Douglas Straight
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Sir Douglas Straight (October 22, 1844-June 4, 1914) was an English lawyer, Member of Parliament, judge and journalist.
Straight was born in London and was educated at Harrow School. Up to 1865 he engaged in journalism, but was then called to the bar and soon worked up an extensive practice, especially at the Central Criminal Court, London. During this time, Straight still maintained his literary interests. In 1867, he wrote an anonymous memoir of his time at Harrow entitled Harrow Recollections. By an Old Harrovian and had signed the preface with the name Sidney Daryl. This was a pseudonym he would use on a number of publications in this era.[1] His writing covered not only plays and stories but also other areas that interested him. In 1868, for instance, he compiled Routledge's Handbook of Quoits and Bowls.[1]
From 1870 to 1874 Straight sat in the House of Commons as Conservative Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury. In 1879 he was made a judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in India. To mark this appointment Vanity Fair caricatured him - The Hon Mr Justice Straight, the new Judge. After thirteen years of judicial service abroad he was knighted on his return from India in 1892.[2]
Four years later Straight returned to journalism as joint editor of the Pall Mall Magazine (1893-1896) and then editor of the Pall Mall Gazette (from 1896). He was a well known society figure during this time and in his editorial guise corresponded with many of the famous literary names of the day. Straight retired "from everything except the task of trying to enjoy himself" in 1909,[3] and died in London five years later.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Halkett, Samuel & Laing, John A Dictionary of the Anonymous and Pseudonymous Literature of Great Britain etc, 1883 - accessed on books.google.com and amazon.com
- ^ http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15144/15144-h/15144-h.htm Punch, August 27, 1892
- ^ http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A0CE2DE1731E233A25752C1A9669D946997D6CF "Straight to Retire", New York Times October 11, 1908
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
| Preceded by Henry Cust |
Editor of The Pall Mall Gazette 1896 - 1909 |
Succeeded by Frederick Higginbottom |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William James Clement "Colonel" George Tomline |
Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury with James Figgins 1870–1874 |
Succeeded by Charles Cecil Cotes Henry Robertson |
