Chief Justice of the Common Pleas

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John Coleridge, the last Chief Justice of the Common Pleas

The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was the head of the Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, which was the second-highest common law court in the English legal system until 1875, when it, along with the other two common law courts and the equity and probate courts, became part of the High Court of Justice. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord High Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice of England, who headed the Queen's Bench (King's when the monarch was male).

Initially the position of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was not an appointment; of the justices serving in the court, one would become more respected than his peers, and was therefore considered the "chief" justice. The position was formalised in 1272 with the raising of Sir Gilbert of Preston to Chief Justice, and from then on it was a formally appointed role similar to the positions of Lord Chief Justice and Chief Baron of the Exchequer.[1] When the High Court was created in 1875, each of the three common law courts became separate divisions of it, each headed by the person who had led the respective court before the merger. When the Lord Chief Justice and Chief Baron died in 1880, the three common law divisions (Queen's Bench, Exchequer, and Common Pleas) were merged, and John Coleridge, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, became Lord Chief Justice, and the offices of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and Chief Baron were abolished.[2]

Chief Justices of the Common Pleas

Sir Edward Coke, a famed jurist whose judgements included seminal cases in corporate and competition law and the creation of judicial review
Nicholas Conyngham Tindal, who successfully defended Queen Caroline on charges of adultery in 1820
File:Sir Alexander Cockburn.jpg
Sir Alexander Cockburn, who was repeatedly refused a peerage on the grounds of "notoriously bad moral character"
Name Born/Died Term as Chief Justice Reason for termination[3]
Simon of Pattishall d. 1217 1190–1214 Died
Martin of Pattishall d. 1229 1217–1229 Retired
Sir Thomas of Moulton d. 1240 1229–1233 Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
William de Raley d. 1250 1233–1234 Appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Thomas of Moulton d. 1240 1234–1236 Retired
Robert of Lexinton d. 29 May 1250 1236–1244 Retired
Henry of Bath d. November 1260 1245–1249 Stripped of his position after accusations of perverting the course of justice
Roger of Thirkleby d. 1260 1249–1256 Replaced
Henry of Bath d. November 1260 1256–1258 Retired
Roger of Thirkleby d. 1260 1258–1260 Died
Sir Gilbert of Preston 1209 – 1274 1260–1267 Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
Martin of Littlebury d. 1274 1267–1272 Replaced
Sir Gilbert of Preston 1209–1274 1272–1274 Died
Roger of Seaton 1230–1280 1274–1278 Retired
Sir Thomas Weyland 1230 – January 1298 1278–1289 Removed from his position and exiled
Sir Ralph Sandwich 1235–1308 1289–1290 Resigned
John of Mettingham d. 1301 1290–1301 Died
Ralph de Hengham 1235 – 18 May 1311 1301–1309 Retired
Sir William Bereford d. 1326 1309–1326 Death
Hervey de Stanton 1260 – November 1327 1326 Failed to be reappointed by Edward III
Sir William Herle 1270–1347 1327–1329 Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
Sir John Stonor 1281–1354 1329–1331 Failed to be reappointed by Edward III
Sir William Herle 1270–1347 1331–1333 Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
Sir Henry Scrope d. 7 September 1336 1333 Replaced
Sir William Herle 1270–1347 1333–1335 Retired
Sir John Stonor 1281–1354 1335–1341 Removed
Sir Roger Hillary d. 1356 1341–1342 Replaced
Sir John Stonor 1281–1354 1342–1354 Retired
Sir Roger Hillary d. 1356 1354–1356 Died
Sir Robert Thorpe d. 29 June 1372 1356–1371 Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir William Fyncheden d. 1374 1371–1374 Died
Sir Robert Bealknap d. 19 January 1401 1374–1388 Exiled
Sir Robert Charleton d. 1395 1388–1395 Died
William Thirning d. 1413 1396–1413 Died
Richard Norton d. 1420 1413–1420 Died
Sir William Babington d. 1454 1423–1436 Retired
Sir John Juyn d. 24 March 1440 1436–1439 Died
John Cottesmore d. 29 August 1439 1439 Died
Sir Richard Newton d. 13 December 1448 1439–1448 Died
Sir John Prysot d. 1461 1449–1461 Died
Sir Robert Danby d. 1474 1461–1471 Not reappointed by Edward IV
Sir Thomas Bryan d. 14 August 1500 1471–1500 Died
Sir Thomas Wode d. 31 August 1502 1500–1502 Died
Sir Thomas Frowyk 1460 – 7 October 1506 1502–1506 Died
Sir Robert Rede d. 7 January 1519 1506–1519 Died
Sir John Ernley 1464 – 22 April 1520 1519–1520 Died
Sir Robert Brudenell 1461 – 30 January 1531 1520–1530 Retired
Sir Robert Norwich d. April 1535 1530–1535 Died
Sir John Baldwin d. 24 October 1545 1535–1545 Died
Sir Edward Montagu c. 1485 – 10 February 1557 1545–1553 Retired
Sir Richard Morgan d. May 1556 1553–1554 Removed after going insane
