Edward Macnaghten, Baron Macnaghten

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Edward Macnaghten, Baron Macnaghten, GCB, GCMG (3 February 1830 – 17 February 1913) was a British lawyer, judge, politician and baronet. He was born the second son of Sir Edmund Workman-Macnaghten, Bt and was educated at the Queen's University of Belfast, and Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1852.

After being called to the bar in 1857, Macnaghten built up a successful practice and became Queen's Counsel in 1880. That same year he was elected to the House of Commons as Conservative Member of Parliament for County Antrim (UK Parliament constituency), exchanging this seat five years later for that of North Antrim. Having declined the offers of a judgeship from Gladstone and the Home Secretaryship from the Conservatives, he was in 1887 appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, receiving a life peerage as Baron Macnaghten, of Runkerry (his home near Bushmills) in the County of Antrim.

Lord Macnaghten was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1902 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1911 coronation honours of George V. He also succeeded his elder brother, Francis, as fourth Baronet in the latter year.

Lord Macnaghten's most famous contribution to English law was the determination of categories of charitable trusts. He also sat in the landmark decision of Salomon v. Salomon & Co. In the case of Montgomery v. Thompson (Eng.), A.C. 225 (1891), he held that a brewery opened in the town of Stone in Staffordshire could not use the name "Stone Ale", as this would infringe the rights of an existing seller of a product named "Stone Ale", famously remarking "Thirsty folk want beer, not explanations".

He died of pneumonia in 1913 at his home in Kensington, London, and was buried at Bushmills. His son, Sir Malcolm, married the daughter of Charles Booth.

Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Francis Workman-Macnaghten	Baronet (of Dundarave) 1911–1913	Succeeded by Edward Macnaghten