John Wylde

Brief description

PER-175

Full description

Sir John Wylde judge-advocate was born on 11 May 1781 in London. He was educated at St Paul’s School in London and Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1805 he was called to the Bar. In 1815 Wylde accepted the position of deputy judge-advocate of New South Wales and arrived in Australia on 5 October 1816. (1) His duties as judge-advocate in New South Wales combined the roles of committing Magistrate, public prosecutor and Judge. (2) On 13 May 1816, he was also appointed judge in the Vice-Admiralty Court. (3) Wylde expressed concern about the state of the Colonial paper Currency, discussing with the Governor the difficulty in recovering debts because of the condition of the currency and therefore, drafted the first charter for the Bank of New South Wales. He also advocated the establishment of the Supreme Court in Van Diemen’s Land, suggested to Governor Macquarie that the judge-advocate’s office be used as a register of deeds and recommended a modified jury system and a proper court of appeal. Wylde was sworn in as judge of the Supreme Court on 23 March 1824 and continued until Francis Forbes opened the new court on 17 May. (4) Wylde received substantial land grants, 2000 acres at Cabramatta and 50 in Pott’s Point. He founded a blood-horse stud, helped in the formation of the Agricultural Association and became president of the Benevolent Society. (5) On 12 February 1825 he sailed for England. (6) He gained his LL.D, and in 1827 he was knighted and appointed Chief Justice of the new court of the Cape of Good Hope, which was reconstituted as the Supreme Court in 1834. Wylde retired in October 1855 and died in South Africa on 13 December 1859. (7) Endnotes:
1) Australian Dictionary of Biography V 2. 1788-1850. I-Z Douglas Pike edition. p.627.
2) Australian Dictionary of Biography loc.cit.
3) Historical Records of Australia V.1 Series 4. 1786-1827 p.201.
4) Australian Dictionary of Biography op.cit. p628-629.
5) Australian Encyclopaedia v.9 1958 p.517.
6) NSW Law Almanac 1922 op.cit. p.24.
7) Australian Dictionary of Biography loc. cit.

Notes

Judge-advocate of New South Wales (1816-1824)

Judge in the Vice - Admirality Court (1816-1824)

Judge of Supreme Court (1824-1825)