THE LIVES

OF

TWELVE EMINENT JUDGES

OF THE LAST AND OF THE PRESENT

CENTURY.

BY

WILLIAM C. TOWNSEND, ESQ. M.A.

RECORDER OF MACCLESFIELD.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR

LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

BIBLIOTHECA

Bayerische
Staatsbibliothek

München

LONDON:

Printed by A. Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square.

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

LIFE OF LORD ERSKINE CONTINUED.

His Success in obtaining Verdicts and heavy Damages in Cases of

Seduction and Crim. Con. Trial of Markham and Fawcett; of Stock-

dale; of Cuthell. Letter to Dr. Parr. Brilliant Defence of Hardy

and Horne Tooke. Erskine's Dexterity, Readiness, Tact, and

Eloquence. Impassioned Pleading for Thelwall. His triumphal

Procession to Serjeants' Inn. This the proudest and happiest Period

of his Life. Always retained for Defendants with two Exceptions.

Prosecution of Age of Reason and Williams. Erskine's Appearance

as a Witness. Defence of Earl Thanet and Mr. Ferguson. That

Gentleman's just Eulogium on his noble Advocate.

Pages 1-44

CHAPTER II.

LIFE OF LORD ERSKINE CONTINUED.

Trial of Hadfield for High Treason. Examples of Erskine's Ingenuity

and Eloquence. Serjeant Talfourd's Criticism on Erskine. Compared

with Curran. Instances of their Independence; Sensibility; Pathos;

Imagination; Humour; Readiness. Unlucky Promotion of each.

Erskine's Pamphlet on the War. Offered the Post of Attorney-

General. Visit to Paris at Bonaparte's Levee. Erskine's Opinions

on Points of Law. Elected Lord Chancellor and Baron Erskine.

Specimens of his Judgments. Lofty and graceful Demeanour at Lord

Melville's Trial. His Courtesy and Good-nature.

the Seals, and Mortification. Speech and Letter.

Debater in the House of Lords. History of his Bill

to Animals. Anecdotes of him in Retirement.

tracts from the Work. His pathetic Praise of Fox

His yielding up

Considered as a

against Cruelty

His Armata. Ex-

45-95

CHAPTER III.

LIFE OF LORD ERSKINE CONCLUDED.

Lord Erskine's Residence at Hampstead. Habits in Society. His

Poem "The Farmer's Vision." Verses on Himself. Disinclination

to constant attendance in the House of Lords. Able but unsuccess--

ful Advocacy of Col. Knolly's Claim to the Banbury Peerage.

Protest. Subsequent Participation in the Debates. Speeches against

the Six Acts. On the Bill of Pains and Penalties against Queen

Caroline. His Illness. Invited to a public Dinner at Edinburgh.

Knight of the Thistle. His Pamphlet. Correspondence. Reduced

in Wealth. Lively in Society to the Last. Interview with Mr.

Rush. The old man garrulous.' Death. Will. Family. Ac-

count of his Brothers, the Earl of Buchan and Harry Erskine.

Praise of the Latter. The Memory of Erskine justly adored by the

Pages 96-144

Bar

CHAPTER IV.

LIFE OF LORD REDESDALE.

Ancestry of the Mitfords traced to a Period beyond the Conquest.

William Mitford the Historian. John Mitford Clerk in the Six

Clerks' Office. His admirable Treatise on the Court of Chancery.

Went the Western Circuit. Annual Circuit Dinner at Greenwich.

Returned to Parliament by the Duke of Northumberland for Beer-

alston, His Measure for relieving Protesting Catholic Dissenters.

Chancellor of Durham. Judge for Three Counties in South Wales.

Solicitor-General. History of his Conduct in the State Trials.

Elected Speaker. Eulogised by Grant. Created Lord Chancellor of

Ireland and Baron Redesdale. Libelled by Barrington and Judge

Johnson. History of the Trial. Merits of Lord Redesdale as

Chancellor. His Marriage. Dismissal from Office by the Whigs.

Rival to Lord Eldon as a great Equity Lawyer. His Letters and

Lucubrations on the State of Ireland. An active Legislator. His

Insolvent Debtors' Act. Report on the Dignity of a Peer of the

Realm. Leading Authority on the Law of Peerages. Death. Entitled

to high Praise
145-190

CHAPTER IV.

LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM GRANT.

His Lineage discussed by a French Author. His Birth and Boyhood.
Educated at Aberdeen and Leyden. Sent to Canada. Attorney-
General there. Return to the English Bar, and unsuccessful.

His

Interview with Pitt. Introduced by him to Parliament.
A great

Orator from the First. Examples. Consequent and rapid Rise at

the Bar. Solicitor-General. Appointed Master of the Rolls with

the General Assent of the Profession. Commander of the Lincoln's

Inn Corps. His Control over the House of Commons and Dislike to

Reforms. A perfect Model of Judicial Eloquence and Ability. Tri-

butes to his Memory by Lord Brougham and Charles Butler.

Examples of his Power contrasted with Lord Eldon and Sir Joseph

Jekyll. His superior Despatch. Premature Retirement. Narrative

of his Resignation. Romilly's Estimate of Grant. His Virtues.

Retires to Dawlish. Anecdotes of his Old Age. Literary. Letter.

Portrait. Has left no Successor able as himself. Pages 191-233

CHAPTER V.

LIFE OF LORD TENTERDEN.

"Labore" his Motto and Practice. Charles Abbott born at Canterbury.

Of humble Parentage. Educated at the Grammar School. His

Likeness as a Boy sketched by Sir Egerton Brydges. Gains Latin

Prize Poem and English Essay on Satire at Oxford. Extracts from

this Essay. Clerk to a London Solicitor. Assiduous Special Pleader.

Laid a sure Introduction to Business at the Bar. Went the Oxford

Circuit. Marriage. Treatise on the Law of Merchant Shipping.

His Return of Income Tax to the Commissioners. Not efficient as

an Advocate. Excellent as Chamber Counsel. Promoted to the

Bench. Chief Justice. Portraits of his Judicial Character. Speci-

mens of his Judgments. Harsh Demeanour to Counsel. Anecdotes

of the Chief Justice in Court. His Severity. Canning's Letter

offering a Peerage. Created Lord Tenterden. A valuable Peer,

both as a Speaker and Legislator. His Letters. Latin Verse. Ill-

Last Words. Monument at the Foundling, with Inscription

written by himself
234-278

ness.

CHAPTER VI.

LIFE OF LORD STOWELL.

Doctors' Commons rarely visited. Its Treasures. Birth of William Scott.
Education under the Rev. H. Moises. Account of his Tutors. Elected
Fellow. Camden Reader of Ancient History. His Lectures. Happy
Life at the University. Letters to his Brothers. Rapid Rise as a
Civilian. Divides his Time between Law and Literature, which
should never be divorced. Dr. Scott's Letters to Warton, Malone, and
Parr. Member of the Literary Club. Intimacy with Dr. Johnson.
Judge-Advocate. Knighted. Champion of the Established Church
and Clergy. Judge of the Consistory Court. Beautiful Diction of
his Judgments and Sentiments. Trial of Marquis of Sligo. Sir W.