringing "unduly lenient" sentences and points of law to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales . As per the Law Officers Act 1997 , duties can be delegated to the Solicitor General , and any actions are treated as if they came from

840-511: The command of his forces to Sir John Berkeley. Wellington had probably been supplying Blake with necessaries for some time, and Colonel Bovet, a very ardent Parliamentarian, got possession of Popham's house and made it a stronghold for his party. So against Wellington Grenville directed the Royalist force and levelled Popham's house almost to the ground, himself being so severely injured that the leadership of his men had to be transferred to Sir John Barkley. The following document dated 19 October 1650

882-505: The conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot , including Guy Fawkes (1606). He was also involved in the trial at Fotheringhay Castle of Mary, Queen of Scots (1587) which resulted in her execution. While working as the messenger to the Queen, Popham was imprisoned by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex with his henchman. Ever stoic, Popham replied that at his age, death would be "but cutting off

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924-472: The court restraining vexatious litigants, and may intervene in litigation to represent the interests of charity, or the public interest in certain family law cases. They are also officially the leader of the Bar of England and Wales , although this is merely custom and has no duties or rights attached to it. The attorney general's duties have long been considered strenuous, with Sir Patrick Hastings saying that "to be

966-478: The courts, for instance before the House of Lords in A and Others v Secretary of State for the Home Department , where the legality of the government's detention of terrorist suspects at Belmarsh was at issue. The attorney general is currently not a Cabinet minister, but is designated as also attending Cabinet. The rule that no attorney general may be a cabinet minister is a political convention rather than

1008-589: The government as a whole, they also advise individual departments. Although the primary role is no longer one of litigation, the attorney general still represents the Crown and government in court in some select, particularly important cases, and chooses the Treasury Counsel who handle most government legal cases. By convention, they represent the government in every case in front of the International Court of Justice . The attorney general also superintends

1050-527: The house and added a south wing in red-brick, which structure survives today. His armorials survive above the south porch. Following the destruction of Wellington House in the Civil War, Littlecote became the principal seat of his descendants, the last of whom in the male line was Francis Popham (died 1779), of Littlecote and Hunstrete , Somerset, who died childless. He bequeathed his estates to his wife Dorothy (née Hutton) who in turn left them to "Francis Popham,

1092-416: The king, who could not appear in courts where he had an interest. During the early days of the office the holder was largely concerned with representing the Crown in litigation, and held no political role or duties. Although a valuable position, the attorney general was expected to work incredibly hard; although Francis North (1637–1685) was earning £7,000 a year as attorney general he was pleased to give up

1134-402: The latter three figures kneeling behind the daughters and wearing plain not lace ruffs. The kneeling figures on the north side are believed to represent the five sons (facing westwards) and eight daughters (facing eastwards) of Sir Francis Popham, the son of Sir John Popham. Inscribed on a stone tablet on the west side of the entablature is the following text: A heraldic escutcheon is shown on

1176-454: The mouth of the Kennebec River . George Popham was the captain of Gift of God which became separated from the ship Mary and John on the journey to New England. The two ships were able to rejoin along the coastline before looking for a place to build a colony. There, he erected the first English settlement in New England, Popham Colony . His first establishments included a storehouse and

1218-473: The north side of the monument to Sir John Popham in Wellington Church of nine quarters as follows: Attorney General for England and Wales His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is the chief legal adviser to the sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales as well as the highest ranking amongst the law officers of the Crown . The attorney general

1260-464: The office and become Chief Justice of the Common Pleas because of the smaller workload, despite the heavily reduced pay. The office first took on a political element in 1461, when the holder was summoned by writ to the House of Lords to advise the government on legal matters. This was also the first time that the office was referred to as the office of the "Attorney General". The custom of summoning

1302-534: The reputed son of my late husband" but only as a tenant for life. This illegitimate son died in 1804 when, under the terms of Dorothy's will, the estates reverted to her husband's nephew Edward William Leyborne (born 1764), who in 1805 in accordance with the terms of the bequest assumed by royal licence the additional surname and arms of Popham. The Leyborne Popham family sold Littlecote in 1929 and moved to their other seat at Hunstrete House, Pensford, Somerset. Popham died on 10 June 1607 at Wellington , Somerset . He

