PENNEFATHER, FREDERICK WILLIAM (1852-1921) was the son of Edward Pennefather, Q.C., of Dunlavin, County Wicklow, Ireland. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he graduated there (B.A., 1874, LL.M. 1877 and LL.D. 1891). He read for the bar at Lincoln's Inn from 1874, was called in 1877, and in 1878 was called to the Irish bar. For a few years he practised on the south-eastern circuit. Pennefather was private secretary to Sir William Jervois as governor of South Australia (1881-83) and of New Zealand (1883-86), and in 1886 was commissioner for New Zealand at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition. In the following year he became lecturer in law at Adelaide University, and in 1890 professor. He was the joint author of Pennefather and Brown on the Civil Code of New Zealand, and he compiled Murray's Guide to New Zealand (1893). Pennefather practised in Wellington with Brown and Dean, and was acting judge in New Zealand (1898-99). Shortly afterwards he returned to Ireland, where he died on 6 Feb 1921.

Col. Gent.; Mennell.

Reference: Volume 2, page 83

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