English Common Law in the Age of Mansfield studies in legal history PublishedbytheUniversityofNorthCarolinaPress inassociationwiththeAmericanSocietyforLegalHistory ThomasA.Green,HendrikHartog,and DanielErnst,editors LordMansfield,paintingbyJohnSingletonCopley,1783. (CourtesyoftheNationalPortraitGallery,London) English Common Law in the Age of Mansfield by james oldham TheUniversityofNorthCarolinaPress ChapelHillandLondon ©2004TheUniversityofNorthCarolinaPress Allrightsreserved ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica SetinJanson byTsengInformationSystems,Inc. Thepaperinthisbookmeetstheguidelinesforpermanence anddurabilityoftheCommitteeonProductionGuidelinesfor BookLongevityoftheCouncilonLibraryResources. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Oldham,James. EnglishcommonlawintheageofMansfield/byJamesOldham. p.cm.—(Studiesinlegalhistory) Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. isbn0-8078-2869-6(cloth:alk.paper)— isbn0-8078-5532-4(pbk.:alk.paper) 1.Law—England—History—18thcentury. 2.Mansfield,WilliamMurray, Earlof,1705–1793 I.Title. II.Series. kd612.o44 2004 340.5'7'094209033—dc22 2003025859 cloth 08 07 06 05 04 5 4 3 2 1 paper 08 07 06 05 04 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Preface xi EditorialStatement xv Abbreviations xvii part i MansfieldandtheCourtofKing’sBench 1 LordMansfield 3 2 TheCourtofKing’sBench 12 part ii CommerceandContract 3 ContractandQuasi-Contract 79 4 Bankruptcy 107 5 Insurance 124 6 NegotiableInstruments 152 7 Usury 165 8 PrizeandTrade 177 9 IntellectualProperty 190 part iii CrimeandTort 10 Libel 209 11 RestrictionsonReligiousObservance 236 [vii] viii Contents 12 Nuisance 248 13 Assault,FalseImprisonment,andOffenses againstPublicOrderandWelfare 260 14 Perjury 268 15 Negligence 276 16 TrespassandTrover 292 part iv StatusandProperty 17 Slavery 305 18 Marriage 324 19 LaborandEmployment 343 20 PropertyandWills 356 Conclusion 364 Appendix:TableofRegnalYears 371 Bibliography 373 TableofStatutes 393 TableofCases 395 GeneralIndex 409 Illustrations ‘‘TermTime,or,theLawyersAllAliveinWestminsterHall’’ 13 ‘‘CouncellorDouble-Fee’’ 15 TheOldBailey 39 ‘‘FirstDayofTerm’’ 45 ‘‘LawyersinTerm’’ 46 ‘‘APeepintoWestminsterHallonaCallofSerjeants’’ 49 WilliamBlackstone 109 ‘‘AMeetingofCreditors’’ 114 King’sBenchPrison 123 ‘‘ModerateInterest’’ 170 SouthfrontofKenwood 203 JohnWilkes 223 ‘‘SawnyWetherbeatenor JudasIscariot’’ 223 ‘‘TheRoyalChace’’ 225 ‘‘InflammatoryArgumentsforandagainsttheTestLaws’’ 238 ‘‘ViewofthePublicOffice,BowStreet,withSir JohnFielding Presiding’’ 264 ‘‘HeThatDebasethHimselfShallBeExalted’’ 270 GranvilleSharp 307 ‘‘TheTrialoftheD.ofCumberlandandLadyGrosvenor forCrim.Con.’’ 338 [ix]