LEWIS, SIR GEORGE HENRY:

By: Joseph Jacobs

English lawyer; born in London April 21, 1833; educated at University College, London. In 1850 he was articled to his father, James Graham Lewis (1804-1869), founder of Lewis & Lewis, one of the best-known firms of solicitors in the city of London. George was admitted in Hilary term in 1856, and was subsequently taken into partnership by his father and uncle. He first made his name in prosecutingthe directors of the Overend and Gurney Bank, who had caused the disastrous panic of 1866, and for a time he devoted special attention to financial cases. In criminal cases he drew public attention to himself by his cross-examination in the Bravo case in 1875, and from that time onward was connected with most criminal "causes célèbres," being conspicuous in the prosecution of fraudulent persons like Madame Rachel and Slade the medium. Among other cases may be mentioned the Hatton Garden diamond robbery case; Belt versus Lawes; and the Baccarat case, in which the Prince of Wales's name was mentioned; and he was selected by the Parnell commission to conduct the case for Charles Stuart Parnell and the Irish party against the London "Times." Lewis has by far the largest practise in financial cases of any lawyer in London, and is especially expert in libel cases, being retained by some of the chief newspapers. He has shown himself especially skilful in exposing the practises of usurious money-lenders. Lewis was knighted in 1893, and raised to the rank of baronet in 1902.

Arms of Sir George. Henry Lewis.J.