It is my privilege to write a few words about Richard Hone, a fellow Middle Templar, Old Bailey Judge and Mason. In writing this tribute, I am much indebted to Master Hilliard for his permission to adapt what he said in his Valedictory when Richard retired from the Bench at the Old Bailey in 2017.
Richard was born in 1947, the son of Major-General Sir Ralph and Lady Hone. As a Captain in the London Irish Rifles, Richard’s father won the Military Cross in the First World War at Vimy Ridge. The citation records that with conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, he drove out enemy soldiers who had found their way into British trenches. After the war, Sir Ralph had a career of great distinction as a lawyer and as an administrator in what were then British Colonies. He was Called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 1924, as would Richard be over forty years later. He served on General Wavell’s staff in the Middle East during the Second World War. Two years after Richard was born, Sir Ralph took office as Governor of Borneo. Subsequently, he returned to London where he worked to further relations between Commonwealth countries and then resumed practice at the Bar from 1 Paper Buildings where he took silk, as later did Richard.
Richard attended St. Paul’s School where he was a Foundation Scholar. He went to Oxford University where he read Law at University College. I confess that I never saw him at any Law Lectures, but perhaps I always arrived too late. At Oxford, he was President of something called the Eldon Law Society, a group which I assume was dedicated to the study and consumption of gourmet food and vintage wine.
After Oxford, Richard spent 3 years as a travel guide with Global Tours, taking groups on trips to Germany and Italy. Testimonials attest to his guiding style. It can best be described as owing something both to a late Lord Mayor of London, Sir Gavyn Arthur, who had a close relationship with the remaining Royal families of Europe and the late TV chef Mr Keith Floyd, who had a close relationship with their vineyards.
In 1970, Richard was Called to the Bar by Middle Temple. He was the pupil of Tony Machin at 1 Paper Buildings. For 15 years or so, he had a criminal practice, prosecuting and defending. Thereafter, he turned his attentions to the civil law. He had a wide general practice, with a focus on insurance-related litigation, which included some work-related appearances in the House of Lords. He took silk in 1997 and was a Recorder of the Crown Courts from 1987.
In 2004, he was appointed as a Circuit Judge and assigned to the Crown Court at Wood Green. Only 5 months later, he was appointed as a Senior Circuit Judge at the Old Bailey. His interview for the Old Bailey was timed, inconveniently, for 3pm and left Richard with a dilemma – one I suspect he may have faced before and since. He had been invited to a lunchtime tasting of fine Burgundies by society wine merchants, O W Loeb and Sons. Faced with a choice between two evils, Richard enthusiastically embraced them both. Although there was obviously no question but that he would attend the lunch, Richard sensibly resolved the matter by taking the 2000 vintage wines at a gallop and declining a second glass of dessert wine.
At the Old Bailey, he tried the most serious of criminal cases where he enjoyed great respect and from his appointment in 2004, Richard brought considerable style and panache to that Court, both in and out. In Richard’s Court, IT issues did not raise their head. Instead, giant magnifying glasses were always produced from one of his capacious pockets and of which he made ostentatious use when examining Court Exhibits – as well as use out of Court when scanning the small print of a select wine list.
He was always immaculately attired in an exotic mix of John Steed of the Avengers and Burlington Bertie, and in silks, fine linens, and crisply starched shirts. He boasted the largest collection in private hands of 18th Century paste shoe buckles, and his oak-panelled retiring room had something of the air of a theatrical costumiers. He was as much at home in white tie and decorations as in Panama hat, yachting whites, and co-respondent’s shoes.
Away from Court, Richard devoted much of his time to Middle Temple. He was elected a Bencher in 1994 and was thus one of a very small and distinguished group who were elected when still a junior member of the Bar. He thereafter played an active and energetic role in the Inn. He was Chair of the Wine Sub-Committee from 1995 to 2012, which must be some sort of record, and then Chair of the Investments Sub-Committee. In his world the two were, I think, indissolubly linked. He was recently selected to be Autumn Reader of the Inn for 2023, a great honour, and something to which he much looked forward – from the choice of wines for his Readers Feast to his delivery of a doubtless immaculate Reader’s Speech to his fellow Benchers. Alas, it was not to be.
His contribution to Freemasonry was enormous and he was particularly gratified this year to have celebrated fifty years in the Lodge of Antiquity No. 2 which he joined in 1972 (having been initiated in Apollo University Lodge, Oxford in 1968). He was therefore one of the most senior members of a very senior Lodge – and was installed in the Chair of that Lodge in 1982. Over a period of ten years he served as President of the Grand Charity and its successor, the Masonic Charitable Foundation, and was responsible for directing huge charitable gifts to non-masonic charities. He served on the Grand Master’s Council (where his wise words will be much missed) and at the time of his death had achieved one of the highest Masonic honours in Grand Lodge as the Senior Grand Warden.
He was a Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John and raised funds for the eye hospital in Jerusalem. He was a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Ironmongers Company. Some accolades in public life, however, are harder won than others and Richard, I think, took special satisfaction from his status as a senior and much respected member of Annabel’s night club.
Richard has 4 sons, Nathaniel and Rufus with his first wife Sarah, and Adam and Charles with Diana, his much-loved second wife.
He continued to sit as a President of Mental Health Review Tribunals well after his retirement in 2017, and was able to pursue his Who’s Who recreations of wine, travel, and fine art. He so enjoyed his membership of the Garrick, Boodles, Pratts and the Beafsteak, where his mischievous smile and ready wit will be much missed. As one who enjoyed the good things in life – especially his vintage red wines – it is so sad that he did not live longer to enjoy them in his well-deserved retirement. I think however, that he would be amused to be likened to the wines he so much admired. Like them, he had a good nose, was silky but steely, fruity but dry, displaying a mellow ripeness and well rounded – in short, a real classic.
The Inn has lost a loyal and distinguished member, and I, a good friend.
Master Paul Worsley
