Randolph Isham Stow

Randolph Isham Stow (17 December 1828 – 17 September 1878) was an English-born Australian Supreme Court of South Australia judge.

Stow was born in Framlingham, Suffolk, England and baptised at Water Lane-Independent, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, England on 28 May 1829, the eldest son of the Reverend Thomas Quinton Stow and his wife Elizabeth, née Eppes. The family migrated to Adelaide, South Australia in 1837; Randolph and his brothers Jefferson and Augustine were educated at home by their father and at a school run by D. Wylie. M.A.

Randolph Stow showed great ability as a boy and was articled (apprenticed by contract) to a firm of lawyers, Messrs. Bartley and Bakewell. Shortly after the completion of his articles Stow became a junior partner in the firm. In 1859 Stow started a business for himself. Later, Stow was a partner with T. B. Bruce (1862–1872) and F. Ayers.

Stow was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly as member for West Torrens 1861-2, for Victoria 1863-65, East Torrens 1866-68 and Light 1873-75. In October 1861 Stow became Attorney General in the Waterhouse (ministry which held office until July 1863). Stow was Attorney General again in the Henry Ayers and Arthur Blyth ministries from July 1864 to March 1865 and then lost his seat. He was now one of the leaders of the South Australian bar, and became a Queen's Counsel in this year. By 1875 Stow was the unchallenged leader of the bar at Adelaide, and on 15 March 1875 was appointed judge of the Supreme Court, in place of William Alfred Wearing, who died on the wreck of the SS Gothenburg. Stow's health, however, had not been good for some time, and he had a heavy workload; he died age 49 of atrophy of the liver on 17 September 1878. He left a widow, four sons and two daughters. One of his sons, Percival Randolph Stow, later married K. Langloh Parker.

As a member of parliament Stow was regarded as a first-rate debater and took a leading part as Attorney-General in putting through legislation of much value. As an advocate he possessed an accurate knowledge of law, but he made his greatest impression as a judge although he was on the bench for less than four years. At the time of his death there was a general feeling that South Australia had lost a great judge, and many years later Sir John Downer who became a Q.C. in the year Stow died, said of him that he was

"one of the greatest judges Australia ever had. A commanding presence, a striking face, an exquisite voice, unusual swiftness in comprehension, with an immense combination of eloquence and power". (Quoted at the time of Downer's death in The South Australian Advertiser, 3 August 1915).