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class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Work_at_the_Bar"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Work at the Bar</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Work_at_the_Bar-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Commentaries on the Laws of England</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Judge" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Judge"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Judge</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Judge-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Death" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Death"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Death</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Death-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Legacy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Legacy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Legacy</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Legacy-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Legacy subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Legacy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Blackstone's_Ratio_or_Blackstone's_Formulation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Blackstone's_Ratio_or_Blackstone's_Formulation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Blackstone's Ratio or Blackstone's Formulation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Blackstone's_Ratio_or_Blackstone's_Formulation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Criticism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Criticism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>Criticism</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Criticism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Works" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Works"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Works</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Works-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Bibliography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Bibliography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Bibliography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Bibliography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">William Blackstone</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 31 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-31" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">31 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86" title="وليام بلاكستون – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="وليام بلاكستون" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilyam_Bl%C9%99kstoun" title="Vilyam Bləkstoun – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Vilyam Bləkstoun" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A3%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8F%D0%BC_%D0%91%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%83%D0%BD" title="Уилям Блекстоун – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Уилям Блекстоун" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A8%D9%84%DA%A9%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86" title="ویلیام بلک‌استون – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="ویلیام بلک‌استون" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ga mw-list-item"><a href="https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Irish" lang="ga" hreflang="ga" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Gaeilge" data-language-local-name="Irish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Gaeilge</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%9C%8C%EB%A6%AC%EC%97%84_%EB%B8%94%EB%9E%99%EC%8A%A4%ED%86%A4" title="윌리엄 블랙스톤 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="윌리엄 블랙스톤" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%8E%D5%AB%D5%AC%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B4_%D4%B2%D5%AC%D5%A5%D6%84%D5%BD%D5%A9%D5%B8%D5%B6" title="Վիլյամ Բլեքսթոն – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Վիլյամ Բլեքսթոն" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%95%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%90%D7%9D_%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%A7%D7%A1%D7%98%D7%95%D7%9F" title="ויליאם בלקסטון – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="ויליאם בלקסטון" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-arz mw-list-item"><a href="https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%86" title="وليام بلاكستون – Egyptian Arabic" lang="arz" hreflang="arz" data-title="وليام بلاكستون" data-language-autonym="مصرى" data-language-local-name="Egyptian Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>مصرى</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A3%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A0%E3%83%BB%E3%83%96%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%83%B3" title="ウィリアム・ブラックストン – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="ウィリアム・ブラックストン" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ps mw-list-item"><a href="https://ps.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%B3%D9%BC%D9%88%D9%86" title="وليام بلاکسټون – Pashto" lang="ps" hreflang="ps" data-title="وليام بلاکسټون" data-language-autonym="پښتو" data-language-local-name="Pashto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>پښتو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BB%D1%8D%D0%BA%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD,_%D0%A3%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F%D0%BC" title="Блэкстон, Уильям – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Блэкстон, Уильям" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D1%96%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F%D0%BC_%D0%91%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD" title="Вільям Блекстон – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Вільям Блекстон" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%85_%D8%A8%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%B9%D9%88%D9%86" title="ولیم بلیک اسٹون – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="ولیم بلیک اسٹون" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-war mw-list-item"><a href="https://war.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" title="William Blackstone – Waray" lang="war" hreflang="war" data-title="William Blackstone" data-language-autonym="Winaray" data-language-local-name="Waray" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Winaray</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A8%81%E5%BB%89%C2%B7%E5%B8%83%E8%8E%B1%E5%85%8B%E6%96%AF%E9%80%9A" title="威廉·布莱克斯通 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="威廉·布莱克斯通" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" 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Click here for more information." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Symbol_support_vote.svg/19px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png" decoding="async" width="19" height="20" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Symbol_support_vote.svg/29px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Symbol_support_vote.svg/39px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></a></span></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">English jurist, judge, and politician (1723–1780)</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For other people named William Blackstone, see <a href="/wiki/William_Blackstone_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="William Blackstone (disambiguation)">William Blackstone (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size: 100%;"><div class="honorific-prefix" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="/wiki/Sir" title="Sir">Sir</a></div><div class="fn" style="font-size:125%;">William Blackstone</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Sir_William_Blackstone_from_NPG.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Sir_William_Blackstone_from_NPG.jpg/220px-Sir_William_Blackstone_from_NPG.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="277" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Sir_William_Blackstone_from_NPG.jpg/330px-Sir_William_Blackstone_from_NPG.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Sir_William_Blackstone_from_NPG.jpg/440px-Sir_William_Blackstone_from_NPG.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2400" data-file-height="3019" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122; background:lavender;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><a href="/wiki/Justice_of_the_Common_Pleas" title="Justice of the Common Pleas">Justice of the Common Pleas</a></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br />25 June 1770 – 14 February 1780</td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Preceded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Edward_Clive_(judge)" title="Edward Clive (judge)">Edward Clive</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Succeeded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/John_Heath_(judge)" title="John Heath (judge)">John Heath</a></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122; background:lavender;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;">Justice of the <a href="/wiki/Court_of_King%27s_Bench_(England)" title="Court of King's Bench (England)">Court of King's Bench</a></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br />16 February 1770 – 25 June 1770</td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Preceded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Joseph_Yates_(judge)" title="Joseph Yates (judge)">Joseph Yates</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Succeeded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/William_Ashurst_(judge)" class="mw-redirect" title="William Ashurst (judge)">William Ashurst</a></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122; background:lavender;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><a href="/wiki/Member_of_Parliament_(UK)" class="mw-redirect" title="Member of Parliament (UK)">Member of Parliament</a> for <a href="/wiki/Westbury_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)">Westbury</a></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br />1768–1770</td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Preceded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Chauncy_Townsend" title="Chauncy Townsend">Chauncy Townsend</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Succeeded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Charles_Dillon,_12th_Viscount_Dillon" title="Charles Dillon, 12th Viscount Dillon">Charles Dillon</a></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122; background:lavender;line-height:normal;padding:0.2em;"><a href="/wiki/Member_of_Parliament_(UK)" class="mw-redirect" title="Member of Parliament (UK)">Member of Parliament</a> for <a href="/wiki/Hindon_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Hindon (UK Parliament constituency)">Hindon</a></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="border-bottom:none"><span class="nowrap"><b>In office</b></span><br />30 March 1761 – 1768</td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Preceded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/James_Calthorpe_(Yeoman_of_the_Removing_Wardrobe)" title="James Calthorpe (Yeoman of the Removing Wardrobe)">James Calthorpe</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="text-align:left"><span class="nowrap">Succeeded by</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/John_St_Leger_Douglas" title="John St Leger Douglas">John St Leger Douglas</a></td></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2"> </td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122; background:lavender">Personal details</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Born</th><td class="infobox-data"><span style="display:none">(<span class="bday">1723-07-10</span>)</span>10 July 1723<br /><a href="/wiki/London" title="London">London</a>, England</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Died</th><td class="infobox-data">14 February 1780<span style="display:none">(1780-02-14)</span> (aged 56)<br /><a href="/wiki/Wallingford,_Oxfordshire" title="Wallingford, Oxfordshire">Wallingford</a>, <a href="/wiki/Berkshire" title="Berkshire">Berkshire</a>, England</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Resting place</th><td class="infobox-data label"><a href="/wiki/St_Peter%27s_Church,_Wallingford" title="St Peter's Church, Wallingford">St Peter's Church, Wallingford</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Political party</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Tory_(British_political_party)" class="mw-redirect" title="Tory (British political party)">Tory</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Spouse</th><td class="infobox-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1151524712">.mw-parser-output .marriage-line-margin2px{line-height:0;margin-bottom:-2px}.mw-parser-output .marriage-line-margin3px{line-height:0;margin-bottom:-3px}.mw-parser-output .marriage-display-ws{display:inline;white-space:nowrap}</style> <div class="marriage-display-ws"><div style="display:inline-block;line-height:normal;">Sarah Clitherow</div> <div style="display:inline-block;"></div>(<abbr title="married">m.</abbr> 1761)<wbr /></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Children</th><td class="infobox-data">8</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Education</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Pembroke_College,_Oxford" title="Pembroke College, Oxford">Pembroke College, Oxford</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Middle_Temple" title="Middle Temple">Middle Temple</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Signature</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="skin-invert" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:William_Blackstone_signature.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="William Blackstone's signature"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/William_Blackstone_signature.svg/128px-William_Blackstone_signature.svg.png" decoding="async" width="128" height="38" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/William_Blackstone_signature.svg/192px-William_Blackstone_signature.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/William_Blackstone_signature.svg/256px-William_Blackstone_signature.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="270" data-file-height="80" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-below" style="border-top: 1px solid right;"><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Sir William Blackstone</b> (10 July 1723 – 14 February 1780) was an English <a href="/wiki/Jurist" title="Jurist">jurist</a>, <a href="/wiki/Justice_(title)" title="Justice (title)">justice</a> and <a href="/wiki/Tory_(British_political_party)" class="mw-redirect" title="Tory (British political party)">Tory</a> politician most noted for his <i><a href="/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England" title="Commentaries on the Laws of England">Commentaries on the Laws of England</a></i>, which became the best-known description of the doctrines of the English <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-britannica.com_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-britannica.com-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Born into a middle-class family in London, Blackstone was educated at <a href="/wiki/Charterhouse_School" title="Charterhouse School">Charterhouse School</a> before matriculating at <a href="/wiki/Pembroke_College,_Oxford" title="Pembroke College, Oxford">Pembroke College, Oxford</a>, in 1738. After switching to and completing a <a href="/wiki/Bachelor_of_Civil_Law" title="Bachelor of Civil Law">Bachelor of Civil Law</a> degree, he was made a <a href="/wiki/Fellow_of_All_Souls#Fellowships" class="mw-redirect" title="Fellow of All Souls">fellow</a> of <a href="/wiki/All_Souls_College,_Oxford" title="All Souls College, Oxford">All Souls College, Oxford</a>, on 2 November 1743, admitted to <a href="/wiki/Middle_Temple" title="Middle Temple">Middle Temple</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Called_to_the_Bar" class="mw-redirect" title="Called to the Bar">called to the Bar</a> there in 1746. Following a slow start to his career as a barrister, Blackstone became heavily involved in university administration, becoming accountant, treasurer and bursar on 28 November 1746 and Senior Bursar in 1750. Blackstone is considered responsible for completing the Codrington Library and Warton Building, and simplifying the complex accounting system used by the college. On 3 July 1753 he formally gave up his practice as a barrister and instead embarked on a series of lectures on English law, the first of their kind. These were massively successful, earning him a total of £453 (£89,000 in 2023 terms), and led to the publication of <i><a href="/wiki/An_Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England" title="An Analysis of the Laws of England">An Analysis of the Laws of England</a></i> in 1756, which repeatedly sold out and was used to preface his later works. </p><p>On 20 October 1759 Blackstone was confirmed as the first <a href="/wiki/Vinerian_Professor_of_English_Law" title="Vinerian Professor of English Law">Vinerian Professor of English Law</a>, immediately embarking on another series of lectures and publishing a similarly successful second treatise, titled <i><a href="/wiki/A_Discourse_on_the_Study_of_the_Law" title="A Discourse on the Study of the Law">A Discourse on the Study of the Law</a></i>. With his growing fame, he successfully returned to the bar and maintained a good practice, also securing election as <a href="/wiki/Tory_(British_political_party)" class="mw-redirect" title="Tory (British political party)">Tory</a> <a href="/wiki/Member_of_Parliament_(UK)" class="mw-redirect" title="Member of Parliament (UK)">Member of Parliament</a> for the <a href="/wiki/Rotten_borough" class="mw-redirect" title="Rotten borough">rotten borough</a> of <a href="/wiki/Hindon_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Hindon (UK Parliament constituency)">Hindon</a> on 30 March 1761. In November 1765 he published the first of four volumes of <i>Commentaries on the Laws of England</i>, considered his <i>magnum opus</i>; the completed work earned Blackstone £14,000 (£2,459,000 in 2023 terms). After repeated failures, he successfully gained appointment to the judiciary as a justice of the <a href="/wiki/Court_of_King%27s_Bench_(England)" title="Court of King's Bench (England)">Court of King's Bench</a> on 16 February 1770, leaving to replace <a href="/wiki/Edward_Clive_(judge)" title="Edward Clive (judge)">Edward Clive</a> as a <a href="/wiki/Justice_of_the_Common_Pleas" title="Justice of the Common Pleas">justice of the Common Pleas</a> on 25 June. He remained in this position until his death, on 14 February 1780. </p><p>Blackstone's four-volume <i>Commentaries</i> were designed to provide a complete overview of English law and were repeatedly republished in 1770, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1778 and in a posthumous edition in 1783. Reprints of the first edition, intended for practical use rather than antiquary interest, were published until the 1870s in England and Wales, and a working version by Henry John Stephen, first published in 1841, was reprinted until after the <a href="/wiki/Second_World_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Second World War">Second World War</a>. Legal education in England had stalled; Blackstone's work gave the law "at least a veneer of scholarly respectability".