OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
www.oldplymouth.uk
 

WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

JAMES JOSEPH JUDGE (1869-1954)

James Joseph Judge was born in Dublin, Eire, on May 27th 1869.

He became a very keen long-distance cyclist and in that capacity he came to know Mr R A J Walling (1869-1949), who was then based in Coventry editing a cycling newspaper.  When Mr Walling was appointed editor of the Western Evening Herald in 1895, he brought Mr Judge with him to act as sub-editor.  At a later date when Mr Walling became editor of the Western Daily Mercury, Mr Judge was appointed to replace him at the Herald.  In 1922 Mr Walling became editor of the Western Independent and Mr Judge again followed him and became sub-editor.

During his time in Plymouth he was responsible for organising the excavations at Mount Batten that proved the area had been occupied in Roman times and he was a keen member of both the Old Plymouth Society, the Plymouth Institution and the Plymouth Rotary Club.  He also spent a great deal of his free time walking on Dartmoor.

In January 1930 he was elected to the first Committee of the Old Plymouth Society.

His most notable appointment was as the first honorary secretary of the Civic Guild of Help, which later became the Plymouth Guild of Social Service.  In 1939 he was living at number 38 Looe Street.

He retired from active journalism in 1946.  As he was unmarried he spent many years living at the Virginia House Settlement and counted its founders, Lord and Lady Astor, among his personal friends.  He usually spent Christmas with them at Cliveden. 

Mr James Joseph Judge died at the South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital, Plymouth, on Monday November 15th 1954.  He was stated to be 85 years of age.  Mr Judge was cremated at Efford Cemetery and Crematorium on November 19th 1954.  He never married.