690 George Jessel

Constituency : Dover  1868-73

George  was  a  rare  Liberal  victor  in  Dover.

George  was  the  son  of a  Jewish  coral  merchant. He  was  educated  at  a  Jewish  school  then  went  to  University  College, London. He  became  a  barrister  in  1847. Palmerston's  Lord  Chancellor  Lord  Westbury  disliked  him  and  tried  to  impede  his  career.

George  made  an  impression  during  debates  on  the  Bankruptcy  Bill  in  1869. Two  years  later George  was  made  solicitor-general  becoming  the  first  practising  Jewish  government  minister  which  was  made  possible  by  the  Promissory  Oaths  Act  of  that  year. He  was  knighted  in  1872.

In  1873  George  succeeded  Lord  Romilly  as  Master  of  the  Rolls  and   resigned  his  seat  though  this  was  not  strictly  necessary  at  the  time. He  is  remembered  for  being  extremely  efficient  and  able  to  master  the  complexities  of  the most  difficult  cases.

George  suffered  from  diabetes  and  died  in  1883  of  cardiac  syncope  aged  59.