<sup id="cite_ref-mil57_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mil57-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/William_Searle_Holdsworth" title="William Searle Holdsworth">William Searle Holdsworth</a>, one of Blackstone's successors as Vinerian Professor, argued that "If the Commentaries had not been written when they were written, I think it very doubtful that the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>, and other English speaking countries would have so universally adopted the common law."<sup id="cite_ref-hol157_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hol157-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the United States, the <i>Commentaries</i> influenced <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton" title="Alexander Hamilton">Alexander Hamilton</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Marshall" title="John Marshall">John Marshall</a>, <a href="/wiki/James_Wilson_(Founding_Father)" title="James Wilson (Founding Father)">James Wilson</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Jay" title="John Jay">John Jay</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Adams" title="John Adams">John Adams</a>, <a href="/wiki/James_Kent_(jurist)" title="James Kent (jurist)">James Kent</a> and <a href="/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln" title="Abraham Lincoln">Abraham Lincoln</a>, and remain frequently cited in <a href="/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court</a> decisions. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Early_life_and_education">Early life and education</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Early life and education"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Blackstone was the fourth and posthumous son of Charles Blackstone, a <a href="/wiki/Mercery" title="Mercery">silk mercer</a> from <a href="/wiki/Cheapside" title="Cheapside">Cheapside</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the son of a wealthy <a href="/wiki/Apothecary" title="Apothecary">apothecary</a>. He became firm friends with Thomas Bigg, a <a href="/wiki/Surgeon#Titles_in_the_United_Kingdom" title="Surgeon">surgeon</a> and the son of Lovelace Bigg, a gentleman from <a href="/wiki/Wiltshire" title="Wiltshire">Wiltshire</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After Bigg's sister Mary came to London, Charles eventually persuaded her to marry him in 1718. This was not seen as a good match for her, but the couple lived happily and had four sons, three of whom lived into adulthood.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Charles (born August 1719) and Henry (May 1722), both became fellows of <a href="/wiki/New_College,_Oxford" title="New College, Oxford">New College, Oxford</a>, and took <a href="/wiki/Holy_orders" title="Holy orders">holy orders</a>. Their last son, William, was born on 10 July 1723, five months after Charles' death in February.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Although Charles and Mary Blackstone were members of the <a href="/wiki/Social_structure_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="Social structure of the United Kingdom">middle class</a> rather than landed gentry, they were particularly prosperous. Tax records show Charles Blackstone to have been the second most prosperous man in the parish in 1722, and death registers show that the family had several servants.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This, along with Thomas Bigg's assistance to the family following Charles' death, helps explain the educational upbringing of the children. William Blackstone was sent to <a href="/wiki/Charterhouse_School" title="Charterhouse School">Charterhouse School</a> in 1730 having been nominated by Charles Wither, a relative of Mary Blackstone.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> William did well there, and became head of the school by age 15. However, after Charles' death the family fortunes declined, and after Mary died (5 January 1736) the family's resources largely went to meet unpaid bills. William was able to remain at Charterhouse as a "poor scholar", having been named to that position in June 1735 after being nominated by <a href="/wiki/Robert_Walpole" title="Robert Walpole">Sir Robert Walpole</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Blackstone revelled in Charterhouse's academic curriculum, particularly the Latin poetry of Ovid and Virgil. He began to attract note as a poet at school, writing a 30-line set of rhyming couplets to celebrate the wedding of <a href="/wiki/Charterhouse_School#Headmasters" title="Charterhouse School">James Hotchkis</a>, the headmaster. He also won a silver medal for his Latin verses on <a href="/wiki/John_Milton" title="John Milton">John Milton</a>, gave the annual Latin oration in 1738,<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and was noted as having been the favourite student of his masters.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On 1 October 1738, taking advantage of a new scholarship available to Charterhouse students, Blackstone matriculated at <a href="/wiki/Pembroke_College,_Oxford" title="Pembroke College, Oxford">Pembroke College, Oxford</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-od600_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-od600-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Oxford">Oxford</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Oxford"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Study">Study</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Study"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Pembroke_College_quad.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Pembroke_College_quad.jpg/220px-Pembroke_College_quad.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="157" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Pembroke_College_quad.jpg/330px-Pembroke_College_quad.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Pembroke_College_quad.jpg/440px-Pembroke_College_quad.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3345" data-file-height="2391" /></a><figcaption>The Old Quad of <a href="/wiki/Pembroke_College,_Oxford" title="Pembroke College, Oxford">Pembroke College, Oxford</a>, where Blackstone studied</figcaption></figure> <p>There are few surviving records of Blackstone's undergraduate term at Oxford, but the curriculum of Pembroke College had been set out in 1624, and Prest notes that it was probably still followed in 1738, so Blackstone would have studied <a href="/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a>, science, logic, rhetoric, philosophy, mathematics, geography and poetry.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Blackstone was particularly good at Greek, mathematics and poetry,<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> with his notes on <a href="/wiki/William_Shakespeare" title="William Shakespeare">William Shakespeare</a> being included in <a href="/wiki/George_Steevens" title="George Steevens">George Steevens</a>' 1781 edition of Shakespeare's plays.<sup id="cite_ref-od600_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-od600-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Many of Blackstone's undergraduate texts survive, and they include few legal texts, instead being wide-ranging; politics, current affairs, poetry, geometry and controversial theological texts.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The last element is understandable, given his family's theological interests, but the more surprising element is the sheer number of texts he owned given his relative poverty as a student.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>On 9 July 1740, after only a year and a half as a Bachelor of Arts student, Blackstone was admitted to study for a <a href="/wiki/Bachelor_of_Civil_Law" title="Bachelor of Civil Law">Bachelor of Civil Law</a> degree, civil law being the only legal area recognised by his university. This degree course was seven years long, the first two "supposedly devoted to a broad course of reading in humane studies", which allowed him to study his own interests.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On 20 November 1741 he was admitted to the <a href="/wiki/Middle_Temple" title="Middle Temple">Middle Temple</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the first step on the road to becoming a <a href="/wiki/Barrister" title="Barrister">barrister</a>, but this imposed no obligations and simply allowed a legal career to be an option.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At the time there was no proper legal education system, and Blackstone read (in his own time) <i><a href="/wiki/Institutes_of_the_Lawes_of_England" title="Institutes of the Lawes of England">Coke on Littleton</a></i>, the works of <a href="/wiki/Henry_Finch_(died_1625)" title="Henry Finch (died 1625)">Henry Finch</a>, and related legal tracts.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In addition to his formal studies, Blackstone published a collection of poetry which included the draft version of <i>The Lawyer to his Muse</i>, his most famous literary work. In 1743 he published <i>Elements of Architecture</i> and <i>An Abridgement of Architecture</i>, two treatises on the rules governing the art of construction.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> His next work (1747) was <i>The Pantheon: A Vision</i>, an anonymously published book of poetry covering the various religions in the world. It depicts a narrator's walking dream through the buildings of various religions, which are all (other than Christianity) depicted in a negative light.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This followed his election as a <a href="/wiki/Fellow_of_All_Souls#Fellowships" class="mw-redirect" title="Fellow of All Souls">Fellow</a> of <a href="/wiki/All_Souls_College,_Oxford" title="All Souls College, Oxford">All Souls College, Oxford</a> on 2 November 1743,<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and his <a href="/wiki/Call_to_the_Bar" class="mw-redirect" title="Call to the Bar">call to the Bar</a> by the Middle Temple on 28 November 1746.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>His call to the Bar saw Blackstone begin to alternate between Oxford and London, occupying chambers in <a href="/wiki/Pump_Court" title="Pump Court">Pump Court</a> but living at <a href="/wiki/All_Souls_College,_Oxford" title="All Souls College, Oxford">All Souls College</a>. As the central courts only sat for three months of the year, the rest of his time was spent on <a href="/wiki/Assizes" title="Assizes">Assize</a> when his work at All Souls permitted. He regularly acted as a law reporter; his personal notes on cases start with <i>Hankey v Trotman</i> (1746).<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Blackstone's barrister practice began slowly; his first case in the <a href="/wiki/Court_of_King%27s_Bench_(England)" title="Court of King's Bench (England)">Court of King's Bench</a> was in 1748, and he had only 6 additional motions there through 1751. Two appearances in the <a href="/wiki/Court_of_Chancery" title="Court of Chancery">Court of Chancery</a> are also noted, and he is known to have been consulted in <a href="/wiki/Roger_Newdigate" title="Roger Newdigate">Roger Newdigate</a>'s long-running lawsuit there, but his early court appearances are infrequent.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This is considered to have been due to his call to the Bar occurring at the same time as the massive contraction in business by the central courts, along with his singular lack of connections due to his status as an orphan from the middle class; he was described as "unrecognised and unemployed".<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He filled his time by acting as counsel for Oxford, and from May 1749 with his election as <a href="/wiki/Recorder_(judge)" title="Recorder (judge)">Recorder</a> of <a href="/wiki/Wallingford,_Oxfordshire" title="Wallingford, Oxfordshire">Wallingford</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="University_administration">University administration</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: University administration"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England.jpg/150px-Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="256" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England.jpg/225px-Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England.jpg 2x" data-file-width="293" data-file-height="500" /></a><figcaption><i><a href="/wiki/An_Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England" title="An Analysis of the Laws of England">An Analysis of the Laws of England</a></i>, Blackstone's first legal treatise, published during this period</figcaption></figure> <p>While dividing his time, Blackstone became an administrator at All Souls, securing appointment as accountant, treasurer and <a href="/wiki/Bursar" title="Bursar">bursar</a> on 28 November 1746.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Completion of the Codrington Library and Warton Building, first started in 1710 and 1720 respectively but not built until 1748, is attributed to his work.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1749 he became Steward of the Manors, and in 1750 was made Senior Bursar. Records show a "perfectionist zeal" in organising the estates and finances of All Souls, and Blackstone was noted for massively simplifying the complex accounting system used by the college.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1750 Blackstone completed his first legal tract, <i>An Essay on Collateral Consanguinity</i>, which dealt with those claiming a familial tie to the founder or All Souls in an attempt to gain preeminence in elections.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Completion of his <a href="/wiki/Doctor_of_Civil_Law" title="Doctor of Civil Law">Doctor of Civil Law</a> degree, which he was awarded in April 1750, admitted him to <a href="/wiki/Convocation" title="Convocation">Convocation</a>, the governing body of Oxford, which elected the two <a href="/wiki/Burgess_(title)" title="Burgess (title)">burgesses</a> who represented it in the House of Commons, along with most of the university officers.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With this and with his continuing work at the university, Blackstone announced on 3 July 1753 his intentions to "no longer attend the Courts at Westminster, but to pursue my Profession in a Way more agreeable to me in all respects, by residing at Oxford [and] to engraft upon this Resolution a Scheme which I am told may be beneficial to the University as well as myself",<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which was to give a set of lectures on the common law – the first lectures of that sort in the world.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>This was not entirely out of benevolence; according to Prest, Blackstone was likely aware that an Oxford alumnus, <a href="/wiki/Charles_Viner_(jurist)" title="Charles Viner (jurist)">Charles Viner</a>, was planning to endow a professorship of English law.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Regius_Professor_of_Civil_Law_(Oxford)" title="Regius Professor of Civil Law (Oxford)">Regius Professorship of Civil Law</a> had also become vacant in 1753; despite support from <a href="/wiki/Lord_Mansfield" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Mansfield">Lord Mansfield</a>, Blackstone had been rejected in favour of Robert Jenner, widely considered Blackstone's lesser intellectually but a far greater political mind.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In addition, a private lecture series would be extremely lucrative. While his All Souls fellowship gave him £70 a year, records show that the lecture series brought him £116, £226 and £111 a year respectively from 1753 to 1755 – a total of £453 (£89,000 in 2023 terms).<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A prospectus was issued on 23 June 1753, and with a class of approximately 20 students, the first set of lectures were completed by July 1754. Despite Blackstone's limited oratory skills and a speaking style described by <a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Jeremy Bentham</a> as "formal, precise and affected", Blackstone's lectures were warmly appreciated.<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The second and third series were far more popular, partly due to the then unusual use of printed handouts and lists of suggested reading. No copies of these handouts exist, but <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Popham_(penal_reformer)" title="Alexander Popham (penal reformer)">Alexander Popham</a>, later a close friend of Blackstone, attended the lectures and made notes, which survive. These show Blackstone's attempts to reduce English law to a logical system, with the division of subjects later being the basis for his <i>Commentaries</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Following his lecture series, Blackstone became more prominent in convocation and other university activities. Oxford and Cambridge at the time had a strange system of law; due to their unique natures, they had exclusive jurisdiction over both academics and students in a fashion which followed either the common law or their own customs, based on the civil law.