View source for William Ballantine

{{other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = Serjeant 
| name        = William Ballantine
| image       = williamballantine.jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| birth_name  = 
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1812|01|03|df=yes}} 
| birth_place = [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]], London
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|1887|01|09|1812|01|03|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Margate]]
| nationality = British
| education = [[St Paul's School (London)|St Paul's School]]
| other_names = 
| occupation  = Lawyer
| known_for   = 
}}
Serjeant '''William Ballantine''' [[Serjeant-at-law|SL]] (3 January 1812 – 9 January 1887) was an English [[Serjeant-at-law]], a legal position defunct since the legal reforms of the 1870s.

==Early career==
Born in Howland Street, [[Tottenham Court Road]] in [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]], London, the son of a police-magistrate, Ballantine was educated at [[St Paul's School (London)|St Paul's School]], and called to the [[barrister|Bar]] in 1834. He joined the Criminal Court and travelled the judicial 'Home Circuit', which necessitated him attending courts in [[Hertfordshire]], Kent, [[Surrey]], [[Sussex]] and [[Essex]]. As a young man he had a wide familiarity with dramatic and literary society, meeting many writers, including [[Charles Dickens]], [[William Makepeace Thackeray]], and [[Anthony Trollope]], and this background helped to obtain for him a large legal practice, particularly in criminal cases. In the late 1840s, Ballantine became known as a formidable [[cross-examination|cross-examiner]], having become involved in several famous cases, where he was able to display these skills. His great rival at during this period was [[John Humffreys Parry|Serjeant Parry]] (1816–1880).

==Serjeant-at-Law==
[[File:William Ballantine Vanity Fair 5 March 1870 (crop).jpg|thumb|"He resisted the temptation to cross-examine a Prince of the blood"<br/>As depicted by "ATn" (Alfred Thompson) in ''[[Vanity Fair (UK magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', 5 March 1870]]
Ballantine became a Serjeant-at-law in 1856, being then entitled to wear the white coif or cap of that rank (see illustration). He was one of the last Serjeants in the courts, that title and position being abolished in the [[Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873|judicial reforms]] of 1874. During the 1860s, he took on a number of high-profile cases.

===Mordaunt divorce trial===
Ballantine served as [[Counsel]] for [[Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet|Sir Charles Mordaunt]] in the then notorious divorce case against his wife. [[Lady Mordaunt]], who, much younger than her husband, informed him that he was not the father of her child. She admitted to him that she had committed [[adultery]] with a number of men, including [[Edward VII|the Prince of Wales]], 'often, and in open day.'

It became clear that because of these revelations that the Prince of Wales would have to be summoned to court to give evidence in the case. Although he could be [[subpoena]]ed, he could not be forced to give evidence; [[Queen Victoria]], his mother, advised him not to attend the court. However, the Prince agreed to attend the court, and to be questioned. After delicate questioning by Lady Mordaunt's counsel, the Prince denied that 'any improper familiarity or criminal act' had taken place between himself and Lady Mordaunt. It was generally believed that by stating this the Prince had [[perjury|perjured]] himself.

Ballantine, as counsel for Lord Mordaunt, the [[plaintiff]], was entitled to cross-examine the Prince of Wales. Instead, in an attempt to save the Prince from any embarrassment, he declared that he had no questions for His Royal Highness, thus saving the Prince's honour. However, Ballantine lost the case because he had failed to convince the jury that Lady Mordaunt was guilty.

==Retirement==
In the early 1880s, Ballantine retired from the law in order to write and travel, publishing several volumes of reminiscences. His interest in the theatre and journalism made him a familiar sight around London. Although he was recognised as an incisive cross-examiner, Ballantine was not regarded by his peers as being 'a model legal mind.'{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The ''Law Times'', in a brief notice,<ref>''Legal Times'' January 17, 1887.</ref> stated that Ballantine "left behind him scarcely any lesson, even in his own poor biography, which the rising generation could profitably learn." But in the same issue there is a full obituary with a detailed description of his life and career, ending with  "[…] he had an individuality of character which gave him a position almost unique in  the estimation of the public. His intimate acquaintance with human nature made him an excellent prosecutor or counsel for the defence in criminal trials. […] He was a skilful cross-examiner, an amusing speaker, and a great adept in the art of penetrating the motives and designs of criminals."

He died at [[Margate]] on 9 January 1887, aged 76 years. 
Ballantine's private life was considered [[Bohemianism|Bohemian]]; and though he earned large sums, he died poor. Barrister and politician [[Edward Clarke (barrister)|Sir Edward Clarke]] wrote <ref>Clarke p 82</ref> that Ballantine spent the latter part of his life "in exile at Boulogne, only being saved from poverty by the allowance made him by his son, which was generously supplemented by six members of the Bar".

==Family==
On 4 December 1841, he married Eliza, daughter of Henry Gyles of London. The DNB {{sfn|Seccombe|1901}} reports that he left no issue, but a variety of other sources<ref>Foster p. 21</ref><ref>Clarke pgs 81-82</ref> record that he was the father of [[William Ballantine (MP)|William Henry Walter Ballantine]], an attorney on the [[Circuit court#England and Wales|South Eastern Circuit]] and a Member of Parliament.

==Other cases==
Among Ballantine's other notable cases were:
*his successful prosecution of [[Franz Muller]] for the murder of Mr. Briggs in 1864,
*his successful prosecution of [[Sarah Rachel Russell|Madame Rachel]] for fraud in 1868,
*his skilful defence of the [[Tichborne Case|Tichborne claimant]] in 1871, and
*his defence of the [[Gaekwad]] (Gaekwar) Maharaja of [[Vadodara|Baroda]] in 1875, his fee in this last case being one of the largest ever known at the time. {{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite DNBSupp|wstitle=Ballantine, William|first=Thomas |last=Seccombe|volume=1}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Ballantine, William}}
*'In Vanity Fair' by Roy T Matthews and Peter Mellini. Scolar Press, London and the University of California Press,  Berkeley and Los Angeles. (1982) pgs 115-6
*Foster, Joseph. ''Men At The Bar.'' London: Hazell, Watson and Viney, 1885.
* Clarke, Sir Edward. ''The Story of My Life.'' London, J. Murray, 1918.

==External links==
*[https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7237911M Some Experiences of a Barrister's Life] at [https://openlibrary.org The Open Library]

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[[Category:People educated at St Paul's School, London]]
[[Category:People from Camden Town]]
[[Category:Serjeants-at-law (England)]]
[[Category:1812 births]]
[[Category:1887 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century English lawyers]]