In the first modern biography of Lord Mansfield (1705-1793), Norman Poser details the turbulent political life of eighteenth-century Britain's most powerful judge, serving as chief justice for an unprecedented thirty-two years. His legal decisions launched England on the path to abolishing slavery and the slave trade, modernized commercial law in ways that helped establish Britain as the world's leading industrial and trading nation, and his vigorous opposition to the American colonists stoked Revolutionary fires. Although his father and brother were Jacobite rebels loyal to the deposed King James II, Mansfield was able to rise through English society to become a member of its ruling aristocracy and a confidential advisor to two kings. Poser sets Mansfield's rulings in historical context while delving into Mansfield's circle, which included poets (Alexander Pope described him as "his country's pride"), artists, actors, clergymen, noblemen and women, and politicians. Still celebrated for his application of common sense and moral values to the formal and complicated English common law system, Mansfield brought a practical and humanistic approach to the law. His decisions continue to influence the legal systems of Canada, Britain, and the United States to an extent unmatched by any judge of the past. An illuminating account of one of the greatest legal minds, Lord Mansfield presents a vibrant look at Britain's Age of Reason through one of its central figures.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 347.42/02734092
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 23
- General Note
- Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- e-uk---
- ISBN
- 9780773589797 9780773541832
- LCCN
- KD621.M3
- LCCN Item number
- P68 2013eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaOONL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xviii, 532 p., [5] p. of plates )
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)slc00233098 (OCoLC)845506514 (CaOOCEL)446146
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaOONL
Table of Contents
- Cover 1
- Contents 8
- Preface 10
- Chronology 14
- Introduction 32
- PART ONE: BECOMING LORD MANSFIELD 38
- 1 Scotland 40
- 2 Westminster and Oxford 50
- 3 Lincoln’s Inn 65
- 4 A Rising Lawyer 73
- 5 Entering Politics 97
- 6 Law Officer of the Crown 113
- 7 Murray and the Jacobites 129
- 8 Attaining the Bench and the Peerage 141
- 9 The Judge as Politician 149
- 10 Family Affairs 175
- 11 The Social Scene 191
- PART TWO: JUSTICE IN THE AGE OF REASON 220
- 12 Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench 222
- 13 Commerce and Industry 249
- 14 Freedom of the Press 273
- 15 Crime and Punishment 289
- 16 Betting and Lending 306
- 17 Slavery and the Somerset Case 315
- 18 The American Revolution 330
- 19 Protecting Authors and Inventors 351
- 20 Women and Marriage 363
- 21 Religious Freedom 378
- 22 The Gordon Riots 389
- 23 Last Years 405
- Epilogue: Lord Mansfield’s Legacy 425
- Acknowledgments 434
- Notes 436
- Bibliography 532
- Index 552
- A 552
- B 552
- C 553
- D 554
- E 554
- F 554
- G 555
- H 555
- I 555
- J 556
- K 556
- L 556
- M 556
- N 558
- O 558
- P 558
- Q 559
- R 559
- S 559
- T 560
- U 560
- V 560
- W 560
- Y 561
- Z 561
- Illustrations follow pages xviii 20
- Illustrations follow pages 180 210