<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With his appointment as assessor (or chief legal officer) of the Chancellor's Court, Blackstone became far more involved in the university's peculiar legal system, and records show him sitting between eight and ten times a year from 1753 to 1759, mainly dealing with small claims of debt.<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He also wrote a manual on the Court's practice, and through his position gained a large number of contacts and connections, as well as visibility, which aided his legal career significantly.<sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This period also saw Blackstone write his last known piece of poetry, <i>Friendship: An Ode</i>, in 1756.<sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-48"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>48<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1756 Blackstone published the first of his full legal texts, the 200 page <i><a href="/wiki/An_Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England" title="An Analysis of the Laws of England">An Analysis of the Laws of England</a></i>. Published by the <a href="/wiki/Clarendon_Press" class="mw-redirect" title="Clarendon Press">Clarendon Press</a>, the treatise was intended to demonstrate the "Order, and principal Divisions" of his lecture series, and a structured introduction to English law. Prest calls this "a marked advance on any previous introduction to English law ... including constitutional, civil and criminal law, public and private law, substantive law and procedure, as well as some introductory jurisprudential content".<sup id="cite_ref-pres143_49-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pres143-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The initial print run of 1,000 copies almost immediately sold out, leading to the printing of three more 1,000-book lots over the next three years, which all sold out. A fifth edition was published in 1762,<sup id="cite_ref-pres144_50-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pres144-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and a sixth, edited to take into account Blackstone's <i><a href="/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England" title="Commentaries on the Laws of England">Commentaries on the Laws of England</a></i>, in 1771.<sup id="cite_ref-51" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-51"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>51<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Because of the success of the <i>Commentaries</i>, Prest remarks that "relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to this work";<sup id="cite_ref-pres143_49-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pres143-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> at the time, however, it was hailed as "an elegant performance ... calculated to facilitate this branch of knowledge".<sup id="cite_ref-pres144_50-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pres144-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Vinerian_Professor_of_English_Law">Vinerian Professor of English Law</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Vinerian Professor of English Law"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/220px-Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="342" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/330px-Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/440px-Allan_Ramsay_-_King_George_III_in_coronation_robes_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2433" data-file-height="3778" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="George III of the United Kingdom">King George III</a>, a patron of Blackstone</figcaption></figure> <p>On 8 March 1758, the group executing Charles Viner's <a href="/wiki/Will_(law)" class="mw-redirect" title="Will (law)">will</a> reported to Convocation that Viner recommended creating a Chair of English Law, with a £200 salary. After much debate, this position was created, and on 20 October 1758 Blackstone was confirmed as the first <a href="/wiki/Vinerian_Professor_of_English_Law" title="Vinerian Professor of English Law">Vinerian Professor of English Law</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-52" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-52"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>52<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On 24 October he gave his first lecture, to "a crowded audience"; the text was soon printed and published as <i><a href="/wiki/A_Discourse_on_the_Study_of_the_Law" title="A Discourse on the Study of the Law">A Discourse on the Study of the Law</a></i>. The lecture was tremendously popular, being described as a "sensible, spirited and manly exhortation to the study of the law"; the initial print run sold out, necessitating the publication of another 1,000 copies, and it was used to preface later versions of the <i>Analysis</i> and the first volume of the <i>Commentaries</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-53" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-53"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>53<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Within the university, however, Blackstone was not as popular. As soon as the lecture series opened, an anonymously written open letter was published charging that Blackstone had "violated the Statutes of the University, by arbitrarily changing the Day appointed for reading his solemn Lectures".<sup id="cite_ref-54" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-54"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>54<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Blackstone suffered a <a href="/wiki/Mental_breakdown" class="mw-redirect" title="Mental breakdown">nervous breakdown</a> soon after the first lecture, and on 24 November he launched a suit in the Chancellor's Court against "William Jackson of the City of Oxford Printer" for £500 damages, justified by Jackson "printing and publishing a scandalous Libell notoriously reflecting on the Character of him the said William Blackstone".<sup id="cite_ref-55" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-55"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>55<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Jackson had refused to reveal who ordered the anonymous pamphlet, leading to the suit, but it evidently did not proceed further.<sup id="cite_ref-56" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>56<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:William_Blackstone,_The_Great_Charter_and_Charter_of_the_Forest_(1st_ed,_1759,_title_page)_-_20141020.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/William_Blackstone%2C_The_Great_Charter_and_Charter_of_the_Forest_%281st_ed%2C_1759%2C_title_page%29_-_20141020.jpg/220px-William_Blackstone%2C_The_Great_Charter_and_Charter_of_the_Forest_%281st_ed%2C_1759%2C_title_page%29_-_20141020.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="314" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/William_Blackstone%2C_The_Great_Charter_and_Charter_of_the_Forest_%281st_ed%2C_1759%2C_title_page%29_-_20141020.jpg/330px-William_Blackstone%2C_The_Great_Charter_and_Charter_of_the_Forest_%281st_ed%2C_1759%2C_title_page%29_-_20141020.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/William_Blackstone%2C_The_Great_Charter_and_Charter_of_the_Forest_%281st_ed%2C_1759%2C_title_page%29_-_20141020.jpg/440px-William_Blackstone%2C_The_Great_Charter_and_Charter_of_the_Forest_%281st_ed%2C_1759%2C_title_page%29_-_20141020.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1792" data-file-height="2560" /></a><figcaption>The title page of the first edition of Blackstone's <i>The Great Charter and Charter of the Forest</i> (1759)<sup id="cite_ref-57" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-57"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>57<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The signature of <a href="/wiki/William_Henry_Lyttelton,_3rd_Baron_Lyttelton" class="mw-redirect" title="William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton">William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton</a> (1782–1837), an English <a href="/wiki/Whig_(British_political_party)" class="mw-redirect" title="Whig (British political party)">Whig</a> politician, appears at the top of the page in this copy of the book.</figcaption></figure> <p>This suit, along with the struggle over the Vinerian Professorship and other controversies, damaged his reputation within the university, as evidenced by his failure to win election as <a href="/wiki/Warden_(college)" title="Warden (college)">Vice Warden</a> in April 1759, losing to John White.<sup id="cite_ref-58" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-58"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>58<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Prest attributes Blackstone's unpopularity to specific personality traits, saying his "determination...in pursuit of causes to which he committed himself could irritate as well as intimidate those of a more relaxed disposition. While quick to take offence at perceived slights on his own character and motives, he could also show surprising indifference to the effect his words and actions might have on others".<sup id="cite_ref-59" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-59"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>59<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This marked the beginning of his break with Oxford, which coincided with his growing influence outside the university. In 1759 <a href="/wiki/John_Stuart,_3rd_Earl_of_Bute" title="John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute">Lord Bute</a>, <a href="/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="George III of the United Kingdom">Prince George</a>'s official tutor, requested copies of Blackstone's lectures, which he forwarded. Later that year Blackstone was paid £200 by the Prince, who became an "appreciative, loyal, and soon to be incomparably influential patron".<sup id="cite_ref-60" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-60"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>60<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This patronage, and Blackstone's purchase of a set of chambers in the <a href="/wiki/Inner_Temple" title="Inner Temple">Inner Temple</a>, also transferring to that Inn, were significant steps in his departure from Oxford. In 1759 Blackstone published another two works, <i>The Great Charter and the Charter of the Forest, with other authentic Instruments</i>, described as a "major piece of pioneering scholarship" leading to Blackstone's election to the <a href="/wiki/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London" title="Society of Antiquaries of London">Society of Antiquaries</a> in February 1761,<sup id="cite_ref-61" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-61"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>61<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and <i>A Treatise on the Law of Descents in Fee Simple</i>, which was later used, almost verbatim, as chapters 14 and 15 of the <i>Commentaries</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-62" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-62"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>62<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="London">London</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: London"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Work_at_the_Bar">Work at the Bar</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Work at the Bar"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>With sponsorship from the Prince of Wales and his success with the <i>Analysis</i>, Blackstone began work as a barrister, although he kept up his lecture series at Oxford. By 1760 he had become "a very eminent figure indeed in the world of letters", and his legal practice grew as a result. Although not considered a great barrister of the period, he maintained a steady flow of cases, primarily in the King's Bench and <a href="/wiki/Exchequer_of_Pleas" title="Exchequer of Pleas">Exchequer of Pleas</a>. On the death of the third <a href="/wiki/Willoughby_Bertie,_3rd_Earl_of_Abingdon" title="Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon">Earl of Abingdon</a>, Blackstone was retained as counsel for the executors and trustees to oversee the family's attempts to pay off debts and meet other obligations.<sup id="cite_ref-63" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-63"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>63<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> On 5 May 1761 he married Sarah Clitherow, a member of a family of <a href="/wiki/Social_structure_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="Social structure of the United Kingdom">lesser gentry</a> from <a href="/wiki/Middlesex" title="Middlesex">Middlesex</a>. Their first child, William Bertie Blackstone, born 21 August 1762, did not survive to adulthood.<sup id="cite_ref-64" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-64"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>64<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Seven more children were born: Henry, James, Sarah, Mary, Philippa, William, Charles, and George, who also died in childhood.<sup id="cite_ref-65" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-65"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>65<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Blackstones had a large estate in <a href="/wiki/Wallingford,_Oxfordshire" title="Wallingford, Oxfordshire">Wallingford</a> in Berkshire, including 120 acres (46 ha) of <a href="/wiki/Pasture" title="Pasture">pastureland</a> around the <a href="/wiki/River_Thames" title="River Thames">River Thames</a> and the right of <a href="/wiki/Advowson" title="Advowson">advowson</a> over <a href="/wiki/St_Peter%27s_Church,_Wallingford" title="St Peter's Church, Wallingford">St Peter's Church</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-66" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-66"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>66<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In February 1761 Blackstone was considered as a potential <a href="/wiki/Tory_(British_political_party)" class="mw-redirect" title="Tory (British political party)">Tory</a> candidate for the <a href="/wiki/Rotten_borough" class="mw-redirect" title="Rotten borough">rotten borough</a> of <a href="/wiki/Hindon_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Hindon (UK Parliament constituency)">Hindon</a> in Wiltshire. After consultation with friends, he agreed to this prospect – at the same time refusing the offer of appointment as <a href="/wiki/Lord_Chief_Justice_of_Ireland" title="Lord Chief Justice of Ireland">Lord Chief Justice of Ireland</a>. On 30 March 1761 he was returned for Hindon, and took his seat.<sup id="cite_ref-67" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-67"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>67<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This did not limit his legal work, initially, with the seat being given without a requirement to attend or vote in a particular way, and the grant of a <a href="/wiki/Patent_of_precedence" title="Patent of precedence">patent of precedence</a> at the same time actually increased the demand on his time.<sup id="cite_ref-68" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-68"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>68<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Court records show him pleading before <a href="/wiki/Lord_Mansfield" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Mansfield">Lord Mansfield</a> in the Court of King's Bench soon after his election, and acting as counsel in <i>Tonson v Collins</i>, a copyright case, <i>Thiquet v Bath</i>, an important case on international law, and <i>R v <a href="/wiki/Chevalier_d%27Eon" class="mw-redirect" title="Chevalier d'Eon">d'Eon</a></i>, acting for the prosecution in a feud over <a href="/wiki/Louis_XV" title="Louis XV">Louis XV</a>'s newly appointed cross-dressing Ambassador to the United Kingdom.<sup id="cite_ref-69" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-69"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>69<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>With this increase in his practice, Blackstone also saw an increase in his out-of-court work, writing opinions and recommendations for various Oxford colleges, the MP <a href="/wiki/Jonathan_Rashleigh_(1693%E2%80%931764)" title="Jonathan Rashleigh (1693–1764)">Jonathan Rashleigh</a> and the fourth <a href="/wiki/Willoughby_Bertie,_4th_Earl_of_Abingdon" title="Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon">Earl of Abingdon</a>, who paid him to draft several private Acts of Parliament.<sup id="cite_ref-70" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-70"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>70<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In December 1761, he asked <a href="/wiki/William_Petty,_2nd_Earl_of_Shelburne" title="William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne">Lord Shelburne</a>, a patron, for his assistance in gaining appointment as <a href="/wiki/Chief_Justice_of_Chester" class="mw-redirect" title="Chief Justice of Chester">Chief Justice of Chester</a>, writing again in July 1762 to "prevail upon Lord Bute to recommend me to his Majesty's Notice", anticipating an upcoming vacancy in the <a href="/wiki/Court_of_Common_Pleas_(England)" title="Court of Common Pleas (England)">Court of Common Pleas</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-71" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-71"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>71<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Parliamentary service was considered a "desirable if never absolutely essential qualification for would-be English judges",<sup id="cite_ref-72" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-72"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>72<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> something that did not necessarily bode well for Blackstone. Naturally inarticulate and reticent, he was an infrequent and "indifferent" speaker during his first session of Parliament, speaking only 14 times in seven years. His chosen career did lend him to politics, in that the lawyers in the House of Commons were often added to select committees to provide them with technical expertise in drafting legislation.