Forrest Fulton

Born in Ostend, Belgium, he was the youngest son of Lieutenant-Colonel James Forrest Fulton and his wife, Fanny née Jessopp.{{cite web |title=FULTON Sir (James) Forrest |work=Who Was Who |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2007 |access-date=7 December 2010 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U196687}}

Fulton was educated at Norwich School under his uncle, the Reverend Augustus Jessopp before attending the University of London.Harries et al. (1991), p. 216 He graduated with a BA degree in 1867 and Bachelor of Laws degree in 1873.

Fulton was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1872. Practising on the South Eastern Circuit, he held a number of senior legal posts including treasury counsel at the Middlesex Sessions, senior counsel to the Post Office and senior counsel to the Treasury at the Central Criminal Court.

At the 1885 general election, Fulton was the Conservative Party's candidate to contest the newly created constituency of West Ham North. He was defeated by a margin of 719 votes. A further election was held in 1886, and Fulton stood at West Ham North again. He was elected to the Commons with a majority of 727 votes. He was described as having "made no particular mark" in parliament, and was unseated at the next general election in 1892, losing to the Liberal Party candidate, Archibald Grove, by 33 votes.

On leaving parliament, he was appointed a Queen's Counsel, and was briefly Recorder of Maidstone. In August 1892 Sir William Charley resigned as Common Serjeant of London and Fulton was appointed his successor.{{London Gazette |issue=26316 |date=12 August 1892 |page=4592 }} He was knighted in the same year,{{London Gazette |issue=26352 |date=9 December 1892 |page=7217 }} and made a Lieutenant of the City of London,{{London Gazette |issue=26348 |date=25 November 1892 |page=6791}} a Commissioner of the Central Criminal Court, and a Judge of the Mayor's Court of London. While Common Serjeant he presided over the case that led to the conviction of Adolph Beck for fraud in 1896. Eight years later an enquiry established that the conviction was a miscarriage of justice, a decision that led to the establishment of the Court of Criminal Appeal.

In March 1900 Sir Charles Hall, Recorder of London, died. Fulton was chosen to fill the post later the same month.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Recordership of London|date=21 March 1900 |page=8 |issue=36095}}{{London Gazette |issue=27176 |date=23 March 1900 |page=1965 }} He was succeeded as Common Serjeant of London by Frederick Albert Bosanquet QC. As Recorder Fulton tried the case of Kitty Byron, who was charged with the murder of Arthur Reginald Baker in 1902.

Fulton held the Recordership until March 1922, when he resigned due to ill health. He died at his home in Sheringham, Norfolk, in June 1925, aged 79.

{{reflist}}

• {{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}

• {{cite book|last1=Harries|first1=R.|last2=Cattermole|first2=P.|last3=Mackintosh|first3=P.|title=A History of Norwich School: King Edward VI's Grammar School at Norwich|year=1991|location=Norwich|publisher=Friends of Norwich School|isbn=978-0-9518561-1-6}}

• {{Hansard-contribs | mr-james-fulton | James Forrest Fulton }}

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{{s-bef | before = Edward Rider Cook}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Member of Parliament for West Ham North

| years = 1886 – 1892

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{{s-aft | after=Archibald Grove}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton, James Forrest}}

Category:1846 births

Category:1925 deaths

Category:People from Sheringham

Category:People educated at Norwich School

Category:Alumni of the University of London

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:UK MPs 1886–1892

Category:Members of the Middle Temple

Category:Common Serjeants of London

Category:Recorders of London