Obiter recently went to Cardiff to hear the lord chief justice speak about devolution. But before Sir John Thomas stepped up to the lectern, we learned he was the second Welshman to hold the office. The first was Lord Trevethin, who was appointed in April 1921 only to resign without explanation in March 1922. Mystery surrounds his departure. Rumour has it that prime minister David Lloyd George (the only solicitor to climb the greasy pole, pictured) had him sign an undated letter of resignation so he could give the job to a political ally when it suited him – Trevethin only learned of his own resignation when he read about it in a newspaper. He lived an active retirement for 13 years until he fell in a river while fishing and drowned.

 

 

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