<sup id="cite_ref-73" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-73"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>73<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He again applied for a judicial post in December 1762, after an opening in the Exchequer of Pleas came up, but lost to George Perrott, a leading Exchequer barrister. The next five vacancies also failed to go to Blackstone, after the appointment of <a href="/wiki/Charles_Pratt,_1st_Earl_Camden" title="Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden">Lord Camden</a> (a Whig) as <a href="/wiki/Lord_Chancellor" title="Lord Chancellor">Lord Chancellor</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-74" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-74"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>74<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England">Commentaries on the Laws of England</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Commentaries on the Laws of England"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In 1765 Blackstone announced his resignation from the <a href="/wiki/Vinerian_Professor_of_English_Law" title="Vinerian Professor of English Law">Vinerian Chair</a>, effective after his 1766 lectures. These were divided into two 14-lecture series, on "private wrongs" and "public wrongs" delivered between 12 February and 24 April.<sup id="cite_ref-75" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-75"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>75<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At this point Blackstone had published nothing new since <i>A Treatise on the Law of Descents in Fee Simple</i> in 1759.<sup id="cite_ref-76" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-76"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>76<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The decision to resign was most likely due to the increasing demands of his legal practice and the reduced profit from the lectures, which, after peaking at £340 in 1762, dropped to £239 a year later and to £203 for the final round of lectures in 1765–6.<sup id="cite_ref-77" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-77"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>77<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In response, Blackstone decided to publish a new book – <i><a href="/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England" title="Commentaries on the Laws of England">Commentaries on the Laws of England</a></i>. The first volume was published in November 1765, bringing the author £1,600 – the full work would eventually bring in over £14,000. <a href="/wiki/Owen_Ruffhead" title="Owen Ruffhead">Owen Ruffhead</a> described Volume I as "masterly", noting that "Mr Blackstone is perhaps the first who has treated the body of the law in a liberal, elegant and constitutional manner. A vein of good sense and moderation runs through every page". Every copy was sold within six months, and the second and third volumes, published in October 1766 and June 1768, received a similar reception.<sup id="cite_ref-78" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-78"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>78<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The fourth and final volume appeared in 1769, dealing with Criminal Law.<sup id="cite_ref-79" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-79"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>79<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With the financial success of the <i>Commentaries</i>, Blackstone moved in 1768 from his London property in Carey Fields to No. 55 Lincoln's Inn Fields. Neighbours included the <a href="/wiki/Sardinia" title="Sardinia">Sardinian</a> ambassador, <a href="/wiki/List_of_Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society_P,_Q,_R#R" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Fellows of the Royal Society P, Q, R">Sir Walter Rawlinson</a>, <a href="/wiki/Robert_Henley,_1st_Earl_of_Northington" title="Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington">Lord Northington</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Morton_(MP)" title="John Morton (MP)">John Morton</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Earl_of_Abingdon" title="Earl of Abingdon">Third Earl of Abingdon</a>, making it an appropriate house for a "great and able Lawyer".<sup id="cite_ref-80" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-80"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>80<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Blackstone's treatise was republished in 1770, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1778 and in a posthumous edition in 1783.<sup id="cite_ref-81" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-81"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>81<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Reprints of the first edition, intended for practical use rather than antiquary interest, were published until the 1870s in England and Wales, and a working version by <a href="/wiki/Henry_John_Stephen" title="Henry John Stephen">Henry John Stephen</a>, first published in 1841,<sup id="cite_ref-82" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-82"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>82<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> was reprinted until after the <a href="/wiki/Second_World_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Second World War">Second World War</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-83" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-83"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>83<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The first American edition was produced in 1772; prior to this, over 1,000 copies had already been sold in the Thirteen Colonies.<sup id="cite_ref-84" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-84"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>84<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Judge">Judge</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Judge"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:SirWilliamBlackstone.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/SirWilliamBlackstone.jpg/220px-SirWilliamBlackstone.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="280" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/SirWilliamBlackstone.jpg/330px-SirWilliamBlackstone.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/SirWilliamBlackstone.jpg 2x" data-file-width="402" data-file-height="512" /></a><figcaption>Blackstone in 1774, after his appointment as a Justice of the <a href="/wiki/Court_of_King%27s_Bench_(England)" title="Court of King's Bench (England)">Court of King's Bench</a>, portrait by <a href="/wiki/Thomas_Gainsborough" title="Thomas Gainsborough">Thomas Gainsborough</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Even after the publication of the <i>Commentaries</i>, Blackstone's chances of judicial appointment remained slim. While he was old enough, experienced enough and widely respected, the presence of Lord Camden as Lord Chancellor and Blackstone's lack of aristocratic patrons at the time hindered his chances. In January 1770, however, Lord Grafton's government began to fall, with Camden resigning on 17 January and <a href="/wiki/Solicitor-General_for_England_and_Wales" class="mw-redirect" title="Solicitor-General for England and Wales">Solicitor-General</a> John Dunning, following him. <a href="/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="George III of the United Kingdom">George III</a> appointed <a href="/wiki/Frederick_North,_Lord_North" title="Frederick North, Lord North">Lord North</a> as Prime Minister, and North picked <a href="/wiki/Charles_Yorke" title="Charles Yorke">Charles Yorke</a> as Lord Chancellor.<sup id="cite_ref-85" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-85"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>85<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Yorke's death on 20 January, after holding the position for less than three days, left several important legal positions within the government open. As such, Blackstone, now MP for <a href="/wiki/Westbury_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)">Westbury</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-86" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-86"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>86<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> was apparently approached to become Solicitor-General; he refused, not wanting to deal with the complicated duties attached to the position.<sup id="cite_ref-pres255_87-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pres255-87"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>87<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>On 9 February 1770 – apparently with the intervention of the King, and possibly <a href="/wiki/Lord_Mansfield" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Mansfield">Lord Mansfield</a> – Blackstone became a <a href="/wiki/Justice_of_the_Common_Pleas" title="Justice of the Common Pleas">Justice of the Common Pleas</a>, succeeding <a href="/wiki/Edward_Clive_(judge)" title="Edward Clive (judge)">Edward Clive</a>, and was made a <a href="/wiki/Serjeant-at-Law" class="mw-redirect" title="Serjeant-at-Law">Serjeant-at-Law</a> on 12 February.<sup id="cite_ref-88" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-88"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>88<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After only four days it was announced that <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Yates_(judge)" title="Joseph Yates (judge)">Joseph Yates</a> was to move to the Common Pleas, and Blackstone was again sworn in as a judge, this time of the Court of King's Bench.<sup id="cite_ref-pres255_87-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pres255-87"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>87<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This was apparently due to Yates' poor health; Lord Mansfield ran a busy court as <a href="/wiki/Lord_Chief_Justice_of_England" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Chief Justice of England">Lord Chief Justice</a>, and it was felt that his transfer to the Common Pleas was for the best. Others commented that it was instead due to political and judicial disagreement, with Yates unwilling to stomach the changes which Mansfield made to English law.<sup id="cite_ref-89" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-89"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>89<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Blackstone sat regularly as a judge, despite bouts of ill health, and also served on various circuit courts.<sup id="cite_ref-90" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-90"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>90<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Prest describes him as an "exceptionally careful, conscientious and well-respected judge ... his judgments ranging between narrowly framed technicalities [and] broad statements of public commentary".<sup id="cite_ref-91" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-91"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>91<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He was, however, considered a poor trial judge, being reversed on appeal more frequently than any of his peers.<sup id="cite_ref-92" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-92"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>92<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Blackstone returned to the Common Pleas on 25 June 1770, having spent less than six months in the King's Bench;<sup id="cite_ref-93" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-93"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>93<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Jeremy Bentham</a> asserted that this was due to Mansfield's having Blackstone removed similarly to his removal of Yates. Bentham asserted that in the King's Bench, Blackstone was "always in hot water", and that there was "heartburning" between the two; Bentham's account is considered dubious because historically, Mansfield and Blackstone had an excellent relationship, with the third volume of the <i>Commentaries</i> describing Mansfield as "a judge, whose masterly acquaintance with the law of nations was known and revered by every state in Europe".<sup id="cite_ref-94" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-94"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>94<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> There is only one recorded King's Bench case, <i>R v Proprietors of Birmingham Canal Navigation</i>, in which Blackstone and Mansfield disagreed.<sup id="cite_ref-95" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-95"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>95<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the Common Pleas, Blackstone operated under a civil jurisdiction rather than a mixed civil and criminal one. This played to his strengths, and many of his decisions are considered farsighted; the principle in <i>Blaney v Hendricks</i>, for example, that interest is due on an account where money was lent, which anticipated Section 3 of the <a href="/w/index.php?title=Law_Reform_(Miscellaneous_Provisions)_Act_1934&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 (page does not exist)">Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-96" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-96"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>96<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Blackstone's decision in <i>Goldswain's Case</i> was later repeated by <a href="/wiki/Lord_Denning" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Denning">Lord Denning</a> in <i>Falmouth Boat Construction Co v Howell</i> in 1950.<sup id="cite_ref-97" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-97"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>97<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Death">Death</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Death"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Blackstone had long suffered from <a href="/wiki/Gout" title="Gout">gout</a>, and by November 1779 also had a nervous disorder which caused <a href="/wiki/Dizziness" title="Dizziness">dizziness</a>, high blood pressure, and possibly <a href="/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2" class="mw-redirect" title="Diabetes mellitus type 2">diabetes</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-98" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-98"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>98<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By 3 February 1780 he was too weak to write, and after "some Days almost totally insensible", he died on 14 February at age 56.<sup id="cite_ref-99" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-99"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>99<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After a service conducted by Bishop Barrington on 22 February, Blackstone was buried in the family vault under <a href="/wiki/St_Peter%27s_Church,_Wallingford" title="St Peter's Church, Wallingford">St Peter's Church, Wallingford</a>. As his estate at his death was worth less than £15,000, <a href="/wiki/William_Eden,_1st_Baron_Auckland" title="William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland">William Eden</a> secured a £400 annual royal pension for Sarah Blackstone.<sup id="cite_ref-100" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-100"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>100<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The initial reaction to Blackstone's death was subdued, but in December 1780 the Fellows of <a href="/wiki/All_Souls_College,_Oxford" title="All Souls College, Oxford">All Souls College</a> agreed that "a Statue be erected to the memory of Sr W Blackstone deceased". Constructed by <a href="/wiki/John_Bacon_(sculptor,_born_1740)" title="John Bacon (sculptor, born 1740)">John Bacon</a>, the life-sized statue of Blackstone in his judicial robes cost £539, and has rested in the Codrington Library (now the <a href="/wiki/All_Souls_College_Library" title="All Souls College Library">All Souls College Library</a>) since 1872. His brother-in-law, James Clitherow, also published in 1781<sup id="cite_ref-101" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-101"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>101<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> two volumes of <a href="/wiki/Sir_William_Blackstone%27s_Reports" title="Sir William Blackstone's Reports">his law reports</a> which added £1,287 to the estate, and in 1782 the <i>Biographical History of Sir William Blackstone</i> appeared.<sup id="cite_ref-102" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-102"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>102<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Legacy">Legacy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Legacy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sir_William_Blackstone_Front.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8f/Sir_William_Blackstone_Front.jpg/220px-Sir_William_Blackstone_Front.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="293" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/Sir_William_Blackstone_Front.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="273" data-file-height="364" /></a><figcaption>A <a href="/wiki/Sir_William_Blackstone_(statue)" class="mw-redirect" title="Sir William Blackstone (statue)">statue</a> of Sir William Blackstone by <a href="/wiki/Paul_Wayland_Bartlett" title="Paul Wayland Bartlett">Paul Wayland Bartlett</a> in front of the <a href="/wiki/E._Barrett_Prettyman_United_States_Courthouse" title="E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse">E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse</a> in Washington, D.C.