A sure touch, and a deft hand, he articulated a source of justice residing in the everlasting verities of English common law.

Her father Arthur was headmaster during Scott's time at Bruce Castle and her brother George Birkbeck Hill became his lifelong friend.

He wrote on legal questions for "The Times", the "Law Quarterly" and other periodicals and his "Bills of Exchange" (1869) became a widely read textbook.

As Egypt's legal system ran on similar lines to the French and Italian jurisprudence the knowledge he had acquired in France proved invaluable.

In the following October the Khedive, Ismail Pasha, conferred the Order of the Osmanie (worn in the painting above) only awarded to civil servants and military leaders for outstanding services to the state.

Scott took an interest in the conditions of the agricultural farmers and labourers known as the fellaheen, using his considerable influence to suppress slavery and mistreatment.

Again he quickly mastered the customs and usages of Indian law whilst simultaneously continuing to write for local and London press, frequently taking note of Egyptian affairs.

The diary of his wife published as "An Indian Journal" edited by their grandson, John Radford, covers a varied and interesting life in India, from trials to the elephants at Kandalla.

The Indian Spectator approves of the decision, and thinks that it will do much good when the marriage brokers, or dalals, find that they have no legal claim for their money.

In 1874 Scott had been nominated to fill the position of English Commissioner of the Public Debt, but the Khedive did not want to deprive the court of appeal of his services.

Major Baring, later Lord Cromer, who took the position, requested a loan of Scott’s services from the Indian Government in order that he might examine the whole system of Egyptian jurisprudence and make proposals for its amendment.

The Egyptian Premier, Riaz Pasha, took exception to his appointment creating a tremendous hullabaloo, instructing the French Consular General against this intolerable extension of British power.

Scott’s proposals and reputation spoke for themselves and he took the position in 1891, Pasha resigned in the May of that year on the grounds of ill health.

It was later acknowledged that Scott’s appointment "has resulted in one of the greatest strides yet made by Egypt in the direction of ultimate self- government".

At that time foreigners still enjoyed extraterritorial rights and were only amenable to their own consulate and laws in criminal matters.

His chief aim was to ensure that eventually they could say "We can now give you justice in our own courts; we ask that all who dwell in our country shall be amenable to the ordinary municipal tribunals and law.

"[4] During his year on loan he visited tribunals, assisting at the hearings, talking to the judges, examining their records and generally studying the actual system in its working all over the country from Assouan to Alexandria.

A strict was imposed rule that a legal diploma was required for future judicial office and a system of gradual promotion established.

As a means to encourage hard work and a disinclination to take bribes the salaries were increased in line with those of the provincial French judiciary.

The period of training was four years, with annual exams, and no student was accepted without first passing the secondary examination in the Government schools, so they were sufficiently grounded in general knowledge.

As President of the Board of Examiners Scott considered that it was more from the desire of a Government job than love of the law that drove the students to work hard at their studies.

After observing the courts he saw that in practice one judge did the majority of the work but their individual actions were saved from criticism by the presence of his colleagues.

Those who were unable to travel great distances to recover small debts could now go to a local town where an officer of the court would draw their claim on their behalf which was then served at once.

[4] When Scott spoke of his work in Egypt in 1899 he told of the reaction of the Egyptian public was one of surprise, as they "could hardly believe in the impartiality and freedom from corruption of a judge, especially if he sat alone, isolated from his colleagues and free from all control.

In the same year the son of one of the wealthiest proprietors in Egypt had chosen to amuse himself by organising a band of brigands, who attacked outlying villages, and robbed and killed as they used to in the good old fashioned times.

[3] When he retired in 1898, due to ill health, the Khedive awarded Scott the Order of the Medjidie, his college an honorary fellowship and his University a D.C.L.

He died at his residence Ramleh, College Road, Norwood on 1 March 1904 from a complication of heart and liver trouble.

The collection spans 4000 years of Egyptian history and contains one of possibly only five gold coffin masks of its type in the world.

The artist's remarkable combination of letters and images gives these mourners a voice forever, for the Egyptian belief that the spoken word endures for all eternity means that this lament will echo for all time.