“The Dashing White Sergeant” by Edward Linley Sambourne (1844-1910) (original) (raw)

The Dashing White Sergeant

Edward Linley Sambourne (1844-1910)

Wood engraving

Punch (11 February 1882): 71

Punch’s Fancy Portraits No. 70

“And I will be your — Ballantine.”

According to Wikipedia, Serjeant William Ballantine SL (1812-1887), served as a Serjeant at Law, which permitted him to wear a white cap of that rank. He decided not to cross-examine the Prince of Wales in a famous divorce case, thereby preventing the Prince from perjuring himself and embarrassing the royal family. He lost the case.

You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. — George P. Landow