</figcaption></figure> <p>Blackstone's primary legacy is his written work, specifically the <i>Commentaries on the Laws of England</i>. In England and America the <i>Commentaries</i> became the basis of university legal education.<sup id="cite_ref-britannica.com_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-britannica.com-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Demand for reprinted, abridged and translated versions was "almost inexhaustible" in the 18th and 19th centuries, although the <i>Commentaries'</i> emphasis on the <a href="/wiki/Parliamentary_sovereignty" title="Parliamentary sovereignty">sovereignty of Parliament</a> drew ire. <a href="/wiki/Alexis_de_Tocqueville" title="Alexis de Tocqueville">Alexis de Tocqueville</a> described Blackstone as "an inferior writer, without liberality of mind or depth of judgment".<sup id="cite_ref-103" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-103"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>103<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other commentators differ; one described him as "the core element in the <a href="/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment" title="Age of Enlightenment">British Enlightenment</a>", comparing him to <a href="/wiki/Montesquieu" title="Montesquieu">Montesquieu</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cesare_Beccaria" title="Cesare Beccaria">Beccaria</a> and <a href="/wiki/Voltaire" title="Voltaire">Voltaire</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-104" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-104"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>104<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Academics have said that the <i>Commentaries</i> were crucial in changing English Law from a system based on actions to a system of <a href="/wiki/Substantive_law" title="Substantive law">substantive law</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-105" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-105"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>105<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At the time of publication, the <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> of England was still, in some ways, in its infancy, with people uncertain as to what the law was. The <i>Commentaries</i> helped to solidify legal thinking.<sup id="cite_ref-106" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-106"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>106<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At the same time, legal education had stalled, and Blackstone's work gave the Law "at least a veneer of scholarly respectability".<sup id="cite_ref-mil57_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mil57-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/William_Searle_Holdsworth" title="William Searle Holdsworth">William Searle Holdsworth</a>, one of Blackstone's successors as <a href="/wiki/Vinerian_Professor_of_English_Law" title="Vinerian Professor of English Law">Vinerian Professor</a>, argued that "if the Commentaries had not been written when they were written, I think it very doubtful that [the United States], and other English speaking countries would have so universally adopted the [common] law."<sup id="cite_ref-hol157_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hol157-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <i>Commentaries</i> had a particular influence in the United States; <a href="/wiki/James_Iredell" title="James Iredell">James Iredell</a>, an original <a href="/wiki/Associate_Justice_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States">Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States</a> wrote that the <i>Commentaries</i> were "Books admirably calculated for a young Student, and indeed may instruct the most learned ... Pleasure and Instruction go hand in hand." When the <i>Commentaries</i> were first printed in North America, 1,400 copies were ordered for Philadelphia alone.<sup id="cite_ref-107" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-107"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>107<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Academics have also noted the early reliance of the Supreme Court on the <i>Commentaries</i>, probably due to a lack of US legal tradition at that time.<sup id="cite_ref-108" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-108"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>108<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The US academic Robert Ferguson notes that "all our formative documents – the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence" title="United States Declaration of Independence">Declaration of Independence</a>, the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Constitution" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Constitution">Constitution</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Federalist_Papers" class="mw-redirect" title="Federalist Papers">Federalist Papers</a> and the seminal decisions of the Supreme Court under <a href="/wiki/John_Marshall" title="John Marshall">John Marshall</a> – were drafted by attorneys steeped in Sir William Blackstone's <i>Commentaries on the Laws of England</i>. So much was this the case that the <i>Commentaries</i> rank second only to the Bible as a literary and intellectual influence on the history of American institutions."<sup id="cite_ref-109" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-109"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>109<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Even towards the end of the twentieth century, the <i>Commentaries</i> were cited in Supreme Court decisions between 10 and 12 times a year.<sup id="cite_ref-mil57_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mil57-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-110" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-110"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>110<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Within United States academia and practise, as well as within the judiciary, the <i>Commentaries</i> had a substantial impact; with the scarcity of law books on the frontier, they were "both the only law school and the only law library most American lawyers used to practise law in America for nearly a century after they were published."<sup id="cite_ref-111" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-111"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>111<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Blackstone had drawn up a plan for a dedicated School of Law, and submitted it to the <a href="/wiki/University_of_Oxford" title="University of Oxford">University of Oxford</a>; when the idea was rejected he included it in the <i>Commentaries</i>. It is from this plan that the modern system of American law schools comes.<sup id="cite_ref-mil57_2-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mil57-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Subscribers to the first edition of Blackstone, and later readers who were profoundly influenced by it, include <a href="/wiki/James_Iredell" title="James Iredell">James Iredell</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Marshall" title="John Marshall">John Marshall</a>, <a href="/wiki/James_Wilson_(Founding_Father)" title="James Wilson (Founding Father)">James Wilson</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Jay" title="John Jay">John Jay</a>, <a href="/wiki/John_Adams" title="John Adams">John Adams</a>, <a href="/wiki/James_Kent_(jurist)" title="James Kent (jurist)">James Kent</a> and <a href="/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln" title="Abraham Lincoln">Abraham Lincoln</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-112" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-112"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>112<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the early 1920s the <a href="/wiki/American_Bar_Association" title="American Bar Association">American Bar Association</a> presented a statue of Blackstone to the English Bar Association; however, at the time, the sculpture was too tall to be placed in the <a href="/wiki/Royal_Courts_of_Justice" title="Royal Courts of Justice">Royal Courts of Justice</a> in London. The sculpture, designed by <a href="/wiki/Paul_Wayland_Bartlett" title="Paul Wayland Bartlett">Paul Wayland Bartlett</a> was eventually cast in Europe and presented back to the US for display. <a href="/wiki/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress">Congress</a> approved the placement of the sculpture in Washington, D.C., on 15 March 1943, and appropriated $10,000 for the installation. The bronze statue is a nine-foot (2.7 m) standing portrait of Blackstone wearing judicial robes and a long curly wig, holding a copy of <i>Commentaries</i>. It is placed on a tall <a href="/wiki/Granite" title="Granite">granite</a> base and stands on <a href="/wiki/Constitution_Avenue" title="Constitution Avenue">Constitution Avenue</a> and 3rd Street NW.<sup id="cite_ref-SOS_113-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-SOS-113"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>113<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-114" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-114"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>114<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The town of <a href="/wiki/Blackstone,_Virginia" title="Blackstone, Virginia">Blackstone, Virginia</a>, is named after him.<sup id="cite_ref-115" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-115"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>115<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The North Wall <a href="/wiki/Frieze" title="Frieze">Frieze</a> in the courtroom of the <a href="/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a> depicts William Blackstone, as one of the most influential legal commentators in world history.<sup id="cite_ref-116" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-116"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>116<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Blackstone's_Ratio_or_Blackstone's_Formulation"><span id="Blackstone.27s_Ratio_or_Blackstone.27s_Formulation"></span>Blackstone's Ratio or Blackstone's Formulation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Blackstone's Ratio or Blackstone's Formulation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Blackstone%27s_Ratio" class="mw-redirect" title="Blackstone's Ratio">Blackstone's Ratio</a></div> <p>Among the most well-known of Blackstone's contributions to judicial theory is his own statement of the principle that it "is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer."<sup id="cite_ref-117" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-117"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>117<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>While this argument originates at least as far back as Genesis 18:23–32 in the Bible,<sup id="cite_ref-Volokh_118-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Volokh-118"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>118<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-119" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-119"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>119<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> as well as versions by <a href="/wiki/Maimonides" title="Maimonides">Maimonides</a><sup id="cite_ref-Volokh_118-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Volokh-118"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>118<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-120" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-120"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>120<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Goldstein(Rabbi.)2006_121-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Goldstein(Rabbi.)2006-121"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>121<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and <a href="/wiki/John_Fortescue_(judge)" title="John Fortescue (judge)">Sir John Fortescue</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-122" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-122"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>122<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Blackstone's analysis is the one picked up by <a href="/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin" title="Benjamin Franklin">Benjamin Franklin</a><sup id="cite_ref-123" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-123"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>123<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and others, so that the term has become known as "Blackstone's Ratio".<sup id="cite_ref-Volokh_118-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Volokh-118"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>118<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>As <a href="/wiki/John_Adams" title="John Adams">John Adams</a>, having studied Blackstone,<sup id="cite_ref-124" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-124"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>124<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> put it: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>It is more important that innocence should be protected, than it is, that guilt be punished; for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world, that all of them cannot be punished.... when innocence itself, is brought to the bar and condemned, especially to die, the subject will exclaim, 'it is immaterial to me whether I behave well or ill, for virtue itself is no security.' And if such a sentiment as this were to take hold in the mind of the subject that would be the end of all security whatsoever.<sup id="cite_ref-125" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-125"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>125<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <p>Blackstone's Ratio is a maxim of <a href="/wiki/English_law" title="English law">English law</a>, having been established as such within a few decades of Blackstone's work being published.<sup id="cite_ref-126" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-126"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>126<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It is also cited in courts and law in the US, and is strongly emphasised to American law students.<sup id="cite_ref-127" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-127"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>127<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Criticism">Criticism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Criticism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>English jurist <a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Jeremy Bentham</a> was a critic of Blackstone's theories.<sup id="cite_ref-128" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-128"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>128<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Others saw Blackstone's theories as inaccurate statements of English law, using the <a href="/wiki/Constitutions_of_Clarendon" title="Constitutions of Clarendon">Constitutions of Clarendon</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Tractatus_of_Glanville" class="mw-redirect" title="Tractatus of Glanville">Tractatus of Glanville</a> and the <a href="/wiki/1689_Bill_of_Rights" class="mw-redirect" title="1689 Bill of Rights">1689 Bill of Rights</a> as particularly obvious examples of laws Blackstone omitted.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Works">Works</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Works"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><i>Elements of Architecture</i> (1743)</li> <li><i>An Abridgement of Architecture</i> (1743)</li> <li><i>The Pantheon: A Vision</i> (1747)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/An_Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England" title="An Analysis of the Laws of England">An Analysis of the Laws of England</a></i> (1756)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/A_Discourse_on_the_Study_of_the_Law" title="A Discourse on the Study of the Law">A Discourse on the Study of the Law</a></i> (1758)</li> <li><i>The Great Charter and the Charter of the Forest, with other authentic Instruments</i> (1759)</li> <li><i>A Treatise on the Law of Descents in Fee Simple</i> (1759)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Commentaries_on_the_Laws_of_England" title="Commentaries on the Laws of England">Commentaries on the Laws of England</a></i> (1765–1769)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Sir_William_Blackstone%27s_Reports" title="Sir William Blackstone's Reports">Reports in K.B. and C.P., from 1746 to 1779</a></i> (1781)</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/U.S._Constitution#Republics_and_fundamental_law" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Constitution">US Constitution</a>, influences</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 20em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-britannica.com-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-britannica.com_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-britannica.com_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Blackstone">"Sir William Blackstone | English jurist | Britannica"</a>. <i>www.britannica.com</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">25 April</span> 2023</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.britannica.com&rft.atitle=Sir+William+Blackstone+%7C+English+jurist+%7C+Britannica&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Fbiography%2FWilliam-Blackstone&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-mil57-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-mil57_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-mil57_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-mil57_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-mil57_2-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Miles (2000) p. 57.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-hol157-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-hol157_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-hol157_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Holdsworth (1928) p. 157.