Randolph Isham Stow

Who was Randolph Isham Stow?

Randolph Isham Stow was an English-born Australian Supreme Court of South Australia judge.

Stow was born in Framlingham, Suffolk, England, the eldest son of the Rev. Thomas Quinton Stow and his wife Elizabeth, née Eppes. The family migrated to Adelaide, South Australia in 1837; Randolph and his brothers Jefferson and Augustine were educated at home by their father and at a school run by D. Wylie. M.A.

Randolph Stow showed great ability as a boy and was articled to a firm of lawyers, Messrs. Bartley and Bakewell. Shortly after the completion of his articles Stow became a junior partner in the firm. In 1859 Stow started a business for himself. Later, Stow was a partner with Messrs. T. B. Bruce and F. Ayers.

Stow was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly as member for West Torrens 1861-2, for Victoria 1863-65, East Torrens 1866-68 and Light 1873-75. In October 1861 Stow became Attorney General in the Waterhouse. Stow was Attorney General again in the Henry Ayers and Arthur Blyth ministries from July 1864 to March 1865 and then lost his seat. He was now one of the leaders of the South Australian bar, and became a Queen's Counsel in this year. By 1875 Stow was the unchallenged leader of the bar at Adelaide, and on 15 March 1875 was appointed judge of the Supreme Court, in place of William Alfred Wearing, who died on the wreck of the SS Gothenburg. Stow's health, however, had not been good for some time, and he had a heavy workload; he died age 49 of atrophy of the liver on 17 September 1878. He left a widow, four sons and two daughters.