English Legal History Research Guide

The history of the Common Law is not just a history of legal doctrine. It is also the history of the courts where that doctrine was shaped and of the lawyers, judges and clerks who ran the courts and made and applied legal rules in particular cases. This book, which brings together both published and unpublished essays, reflects this broader understanding of legal history. It complements the author's The Origins of the English Legal Profession.

Paul Brand describes the early history of the legal profession in both England and Ireland and uncovers fresh evidence on the beginnings of professional education. He reevaluates the significance of major changes in the organisation of the English courts in Henry II's reign and the transformation of the English judiciary which took place during the second half of the thirteenth century, periods of key importance in the shaping of the English legal system. Other essays review the contribution made to legal literature by Ralph de Hengham, the best known royal judge of the reign of Edward I, and shed new light on the life and times of Thomas Weyland, 'chief justice and felon'. An essay on the twelfth-century origins of English land law provides a critical introduction to the work of S.F.C. Milsom for the non-specialist.

Different mechanisms of legal change at work in the thirteenth century are examined in studies of the drafting of legislation, on the modification of Common Law remedies for unjust distraint of tenants by their lords and on the introduction of controls on alienations in mortmain.

Systematic history based on modern historical methods. It addresses the period before the Norman Conquest in 1066, but deals primarily with the creation and establishment of the common law, a process initiated in the reign of Henry II (1154-1189) and concluded in the reign of Edward I (1272-1307). The first volume traces this history. The second volume treats the doctrines of the common law, including tenure, the law of personal condition, status and estate, and the jurisdiction and communities of the land. Gracefully written and enriched with countless references this is an essential book. First published in 1895, it remains a primary text for students of legal history and the social history of medieval England.

Contents 1. The glory that was Rome -- 2. The Anglo-Saxon period -- 3. The Norman-Angevin administrators : birth of the modern state -- 4. A brief introduction to English feudalism -- 5. Courts of record -- 6. Equity -- 7. Specialized courts of the Renaissance : the "civilians," the admiralty, and the other conciliar courts -- 8. Appeal -- 9. The birth of the English legal profession and English legal education -- 10. Law reports, passion and judges : Sir Francis Bacon, Sir Edward Coke, and the intellectual seeds of the Civil War -- 11. Lawmaking and revolution -- 12. "Law and order" in eighteenth century England -- 13. The nineteenth century : legal instrumentalism, codification and utilitarianism -- 14. The twentieth century : the "new jurisprudence", "critical legal studies" and the "post-liberal society" -- 15. Conclusion : Law and history.

An in-depth exploration of the historical development of English common law. By understanding the roots and evolution of legal principles, readers can gain critical insights into contemporary legal systems and doctrines. Milsom's meticulous analysis and historical context provide a solid foundation for grasping the complexities of the common law.

A comprehensive reference work edited by A. W. B. Simpson and published in 1984 by Butterworths1
. This dictionary focuses on the biographies of significant figures in the history of the common law, including judges, lawyers, and legal scholars. It serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in the lives and contributions of these influential individuals to the development of common law.

Addresses the phenomenon of the leading case--the judicial decision which acquires a timeless quality, coming the stand for some legal idea, or principle, or doctrine thought to be central to the casuistic tradition of the common law
Develops a highly original approach to the study of judicial decisions; one which represents an attack upon the deeply anti-empirical tradition of academic legal writing
Written in an unpretentious style, and in a manner which assumes of the reader no special legal expertise
This book will appeal to all those who are interested in the cultural and social history of the law and of legal thought, and who like to combine intellectual stimulation with the innocent pleasure of a good read

Far more than a legal dictionary or encyclopedia of legal rules, this volume contains thousands of entries on every aspect of law, ranging historically from the dawn of Greek and Roman civilization to the present. Entries cover legal history and philosophy, comparative law, international law, and the main legal systems that share the common Western legal tradition.

Seminal work by Sir William Blackstone, first published between 1765 and 1769
. The four-volume set provides a comprehensive analysis of English common law and its principles
Each volume covers different aspects of the law:
Volume I: The Rights of Persons
. Volume II: The Rights of Things
. Volume III: Of Private Wrongs
. Volume IV: Of Public Wrongs
Blackstone's Commentaries have had a profound influence on the development of legal systems in England.

Felix Liebermann's Die Gesetze der Angelsachsen (1903-1916) remains the single most important contribution to the study of early English law. This volume marks the Gesetze's centenary by bringing together original essays by an international group of leading scholars specializing in medieval legal culture. The essays address not only Liebermann's life and legacy, but also major issues in the study of early law, including the relationship between Old English legal and penitential texts, the provenance of early English legal manuscripts, the composition and dating of pre-Magna Carta legislation, and the nature of Anglo-Saxon and Norman legal practice and procedure. This collection provides an essential assessment of the current state of early legal studies as well as a roadmap for future work.