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Doolittle (1983) p. 100</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) p. 3</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Odgers (1918) p. 599</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 13</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 15</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">de Montmorency (1917) p. 46</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 21</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">To recognize the Blackstone heritage at the school, in 1987 Charterhouse created the <i>Sir William Blackstone Award</i>, a scholarship for the son of a lawyer.<link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1">"Professional News – Sir William Blackstone award". <i>Law Society Gazette</i>. Law Society. 21 October 1987.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Law+Society+Gazette&rft.atitle=Professional+News+%E2%80%93+Sir+William+Blackstone+award&rft.date=1987-10-21&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) p. 8</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) pp. 24–25</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-od600-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-od600_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-od600_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Odgers (1918) p. 600</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 34</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) p. 10</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 37</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 39</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 40</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Odgers (1918) p. 601</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 41</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) pp. 16–17</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 44</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 47</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Holdsworth (1932) p. 261</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Odgers (1918) p. 602</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) p. 19</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 71</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) p. 24</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 73</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) p. 25</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 76</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Holdsworth (1928) p. 156</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 83</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) p. 29</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 96</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 107</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Holdsworth (1932) p. 262</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 108</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Lockmiller (1938) pp. 37–38</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 112</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 114</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-43">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 115-7</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Simpson (1981) p. 652</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 119</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-46">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 120</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-47">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 121</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-48">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 139</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-pres143-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-pres143_49-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pres143_49-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 143</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-pres144-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-pres144_50-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pres144_50-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 144</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-51"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-51">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Cairns (1984) p. 340</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-52"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-52">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 150</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-53"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-53">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 151</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-54"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-54">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 152</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-55"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-55">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 153</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-56"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-56">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 154</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-57"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-57">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilliam_Blackstone1759" class="citation cs2">William Blackstone (1759), <i>The Great Charter and Charter of the Forest, with other Authentic Instruments: To which is Prefixed an Introductory Discourse, Containing the History of the Charters. 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id="cite_note-58"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-58">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 159</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-59"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-59">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 161</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-60"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-60">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 163</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-61"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-61">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) pp. 164–5</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-62"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-62">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 168</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-63"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-63">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) pp. 176–7</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-64"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-64">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 179</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-65"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-65">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 208</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-66"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-66">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 211</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-67"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-67">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 181</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-68"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-68">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 182</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-69"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-69">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 185</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-70"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-70">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 188</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-71"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-71">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 195</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-72"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-72">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 200</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-73"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-73">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 201</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-74"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-74">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 206</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-75"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-75">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 212</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-76"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-76">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 214</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-77"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-77">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 217</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-78"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-78">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 220</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-79"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-79">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 246</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-80"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-80">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 235</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-81"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-81">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 287</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-82"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-82">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFStephenPatrick_Polden2004" class="citation encyclopaedia cs1">Stephen, Leslie; Patrick Polden (2004). <span class="id-lock-subscription" title="Paid subscription required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://oxforddnb.com/view/article/26372">"Oxford DNB article: Stephen, Henry (subscription needed)"</a></span>. <i><a href="/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography#Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography" title="Dictionary of National Biography">Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</a></i> (online ed.). Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F26372">10.1093/ref:odnb/26372</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Oxford+DNB+article%3A+Stephen%2C+Henry+%28subscription+needed%29&rft.btitle=Oxford+Dictionary+of+National+Biography&rft.edition=online&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2004&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F26372&rft.aulast=Stephen&rft.aufirst=Leslie&rft.au=Patrick+Polden&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Foxforddnb.com%2Fview%2Farticle%2F26372&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span> <span style="font-size:0.95em; font-size:95%; color: var( --color-subtle, #555 )">(Subscription or <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe#public">UK public library membership</a> required.)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-83"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-83">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Milsom (1991) p. 1</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-84"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-84">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Alschuler (1994) p. 896</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-85"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-85">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 254</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-86"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-86">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Doolittle (1983) p. 101</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-pres255-87"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-pres255_87-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-pres255_87-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 255</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-88"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-88">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Waterman (1934) p. 554</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-89"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-89">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 260</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-90"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-90">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 262</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-91"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-91">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 263</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-92"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-92">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Stanley_Nider_Katz" title="Stanley Nider Katz">Katz, Stanley N.</a>, "Introduction," Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Law of England, Vol. I (reprinted), University of Chicago Press, 1979. p. v</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-93"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-93">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Sainty (1993) p.81</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-94"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-94">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Waterman (1934) p. 555</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-95"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-95">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Hanbury (1959) p. 2</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-96"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-96">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Hanbury (1959) p. 5</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-97"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-97">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Hanbury (1959) p. 14</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-98"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-98">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 301</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-99"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-99">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 302</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-100"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-100">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Prest (2008) p. 303</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-101"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-101">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Laeuchli, Ann Jordan. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 April</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Visit+Downtown+Blackstone+Virginia&rft.pub=Downtown+Blackstone+Inc.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.downtownblackstone.org%2Fvisit-blackstone-virginia.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-116"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-116">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/northandsouthwalls.pdf">"US Supreme Court Courtroom Friezes"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">29 April</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Britannica&rft.atitle=Sir+William+Blackstone&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftopic%2F68589%2Fsupplemental-information&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Volokh-118"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Volokh_118-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Volokh_118-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Volokh_118-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/guilty.htm">"<i>n</i> Guilty Men"</a>, 146 University of Pennsylvania Law Review 173, Alexander Volokh, 1997.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-119"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-119">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=72mZ1EMFRNkC&pg=PA187"><i>Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge</i></a>, Yale University Press, Alan M. Dershowitz, 2003.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-120"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-120">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Moses Maimonides, <i>The Commandments, Neg. Comm. 290</i>, at 269–271 (Charles B. Chavel trans., 1967).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Goldstein(Rabbi.)2006-121"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Goldstein(Rabbi.)2006_121-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGoldstein2006" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Warren_Goldstein" title="Warren Goldstein">Goldstein, Warren</a> (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=uuizffmvKqQC&pg=PA269"><i>Defending the human spirit: Jewish law's vision for a moral society</i></a>. Feldheim Publishers. p. 269. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-58330-732-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-58330-732-8"><bdi>978-1-58330-732-8</bdi></a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">22 October</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Defending+the+human+spirit%3A+Jewish+law%27s+vision+for+a+moral+society&rft.pages=269&rft.pub=Feldheim+Publishers&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-1-58330-732-8&rft.aulast=Goldstein&rft.aufirst=Warren&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DuuizffmvKqQC%26pg%3DPA269&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-122"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-122">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCourt1901" class="citation web cs1">Court, United States Supreme (12 September 1901). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=nwsKP6uL5_sC&q=%22one+would+much+rather+that+twenty+guilty+persons+should+escape+the+punishment+of+death%2C+than+that+one+innocent+person+should+be+condemned+and+suffer+capitally%22&pg=PA492">"United States Supreme Court Reports"</a>. LEXIS Law Pub. – via Google Books.