Sir John Nicholl (1759-1838), Judge

Sitter in 3 portraits
John Nicholl entered Parliament as an MP in 1802 and spent thirty years serving in various constituencies. He had trained in the law but had not gone on to become a barrister. In 1809, he was appointed as a judge with a seat on the Privy Council. He regularly briefed the Privy Council and Secretaries of state on international law and maritime matters. In Parliament, he was a staunch defender of the established Church and the Admiralty and Ecclesiastical courts.