in 1842 when he was made a judge of the Court of Common Pleas by Peel, being knighted at the same time. Cresswell's contributions to the common law were modest. He was a cautious judge, somewhat in awe of chief justice Tindal, and was all too willing to concur rather than to take the lead. In 1856 Cresswell sat in the Swynfen will case, the case of a contested will that generated extensive satellite litigation including a claim that the plaintiff's counsel, Sir Frederic Thesiger, had been guilty of malpractice in agreeing a settlement without authority. It was further alleged that Cresswell had induced the agreement by suggesting to Thesiger at an early stage that he had formed an unfavourable view of his client's case. At Thesiger's trial, counsel Charles Rann Kennedy described Cresswell's behaviour as being of a "highly criminal nature" amounting to a "fraud" and a "misdemeanour". Cresswell admitted having shared his impressions with Thesiger saying, "If any gentleman had asked me a question about [the trial] I should have answered him", sharing his adverse opinion. While this case raised some negative publicity, no legal action was taken against Cresswell. The divorce court In 1858 he was named the first divorce judge-in-ordinary of the new Probate, Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Court which replaced the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts and created the remedy of civil divorce. He was reputedly offered a peerage at the time but declined. He did, however, become a privy councillor. Appointed with bipartisan support, such was the sensitivity of the office, there was some disquiet that a notoriously bad-tempered, confirmed bachelor had been appointed in such a role but Cresswell succeeded superbly in establishing tone, procedure and practice. The new law increased petitions for divorce one hundredfold and there were fears of chaos but Cresswell took a managerial role in regulating the new flood of litigation. He showed great sensitivity in dealing with genuine grievances but upheld the sanctity of marriage and was capable of being severe when necessary. However, he was also instrumental in moving the legal view of marriage from that based on a sacrament to that based on contract. He worked with colossal speed and energy, deciding over one thousand cases in six years, only one of which was reversed on appeal. He achieved some public fame and huge respect popularly being held as representing the five million married women of