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=United+States+Supreme+Court+Reports&rft.pub=LEXIS+Law+Pub.&rft.date=1901-09-12&rft.aulast=Court&rft.aufirst=United+States+Supreme&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DnwsKP6uL5_sC%26q%3D%2522one%2Bwould%2Bmuch%2Brather%2Bthat%2Btwenty%2Bguilty%2Bpersons%2Bshould%2Bescape%2Bthe%2Bpunishment%2Bof%2Bdeath%252C%2Bthan%2Bthat%2Bone%2Binnocent%2Bperson%2Bshould%2Bbe%2Bcondemned%2Band%2Bsuffer%2Bcapitally%2522%26pg%3DPA492&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-123"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-123">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">9 Benjamin Franklin, Works 293 (1970), Letter from Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Vaughan (14 March 1785).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-124"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-124">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/spring97/blackstone.html">Blackstone in America</a> Lectures by an English Lawyer Become the Blueprint for a New Nation's Laws and Leaders.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-125"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-125">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/trialofbritishso00wemm"><i>The Trial of the British Soldiers, of the 29th Regiment of Foot, for the Murder of Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, and Patrick Carr, on Monday Evening, March 5, 1770</i></a>. Printed and pub. by Belcher and Armstrong, No. 70, State st. 12 September 1807. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/trialofbritishso00wemm/page/83">83</a> – via Internet Archive. <q>innocence should be protected, than it is, that guilt should be punished.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Trial+of+the+British+Soldiers%2C+of+the+29th+Regiment+of+Foot%2C+for+the+Murder+of+Crispus+Attucks%2C+Samuel+Gray%2C+Samuel+Maverick%2C+James+Caldwell%2C+and+Patrick+Carr%2C+on+Monday+Evening%2C+March+5%2C+1770&rft.pages=83&rft.pub=Printed+and+pub.+by+Belcher+and+Armstrong%2C+No.+70%2C+State+st.&rft.date=1807-09-12&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Ftrialofbritishso00wemm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-126"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-126">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Re Hobson, 1 Lew. C. C. 261, 168 Eng. Rep. 1034 (1831) (Holroyd, J.).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-127"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-127">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">G. Tim Aynesworth, An illogical truism, Austin Am.-Statesman, 18 April 1996, at A14. Specifically, it is "drilled into [first year law students'] head[s] over and over again." Hurley Green Sr., Shifting Scenes, Chi. Independent Bull., 2 January 1997, at 4.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-128"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-128">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBentham1763" class="citation journal cs1">Bentham, Jeremy (1763). "Comment on the Commentaries: A Criticism of William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England". <i>Columbia Law Review (Excerpted)</i>. <b>24</b> (4): <span class="nowrap">540–</span>542. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1113015">1113015</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Columbia+Law+Review+%28Excerpted%29&rft.atitle=Comment+on+the+Commentaries%3A+A+Criticism+of+William+Blackstone%27s+Commentaries+on+the+Laws+of+England&rft.volume=24&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E540-%3C%2Fspan%3E542&rft.date=1763&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F1113015%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Bentham&rft.aufirst=Jeremy&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Bibliography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1012615943"><i>Blackstone and His Critics</i></a>. Anthony Page, Wilfrid R. Prest. Oxford. 2018. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5099-1045-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-5099-1045-8"><bdi>978-1-5099-1045-8</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1012615943">1012615943</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Blackstone+and+His+Critics&rft.place=Oxford&rft.date=2018&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F1012615943&rft.isbn=978-1-5099-1045-8&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldcat.org%2Foclc%2F1012615943&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher" title="Category:CS1 maint: location missing publisher">link</a>) CS1 maint: others (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others" title="Category:CS1 maint: others">link</a>)</span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAlschuler1994" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/Albert_Alschuler" title="Albert Alschuler">Alschuler, Albert</a> (1994). "Sir William Blackstone and the shaping of American law". <i>New Law Journal</i>. <b>144</b> (6653). <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0306-6479">0306-6479</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=New+Law+Journal&rft.atitle=Sir+William+Blackstone+and+the+shaping+of+American+law&rft.volume=144&rft.issue=6653&rft.date=1994&rft.issn=0306-6479&rft.aulast=Alschuler&rft.aufirst=Albert&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAlschuler1996" class="citation journal cs1">Alschuler, Albert (1996). "Rediscovering Blackstone". <i>University of Pennsylvania Law Review</i>. <b>145</b> (1): <span class="nowrap">1–</span>55. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F3312712">10.2307/3312712</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3312712">3312712</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=University+of+Pennsylvania+Law+Review&rft.atitle=Rediscovering+Blackstone&rft.volume=145&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E1-%3C%2Fspan%3E55&rft.date=1996&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F3312712&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F3312712%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Alschuler&rft.aufirst=Albert&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBader1995" class="citation journal cs1">Bader, William D. 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(1928). "Sir William Blackstone". <i>Oregon Law Review</i>. <b>7</b> (1). <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0196-2043">0196-2043</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Oregon+Law+Review&rft.atitle=Sir+William+Blackstone&rft.volume=7&rft.issue=1&rft.date=1928&rft.issn=0196-2043&rft.aulast=Holdsworth&rft.aufirst=W.S.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHoldsworth1932" class="citation journal cs1">Holdsworth, W.S. (1932). "Some Aspects of Blackstone and His Commentaries". <i>Cambridge Law Journal</i>. <b>4</b> (3): <span class="nowrap">261–</span>285. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0008197300131927">10.1017/S0008197300131927</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0008-1973">0008-1973</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:144719136">144719136</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Cambridge+Law+Journal&rft.atitle=Some+Aspects+of+Blackstone+and+His+Commentaries&rft.volume=4&rft.issue=3&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E261-%3C%2Fspan%3E285&rft.date=1932&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A144719136%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.issn=0008-1973&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1017%2FS0008197300131927&rft.aulast=Holdsworth&rft.aufirst=W.S.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHutchinson1902" class="citation book cs1">Hutchinson, John (1902). <span class="cs1-ws-icon" title="s:A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices/Blackstone, Sir William"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_catalogue_of_notable_Middle_Templars,_with_brief_biographical_notices/Blackstone,_Sir_William">"Blackstone, Sir William" </a></span>. <i>A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices</i> (1 ed.). Canterbury: the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. p. 22.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Blackstone%2C+Sir+William&rft.btitle=A+catalogue+of+notable+Middle+Templars%2C+with+brief+biographical+notices&rft.place=Canterbury&rft.pages=22&rft.edition=1&rft.pub=the+Honourable+Society+of+the+Middle+Temple&rft.date=1902&rft.aulast=Hutchinson&rft.aufirst=John&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLaeuchli2015" class="citation book cs1">Laeuchli, Ann Jordan. (2015). <i>A bibliographical catalog of William Blackstone</i>. Yale Law Library by William S. Hein & Co. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/885030816">885030816</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+bibliographical+catalog+of+William+Blackstone&rft.pub=Yale+Law+Library+by+William+S.+Hein+%26+Co.&rft.date=2015&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F885030816&rft.aulast=Laeuchli&rft.aufirst=Ann+Jordan.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLockmiller1938" class="citation book cs1">Lockmiller, David A. (1938). <i>Sir William Blackstone</i>. University of North Carolina Press. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1097575">1097575</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Sir+William+Blackstone&rft.pub=University+of+North+Carolina+Press&rft.date=1938&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F1097575&rft.aulast=Lockmiller&rft.aufirst=David+A.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMiles2000" class="citation journal cs1">Miles, Albert S. (2000). "Blackstone and his American Legacy". <i>Australia & New Zealand Journal of Law and Education</i>. <b>5</b> (2). <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1327-7634">1327-7634</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Australia+%26+New+Zealand+Journal+of+Law+and+Education&rft.atitle=Blackstone+and+his+American+Legacy&rft.volume=5&rft.issue=2&rft.date=2000&rft.issn=1327-7634&rft.aulast=Miles&rft.aufirst=Albert+S.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMilsom1991" class="citation journal cs1">Milsom, S.F.C. (1991). "The Nature of Blackstone's Achievement". <i>Oxford Journal of Legal Studies</i>. <b>1</b> (1). <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-6503">0143-6503</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Oxford+Journal+of+Legal+Studies&rft.atitle=The+Nature+of+Blackstone%27s+Achievement&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=1&rft.date=1991&rft.issn=0143-6503&rft.aulast=Milsom&rft.aufirst=S.F.C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFde_Montmorency1917" class="citation journal cs1">de Montmorency, J.E.G. (1917). "Sir William Blackstone". <i>Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation</i>. <b>17</b> (1). <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1479-5973">1479-5973</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+the+Society+of+Comparative+Legislation&rft.atitle=Sir+William+Blackstone&rft.volume=17&rft.issue=1&rft.date=1917&rft.issn=1479-5973&rft.aulast=de+Montmorency&rft.aufirst=J.E.G.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFOdgers1918" class="citation journal cs1">Odgers, William Blake (1918). "Sir William Blackstone". <i>Yale Law Journal</i>. <b>27</b> (1): <span class="nowrap">599–</span>618. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F786216">10.2307/786216</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0044-0094">0044-0094</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/786216">786216</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Yale+Law+Journal&rft.atitle=Sir+William+Blackstone&rft.volume=27&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E599-%3C%2Fspan%3E618&rft.date=1918&rft.issn=0044-0094&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F786216%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F786216&rft.aulast=Odgers&rft.aufirst=William+Blake&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPrest2008" class="citation book cs1">Prest, Wilfrid (2008). <i>William Blackstone: Law and Letters in the Eighteenth Century</i>. Oxford University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-955029-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-19-955029-6"><bdi>978-0-19-955029-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=William+Blackstone%3A+Law+and+Letters+in+the+Eighteenth+Century&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=2008&rft.isbn=978-0-19-955029-6&rft.aulast=Prest&rft.aufirst=Wilfrid&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSainty1993" class="citation book cs1">Sainty, John (1993). <i>The Judges of England 1272 -1990: a list of judges of the superior courts</i>. Oxford: <a href="/wiki/Selden_Society" title="Selden Society">Selden Society</a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/29670782">29670782</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Judges+of+England+1272+-1990%3A+a+list+of+judges+of+the+superior+courts&rft.place=Oxford&rft.pub=Selden+Society&rft.date=1993&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F29670782&rft.aulast=Sainty&rft.aufirst=John&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSimpson1981" class="citation journal cs1">Simpson, A.W.B. (1981). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4245&context=uclrev">"The Rise and Fall of the Legal Treatise: Legal Principles and the Forms of Legal Literature"</a>. <i>The University of Chicago Law Review</i>. <b>48</b> (3): <span class="nowrap">632–</span>679. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1599330">10.2307/1599330</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0041-9494">0041-9494</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1599330">1599330</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+University+of+Chicago+Law+Review&rft.atitle=The+Rise+and+Fall+of+the+Legal+Treatise%3A+Legal+Principles+and+the+Forms+of+Legal+Literature&rft.volume=48&rft.issue=3&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E632-%3C%2Fspan%3E679&rft.date=1981&rft.issn=0041-9494&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F1599330%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F1599330&rft.aulast=Simpson&rft.aufirst=A.W.B.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fchicagounbound.uchicago.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D4245%26context%3Duclrev&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWaterman1934" class="citation journal cs1">Waterman, Julian S. (1934). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1121&context=uclrev">"Mansfield and Blackstone's Commentaries"</a>. <i>The University of Chicago Law Review</i>. <b>1</b> (4): <span class="nowrap">549–</span>571. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1596998">10.2307/1596998</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0041-9494">0041-9494</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1596998">1596998</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+University+of+Chicago+Law+Review&rft.atitle=Mansfield+and+Blackstone%27s+Commentaries&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E549-%3C%2Fspan%3E571&rft.date=1934&rft.issn=0041-9494&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F1596998%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F1596998&rft.aulast=Waterman&rft.aufirst=Julian+S.&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fchicagounbound.uchicago.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1121%26context%3Duclrev&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+Blackstone" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Blackstone&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/authors/pers00081.shtml">Sir William Blackstone</a> at the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/">Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/34832">Works by William Blackstone</a> at <a href="/wiki/Project_Gutenberg" title="Project Gutenberg">Project Gutenberg</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/search.php?query=%28%28subject%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%20William%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%20W%2E%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20S%2E%20W%2E%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Sir%20William%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Sir%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22S%2E%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Sir%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Sir%20William%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Sir%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22S%2E%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22S%2E%20William%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%20William%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%20W%2E%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20S%2E%20W%2E%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20S%2E%20William%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Sir%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Sir%20William%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Sir%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20title%3A%22S%2E%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Sir%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Sir%20William%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Sir%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20description%3A%22S%2E%20W%2E%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%20William%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%20W%2E%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Sir%20Blackstone%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Blackstone%2C%20Sir%22%29%20OR%20%28%221723-1780%22%20AND%20Blackstone%29%29%20AND%20%28-mediatype:software%29">Works by or about William Blackstone</a> at the <a href="/wiki/Internet_Archive" title="Internet Archive">Internet Archive</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://librivox.org/author/4631">Works by William Blackstone</a> at <a href="/wiki/LibriVox" title="LibriVox">LibriVox</a> (public domain audiobooks) <span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Speaker_Icon.svg/15px-Speaker_Icon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Speaker_Icon.svg/23px-Speaker_Icon.