Legal Defence
When the Admiralty wrote to Archer-Shee's father, Martin, telling him that his son was being expelled for theft, the official at The Bank of England instantly responded that "Nothing will make me believe the boy guilty of this charge, which shall be sifted by independent experts". The father's reaction reflected the family's values. They were devout Roman Catholics and the background in bank management meant all the sons had been brought up to regard misuse of money as sinful.
Martin Archer-Shee contacted several lawyers to help clear his son's name. He also contacted his son Major Martin Archer-Shee, the half brother of George, who was active in politics (in 1910 he became Member of Parliament for Finsbury Central in North London). Major Archer-Shee obtained the services of Sir Edward Carson. Carson, who was regarded as one of Great Britain's best barristers of the age, also had a son who attended Osborne.
Before he took the case, Carson subjected the boy to questioning to test his story; only accepting once he had satisfied himself of the boy's innocence.
Read more about this topic: George Archer-Shee
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