Sir Robert Broke d. 5 September 1558 1554–1558 Died
Anthony Browne 1509–1567 1558–1559 Appointed a justice of the Queen's Bench
Sir James Dyer 1510–1582 1559–1582 Died
Sir Edmund Anderson 1530 – 1 August 1605 2 May 1582 – 1 August 1605 Died
Sir Francis Gawdy d. 15 December 1605 August 1605 – 15 December 1605 Died
Sir Edward Coke 1 February 1552 – 3 September 1634 30 June 1606 – 25 October 1613 Appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Henry Hobart c. 1560 – 29 December 1625 26 November 1613 – 29 December 1625 Died
Sir Thomas Richardson 3 July 1569 – 4 February 1635 22 November 1626 – October 1631 Appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Robert Heath 1575–1649 October 1631 – 13 September 1634 Dismissed
Sir John Finch 17 September 1584 – 27 November 1660 16 October 1634 – 1640 Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir Edward Littleton 1589 – 27 August 1645 27 January 1640 – 18 January 1641 Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir John Bankes 1589 – 28 December 1644 29 January 1641 – 28 December 1644 Died
Oliver St John c. 1598 – 31 December 1673 1 October 1648 – 1660 Excluded from public office following the Restoration
Sir Orlando Bridgeman 30 January 1606 – 25 June 1674 22 October 1660– May 1668 Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir John Vaughan 14 September 1603 – 10 December 1674 23 May 1668 – 10 December 1674 Died
Sir Francis North 1637–1685 23 January 1675 – 20 December 1682 Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir Francis Pemberton 18 July 1624 – 10 June 1697 January 1683 – September 1683 Dismissed
Sir Thomas Jones 13 October 1614 – 31 May 1692 29 September 1683 – 21 April 1686 Dismissed
Sir Henry Bedingfield 9 December 1632 – 6 February 1687 21 April 1686 – 6 February 1687 Died
Robert Wright 1634–1689 13 April 1687 – 18 April 1687 Exchanged with Edward Herbert for the position of Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Edward Herbert c. 1648 – November 1698 1687–1689 Dismissed after fleeing to Ireland with James II
Sir Henry Pollexfen 1632 – 15 June 1691 6 May 1689 – 15 June 1691 Died
Sir George Treby 1643 – 13 December 1700 30 April 1692 – 13 December 1700 Died
Thomas Trevor, 1st Baron Trevor 8 March 1658 – 19 June 1730 5 July 1701 – 14 October 1714 Not reappointed by George I
Peter King, 1st Baron King c. 1669 – 22 July 1734 27 October 1714 – 1 June 1725 Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir Robert Eyre 1666 – 28 December 1735 1725–1735 Died
Sir Thomas Reeve 1673 – 19 January 1737 26 January 1736 – 19 January 1737 Died
Sir John Willes 29 November 1685 – 15 December 1761 28 January 1737 – 15 December 1761 Died
Charles Pratt, 1st Baron Camden 21 March 1714 – 18 April 1794 January 1762 – 30 July 1766 Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir John Eardley Wilmot 16 August 1709 – 5 February 1792 20 August 1766 – 26 January 1771 Resigned
Sir William de Grey 7 July 1719 – 9 May 1781 January 1771 – June 1780 Resigned
Alexander Wedderburn 13 February 1733 – 2 January 1805 1780–1793 Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir James Eyre 1734 – 1 July 1799 11 February 1793 – 1 July 1799 Died
John Scott, 1st Baron Eldon 4 June 1751 – 13 January 1838 17 July 1799 – 1801 Appointed Lord Chancellor
Richard Pepper Arden, 1st Baron Alvanley 20 May 1744 – 19 March 1804 22 May 1801 – 19 March 1804 Died
Sir James Mansfield 1733 – 23 May 1821 24 April 1804 – 21 February 1814 Resigned
Sir Vicary Gibbs 27 October 1751 – 1820 February 1814–November 1818 Resigned
Sir Robert Dallas 16 October 1756 – 25 December 1824 November 1818–1824 Retired
Robert Gifford, 1st Baron Gifford 24 February 1779 – 4 September 1826 9 January 1824 – 5 April 1824 Appointed Master of the Rolls
Sir William Best 13 December 1767 – 3 March 1845 15 April 1824 – June 1829 Retired
Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal 12 December 1776 – 6 July 1846 9 June 1829 – 6 July 1846 Died
Sir Thomas Wilde 7 July 1782–November 1855 6 July 1846 – 15 July 1850 Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir John Jervis 12 January 1802 – 1 November 1856 16 July 1850 – 1 November 1856 Died
Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet 24 September 1802 – 20 November 1880 November 1856 – 24 June 1859 Appointed Chief Justice of England
Sir William Erle 1 October 1793 – 28 January 1880 June 1859 – November 1866 Retired
Sir William Bovill 26 May 1814 – 1 November 1873 November 1866 –1 November 1873 Died
John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge 3 December 1820 – 14 June 1894 November 1873 – 20 November 1880 Court merged with the Court of King's Bench and the Exchequer of Pleas; became the first Lord Chief Justice of a unified King's Bench Division.[2]

References

  1. Kiralfy, p. 121
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lord Mackay of Clashfern (ed.) (2002) Halsbury's Laws of England, 4th ed. Vol.10 (Reissue), "Courts", 603 'Divisions of the High Court'
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Bibliography

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