Charles Fell

Charles Yates Fell (5 August 1844 – 9 June 1918) was a New Zealand barrister, politician and watercolour artist.

Early life and family

Fell was born in Nelson in 1844. He was the son of Alfred Fell, merchant and early settler, brother of the English politician Arthur Fell and grandson of Henry Seymour, after whom Seymour Square in Blenheim is named.

Fell took lessons with the Rev Meyrick Lully and later with Archdeacon Paul of Nelson. In 1859 both he and his parents returned to England where he attended King's College School, London. From there he went to St John's College, Oxford from 1863 to 1867 obtaining a Bachelor of Arts. He married Edith Louisa Bainbridge at Putney, London in 1869.

Legal practice

Fell was admitted to bar and joined the Home Circuit, entered Lincoln's Inn, and thence Inner Temple. After a short time practising in England he returned to New Zealand in 1870.

In 1880 he entered into partnership with Arthur Atkinson, founding the legal firm Fell and Atkinson. For many years Fell was the Crown Solicitor, Registrar of the Diocese of Nelson, and governor of Nelson College.

Charles Fell (divine)

Charles Fell, D.D. (1687–1763) was an English Roman Catholic priest.

Biography

Fell was born in England, but he was of French extraction, and was originally named Umfreville. After studying philosophy and divinity at the communauté of Monsieur Duvieux he was sent to St. Gregory's Seminary at Paris in 1706. In the following year he went to Douay to learn English and to complete his divinity course. In 1709 he returned to Paris, and in 1713 was ordained priest. He was created a Doctor of Divinity in 1716.

After coming on the English mission he resided principally in London, where he devoted his leisure time to the compilation of ‘The Lives of Saints; collected from Authentick Records of Church History. With a full Account of the other Festivals throughout the year. To which is prefixed a Treatise on the Moveable Feasts and Fasts of the Church’Robert Witham of Douay wrote observations on this work, and denounced it at Rome. Witham's principal complaint was that Fell had taken his Lives chiefly from Bachlet, and had recorded few miracles.