The Trust has lost one of its founding trustees who, with Dr Arthur Stride, formed the Murray Downland Trust as a new registered charity 32 years ago in 1993, with Betty Murray as its Patron. We also include in this obituary some reflections of his wife Sheila, who very sadly died within a few days of Gerry, and who was also a stalwart supporter of the Trust.
Gerry was a Sussex man through and through. Born in Hove in 1931, he spent his formative years living in Sussex, firstly in Hove and then in Storrington. He went away to Clayesmore School in Dorset, aged 11, but returned to Sussex at the end of the war to complete his schooling at Brighton College.
He was awarded an Exhibition to Pembroke College Cambridge in 1950 to read Natural Sciences though he switched to study Law as he couldn’t see a career path in natural sciences. His interest in flora and fauna was to remain a passion throughout his life, and this influenced the route that he chose in the legal profession. He was called to the bar in 1956, having completed 2 years national service with the Royal Artillery.
Gerry was a pioneer in what would become environmental law, combining his legal knowledge with his deep understanding of ornithology and botany, and worked on many noteworthy cases in the area of planning law including objecting to the construction of Hinkley Point nuclear power station and representing the Dover Harbour Board on the Channel Tunnel Bill. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1981, and he was latterly head of his chambers until his retirement in 2001.
He met his future wife, Sheila, also a barrister, while having lunch in the Middle Temple Hall with other junior barristers. Sheila developed a practice in ecclesiastical law and was Chancellor of the Dioceses of Chelmsford and London before becoming Dean of the Arches, Auditor and Master of the Archbishop’s Faculty Office in 2001. She was also a Boundary Commissioner and a Recorder. In 2002 she was awarded a Doctorate of Civil Law by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Both were experts in the law of commons: Gerry wrote (with Bryan Harris) An Outline of the Law of Commons. Both were Benchers of the Middle Temple.
Gerry was truly a conservationist and devoted many years to conservation of the South Downs. He was an active member, and for a time chairman, of the Society of Sussex Downsmen. The Society was the genesis of the Murray Downland Trust in that the Heyshott reserves were formerly managed via a sub-committee of the Society through a lease from the Cowdray Estate. He and Arthur Stride could see the merits of breaking away from the Society and managing the reserves directly through a wholly new and independent charitable trust, and Gerry, aided by his legal expertise, elegantly and professionally smoothed the transition. Combined with his enthusiasm for botany and ornithology it was a stellar combination of skills.
Gerry had always wanted to own a farm, so as he approached retirement he bought a sheep farm in Dumfries and Galloway, which he was passionate about. He loved spending time up there, inspecting the sheep and driving around in a very old Land Rover.
Although a very successful barrister, who attained great professional accomplishment, he remained a scientist at heart, and he never subscribed to the pomp and ceremony of wig and gown. He loved nature and the outdoors. Needing to escape London at the weekends he would spend hours working in the garden at Bayleaves, his house in Bepton. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants and grew all sorts of exotic plants in his greenhouses, bringing seeds and cuttings back from holidays and nurturing them into life. Bayleaves was full of houseplants, positioned on every ledge, surface and windowsill, sometimes to the frustration of Sheila. He loved birds and would record the diversity of the species visiting his various bird tables and seed dispensers dotted around the garden. He kept records of the rainfall and even the number of windfalls each year that fell from a Bramley apple tree.
His battle with Dementia meant that his quality of life was significantly impaired in recent years. He retired as a trustee in 2024.
Gerry lived a long and successful life, he managed to balance professional accomplishment with the pursuit of his passions and interests, while having a positive impact on those he met along the way.
I am indebted to Gerry and Shelia’s sons, Nick and Andrew, for much of the personal background information.
Simon Ward
October 2025
Gerry was a Sussex man through and through. Born in Hove in 1931, he spent his formative years living in Sussex, firstly in Hove and then in Storrington. He went away to Clayesmore School in Dorset, aged 11, but returned to Sussex at the end of the war to complete his schooling at Brighton College.
He was awarded an Exhibition to Pembroke College Cambridge in 1950 to read Natural Sciences though he switched to study Law as he couldn’t see a career path in natural sciences. His interest in flora and fauna was to remain a passion throughout his life, and this influenced the route that he chose in the legal profession. He was called to the bar in 1956, having completed 2 years national service with the Royal Artillery.
Gerry was a pioneer in what would become environmental law, combining his legal knowledge with his deep understanding of ornithology and botany, and worked on many noteworthy cases in the area of planning law including objecting to the construction of Hinkley Point nuclear power station and representing the Dover Harbour Board on the Channel Tunnel Bill. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1981, and he was latterly head of his chambers until his retirement in 2001.
He met his future wife, Sheila, also a barrister, while having lunch in the Middle Temple Hall with other junior barristers. Sheila developed a practice in ecclesiastical law and was Chancellor of the Dioceses of Chelmsford and London before becoming Dean of the Arches, Auditor and Master of the Archbishop’s Faculty Office in 2001. She was also a Boundary Commissioner and a Recorder. In 2002 she was awarded a Doctorate of Civil Law by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Both were experts in the law of commons: Gerry wrote (with Bryan Harris) An Outline of the Law of Commons. Both were Benchers of the Middle Temple.
Gerry was truly a conservationist and devoted many years to conservation of the South Downs. He was an active member, and for a time chairman, of the Society of Sussex Downsmen. The Society was the genesis of the Murray Downland Trust in that the Heyshott reserves were formerly managed via a sub-committee of the Society through a lease from the Cowdray Estate. He and Arthur Stride could see the merits of breaking away from the Society and managing the reserves directly through a wholly new and independent charitable trust, and Gerry, aided by his legal expertise, elegantly and professionally smoothed the transition. Combined with his enthusiasm for botany and ornithology it was a stellar combination of skills.
Gerry had always wanted to own a farm, so as he approached retirement he bought a sheep farm in Dumfries and Galloway, which he was passionate about. He loved spending time up there, inspecting the sheep and driving around in a very old Land Rover.
Although a very successful barrister, who attained great professional accomplishment, he remained a scientist at heart, and he never subscribed to the pomp and ceremony of wig and gown. He loved nature and the outdoors. Needing to escape London at the weekends he would spend hours working in the garden at Bayleaves, his house in Bepton. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants and grew all sorts of exotic plants in his greenhouses, bringing seeds and cuttings back from holidays and nurturing them into life. Bayleaves was full of houseplants, positioned on every ledge, surface and windowsill, sometimes to the frustration of Sheila. He loved birds and would record the diversity of the species visiting his various bird tables and seed dispensers dotted around the garden. He kept records of the rainfall and even the number of windfalls each year that fell from a Bramley apple tree.
His battle with Dementia meant that his quality of life was significantly impaired in recent years. He retired as a trustee in 2024.
Gerry lived a long and successful life, he managed to balance professional accomplishment with the pursuit of his passions and interests, while having a positive impact on those he met along the way.
I am indebted to Gerry and Shelia’s sons, Nick and Andrew, for much of the personal background information.
Simon Ward
October 2025