James Alan Park

Who was James Alan Park?

Sir James Alan Park KC was a British judge. He was the son of James Park, a surgeon from Edinburgh, and was brought up in Edinburgh until his father's practice moved to Surrey. He was educated first at Northampton Grammar School and then at Lincoln's Inn. He was called to the bar on 18 June 1784 and in 1787 published a successful Treatise on the Law of Marine Insurance, which was reprinted six times during his life. That brought him a good practice, although he was not noticed as a particularly distinguished advocate. In 1791, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and in 1795 became a Recorder of Preston, seen as the first step towards becoming a judge. He became a King's Counsel in 1799, Recorder of Durham in 1802 and Attorney-General of Lancaster in 1811. He was made Second Justice of the Court of Common Pleas on 22 January 1816 and knighted at the same time. He received a DCL from Oxford University in 1834 and died on 8 December 1838, leaving two sons: James Allan Park, who became a priest, and Alexander Atherton Park, who became a barrister.