Charles Pilcher
(1844-1916) barrister and politician
Charles Edward Pilcher (20 April 1844 – 22 December 1916) was an Australian barrister and member of the Parliament of New South Wales.
Early life
He was born at West Maitland, New South Wales, the younger son of Henry Incledon Pilcher, solicitor, and his wife Eliza (née Brockley). He was educated at the Presbyterian High School and the University of Sydney, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1865. He was admitted to the bar in 1867.
In 1871, he married Maria McPhillamy (died 1903), with whom he had four children.
New South Wales parliament
He contested the Legislative Assembly seat of West Macquarie at the 1874–75 election, winning with 58.7% of the votes. He held the seat at the 1877 election, and 1880 election, before retiring in 1882.
In 1891, he was appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council, where he remained until his death at Lewisham on 22 December 1916(1916-12-22) (aged 72). He was appointed King's Counsel in 1902.
The public source identifies “Charles Pilcher” as (1844-1916) barrister and politician. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Charles, Pilcher and 1844-1916.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Charles Pilcher”, the useful work is to connect “(1844-1916) barrister and politician” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q21069512. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1844, 1916, 1865 and 1867.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Charles Pilcher”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Charles Pilcher primary sources, Charles Pilcher archive and Charles research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Charles Pilcher”?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Charles Pilcher” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.