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1344-512: The same orientation. Collinson described the monument as follows: The two male and female couples kneeling opposite each other separated by a prie-dieu , shown at each end of the monument, are believed to represent his 34-year-old son Sir Francis Popham and the latter's wife (east-end) and his parents, represented as a middle-aged couple (west-end). The nine female kneeling figures on the south side, all facing westward, are believed to represent Sir John Popham's six daughters with three ladies maids,

1386-590: The town of Wellington, Somerset , "only slightly smaller than Montacute " also in Somerset (built in about 1598 by Sir Edward Phelips , Master of the Rolls and the prosecutor during the trial of the Gunpowder Plotters ). It was destroyed during the Civil War (1642–1651), having been "obtained by strategem by one Bovet of Taunton who converted it into a garrison for the use of the Parliament army and defended it for

1428-524: The village of St Athan . Castleton was from the early 12th century the caput of the lordship of St Athan established by the Nerber family, and held from the overlords the Earls of Gloucester, comprising 4 knight's fees . John de Nerber was the last in the line, and died in the early 16th century. In 1528, "by corrupt dealings", Castleton was acquired by Howel Adams. In 1538 Leland (died 1552) recorded: "Castleton,

1470-635: Was a short sail across the Bristol Channel into the inland port of Bridgwater on the River Parret . The Popham family had held the manor of Huntworth since the 13th century when Sir Hugh de Popham ( tempore Edward I ) (a younger son of the Popham family of the manor of Popham, Hampshire ) married Joan de Kentisbury, daughter and heiress of Sir Stephen de Kentisbury of Huntworth. His nephews included George Popham , founder of Popham Colony (of which Sir John

1512-653: Was addressed to Justices of Peace of Somerset: Popham acquired the reversion of the estate of Littlecote in Berkshire (today in Wiltshire) from William Darrell (1539–1589), MP, and following the latter's death in 1589 duly became its owner. The historian John Aubrey (1626–1697) stated that Popham had acquired Littlecote as a bribe for having obtained a nolle prosequi in favour of the murderer William "Wild" Darrell, which account Rice (2005) deemed "not accurate" and "A story of passion, murder and confusion". Popham expanded

1554-513: Was asked to establish a free grammar school in the town of Tiverton in Devon, which resulted in his founding of Blundell's School which opened in 1604 and still exists to this day. In 1595 Popham presided over the trial of the Jesuit Robert Southwell and passed a sentence of death by hanging, drawing and quartering . He also presided over the trials of Sir Walter Raleigh (1603) and

1596-477: Was born in 1531 at Huntworth in the parish of North Petherton , near Bridgwater , in Somerset , the second son of Alexander Popham (c. 1504 – 1556) of Huntworth, twice MP for Bridgwater in 1545 and 1547, by his wife Jane Stradling, a daughter of Sir Edward Stradling (died 1535) of St Donat's Castle , Glamorgan; one of Jane's brothers is Thomas Stradling . St Donat's Castle situated on the south coast of Glamorgan

1638-589: Was buried in the Church of St John the Baptist, Wellington , where his large free-standing monument survives. At the east end of the north aisle of St John the Baptist's Church in Wellington, survives the 18-foot-high monument with effigies of Sir John Popham and his family. As described by Collinson (died 1793) in 1791 it was situated in the south aisle chapel, from which it has been moved to its present position, but retaining

1680-553: Was one of the principal financial backers) and Sir William Pole (1561–1635), the historian of Devon. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford , where he read classics and divinity, and entered the Middle Temple as a law student. He served as an MP for Lyme Regis in 1558 and for Bristol in 1571 and 1572 and was a Justice of the Peace in Somerset. He served in the honourable position of Recorder of Bridgwater and of Bristol. He

1722-402: Was promoted to serjeant-at-law in 1578 and appointed Solicitor-General in 1579. In 1581 he was elected Speaker of the House of Commons and later that year was appointed Attorney-General . In 1592 following the death of Sir Christopher Wray , he was appointed Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench , which position he retained until his death. Popham is credited with maintaining the stability of

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1764-554: Was viewed suspiciously by the Commons and seen as a tool of the Lords and the king. In 1673 the attorney general began to take up a seat in the House of Commons, and since then it has been convention to ensure that all attorneys general are members of the House of Commons or House of Lords, although there is no requirement that they be so. During the constitutional struggle centred on the Royal Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 and 1673

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