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Speaker_Icon.svg/30px-Speaker_Icon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="500" data-file-height="500" /></span></span></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/blackstonescomm00unkngoog">The Commentaries online at Archive.Org</a></li></ul> <table class="wikitable succession-box noprint" style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:small;clear:both;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="3" style="border-top: 5px solid #DDCEF2;">Legal offices </th></tr> <tr style="text-align:center;"> <td style="width:30%;" rowspan="1">Preceded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/Joseph_Yates_(judge)" title="Joseph Yates (judge)">Joseph Yates</a></div> </td> <td style="width: 40%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"><b> <a href="/wiki/Court_of_King%27s_Bench_(England)" title="Court of King's Bench (England)">Justice of the King's Bench</a> </b><br />1770 </td> <td style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1">Succeeded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/William_Ashurst_(judge)" class="mw-redirect" title="William Ashurst (judge)">William Ashurst</a></div> </td></tr> <tr style="text-align:center;"> <td style="width:30%;" rowspan="1">Preceded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/Edward_Clive_(judge)" title="Edward Clive (judge)">Edward Clive</a></div> </td> <td style="width: 40%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"><b> <a href="/wiki/Justice_of_the_Common_Pleas" title="Justice of the Common Pleas">Justice of the Common Pleas</a> </b><br />1770–1780 </td> <td style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1">Succeeded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/John_Heath_(judge)" title="John Heath (judge)">John Heath</a></div> </td></tr> <tr> <th colspan="3" style="border-top: 5px solid #cccccc"><a href="/wiki/Parliament_of_Great_Britain" title="Parliament of Great Britain">Parliament of Great Britain</a> </th></tr> <tr style="text-align:center;"> <td style="width:30%;" rowspan="1">Preceded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/James_Calthorpe_(Yeoman_of_the_Removing_Wardrobe)" title="James Calthorpe (Yeoman of the Removing Wardrobe)">James Calthorpe</a><br /><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_Mabbott&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="William Mabbott (page does not exist)">William Mabbott</a></div> </td> <td style="width: 40%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"><b> Member of Parliament for <a href="/wiki/Hindon_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Hindon (UK Parliament constituency)">Hindon</a> </b><br />1761–1768 <br />With: <b> <a href="/wiki/Edward_Morant_(politician)" title="Edward Morant (politician)">Edward Morant</a> </b> </td> <td style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1">Succeeded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/John_St_Leger_Douglas" title="John St Leger Douglas">John St Leger Douglas</a><br /><a href="/wiki/William_Hussey_(died_1813)" title="William Hussey (died 1813)">William Hussey</a></div> </td></tr> <tr style="text-align:center;"> <td style="width:30%;" rowspan="1">Preceded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/Peregrine_Bertie_(of_Low_Leyton)" title="Peregrine Bertie (of Low Leyton)">Peregrine Bertie</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Chauncy_Townsend" title="Chauncy Townsend">Chauncy Townsend</a></div> </td> <td style="width: 40%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"><b> Member of Parliament for <a href="/wiki/Westbury_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)">Westbury</a> </b><br />1768–1770 <br />With: <b> <a href="/wiki/Peregrine_Bertie_(of_Low_Leyton)" title="Peregrine Bertie (of Low Leyton)">Peregrine Bertie</a> </b> </td> <td style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1">Succeeded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/Peregrine_Bertie_(of_Low_Leyton)" title="Peregrine Bertie (of Low Leyton)">Peregrine Bertie</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Charles_Dillon,_12th_Viscount_Dillon" title="Charles Dillon, 12th Viscount Dillon">Charles Dillon</a></div> </td></tr> <tr> <th colspan="3" style="border-top: 5px solid #DAA520;">Academic offices </th></tr> <tr> <td style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"><b>New office</b> </td> <td style="width: 40%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1"><b> <a href="/wiki/Vinerian_Professor_of_English_Law" title="Vinerian Professor of English Law">Vinerian Professor of English Law</a> </b><br />1758–1766 </td> <td style="width: 30%; text-align: center;" rowspan="1">Succeeded by<div style="font-weight: bold"><a href="/wiki/Robert_Chambers_(English_judge)" title="Robert Chambers (English judge)">Sir Robert Chambers</a></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1130092004">.mw-parser-output .portal-bar{font-size:88%;font-weight:bold;display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:baseline}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-bordered{padding:0 2em;background-color:#fdfdfd;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;clear:both;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-related{font-size:100%;justify-content:flex-start}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-unbordered{padding:0 1.7em;margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-header{margin:0 1em 0 0.5em;flex:0 0 auto;min-height:24px}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;flex:0 1 auto;padding:0.15em 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.navbox+style+.portal-bar-bordered,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+link+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+style+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+.navbox-styles+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+.navbox-styles+.sister-bar{margin-top:-1px}</style><div class="portal-bar noprint metadata noviewer portal-bar-bordered" role="navigation" aria-label="Portals"><span class="portal-bar-header"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals" title="Wikipedia:Contents/Portals">Portals</a>:</span><ul class="portal-bar-content"><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/69/P_vip.svg/19px-P_vip.svg.png" decoding="async" width="19" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/69/P_vip.svg/28px-P_vip.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/69/P_vip.svg/37px-P_vip.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1911" data-file-height="1944" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Biography" title="Portal:Biography">Biography</a></li><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:A_coloured_voting_box.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/19px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png" decoding="async" width="19" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/29px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/38px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="160" data-file-height="160" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Politics" title="Portal:Politics">Politics</a></li><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Balance,_by_David.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/21px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/32px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/41px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="606" data-file-height="558" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Law" title="Portal:Law">Law</a></li><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Bibliotheksstempel_Bodleiana.jpg/19px-Bibliotheksstempel_Bodleiana.jpg" decoding="async" width="19" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Bibliotheksstempel_Bodleiana.jpg/28px-Bibliotheksstempel_Bodleiana.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Bibliotheksstempel_Bodleiana.jpg/37px-Bibliotheksstempel_Bodleiana.jpg 2x" data-file-width="218" data-file-height="223" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:University_of_Oxford" title="Portal:University of Oxford">University of Oxford</a></li><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="flag" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/21px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="11" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/32px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/42px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:United_Kingdom" title="Portal:United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></li></ul></div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236088147">.mw-parser-output .sister-bar{display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:baseline;font-size:88%;background-color:#fdfdfd;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;clear:both;margin:1em 0 0;padding:0 2em}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-header{margin:0 1em 0 0.5em;padding:0.2em 0;flex:0 0 auto;min-height:24px;line-height:22px}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-content{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;flex:0 1 auto;align-items:baseline;padding:0.2em 0;column-gap:1em;margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-item{display:flex;align-items:baseline;margin:0.15em 0;min-height:24px;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-logo{width:22px;line-height:22px;margin:0 0.2em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-link{margin:0 0.2em;text-align:left}@media screen and (max-width:960px){.mw-parser-output .sister-bar{flex-flow:column wrap;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-header{flex:0 1}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-content{flex:1;border-top:1px solid #a2a9b1;margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-item{flex:0 0 20em;min-width:20em}}.mw-parser-output .navbox+link+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .navbox+style+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+link+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+style+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+.navbox-styles+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+.navbox-styles+.portal-bar{margin-top:-1px}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sister-bar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="noprint metadata sister-bar" role="navigation" aria-label="sister-projects"><div class="sister-bar-header"><b>William Blackstone</b> at Wikipedia's <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikimedia_sister_projects" title="Wikipedia:Wikimedia sister projects"><span id="sister-projects" style="white-space:nowrap;">sister projects</span></a>:</div><ul class="sister-bar-content"><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/14px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="14" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/21px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/28px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:William_Blackstone" class="extiw" title="c:Category:William Blackstone">Media</a></b> from Commons</span></li><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/16px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/24px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/32px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="355" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Blackstone" class="extiw" title="q:William Blackstone">Quotations</a></b> from Wikiquote</span></li><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/18px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="18" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/28px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/36px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:William_Blackstone" class="extiw" title="s:Author:William Blackstone">Texts</a></b> from Wikisource</span></li><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/21px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/32px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/42px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1050" data-file-height="590" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q332449" class="extiw" title="d:Q332449">Data</a></b> from Wikidata</span></li></ul></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><style 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href="/wiki/Index_of_philosophy_of_law_articles" title="Index of philosophy of law articles">Index</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Legal_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="Legal theory">Legal theory</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Constitutionalism" title="Constitutionalism">Constitutionalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Critical_legal_studies" title="Critical legal studies">Critical legal studies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Comparative_law" title="Comparative law">Comparative law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Law_and_economics" title="Law and economics">Economic analysis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legal_norms" class="mw-redirect" title="Legal norms">Legal norms</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_legal_theory" class="mw-redirect" title="International legal theory">International legal theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legal_history" title="Legal history">Legal history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy_of_law" class="mw-redirect" title="Philosophy of law">Philosophy of law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sociology_of_law" title="Sociology of law">Sociology of law</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Philosophers_of_law" title="Category:Philosophers of law">Philosophers</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Robert_Alexy" title="Robert Alexy">Alexy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Aquinas" title="Thomas Aquinas">Aquinas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristotle" title="Aristotle">Aristotle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Austin_(legal_philosopher)" title="John Austin (legal philosopher)">Austin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bastiat" title="Frédéric Bastiat">Bastiat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cesare_Beccaria" title="Cesare Beccaria">Beccaria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Bentham</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Blackstone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Norberto_Bobbio" title="Norberto Bobbio">Bobbio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Robert_Bork" title="Robert Bork">Bork</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bartosz_Bro%C5%BCek" title="Bartosz Brożek">Brożek</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Benjamin_N._Cardozo" title="Benjamin N. Cardozo">Cardozo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%89mile_Durkheim" title="Émile Durkheim">Durkheim</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ronald_Dworkin" title="Ronald Dworkin">Dworkin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eugen_Ehrlich" title="Eugen Ehrlich">Ehrlich</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Finnis" title="John Finnis">Finnis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lon_L._Fuller" title="Lon L. Fuller">Fuller</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hugo_Grotius" title="Hugo Grotius">Grotius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Georges_Gurvitch" title="Georges Gurvitch">Gurvitch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Habermas" title="Jürgen Habermas">Habermas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karl_Ludwig_von_Haller" title="Karl Ludwig von Haller">Haller</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Han_Fei" title="Han Fei">Han</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/H._L._A._Hart" title="H. L. A. Hart">Hart</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel" title="Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel">Hegel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes" title="Thomas Hobbes">Hobbes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Axel_H%C3%A4gerstr%C3%B6m" title="Axel Hägerström">Hägerström</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Georg_Jellinek" title="Georg Jellinek">Jellinek</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rudolf_von_Jhering" title="Rudolf von Jhering">Jhering</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Immanuel_Kant" title="Immanuel Kant">Kant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hans_Kelsen" title="Hans Kelsen">Kelsen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bruno_Leoni" title="Bruno Leoni">Leoni</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karl_Llewellyn" title="Karl Llewellyn">Llewellyn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Niklas_Luhmann" title="Niklas Luhmann">Luhmann</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Joseph_de_Maistre" title="Joseph de Maistre">Maistre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karl_Marx" title="Karl Marx">Marx</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Montesquieu" title="Montesquieu">Montesquieu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Adam_M%C3%BCller" title="Adam Müller">Müller</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Martha_Nussbaum" title="Martha Nussbaum">Nussbaum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karl_Olivecrona" title="Karl Olivecrona">Olivecrona</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evgeny_Pashukanis" title="Evgeny Pashukanis">Pashukanis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cha%C3%AFm_Perelman" title="Chaïm Perelman">Perelman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leon_Petra%C5%BCycki" title="Leon Petrażycki">Petrażycki</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Richard_Posner" title="Richard Posner">Posner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roscoe_Pound" title="Roscoe Pound">Pound</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samuel_von_Pufendorf" title="Samuel von Pufendorf">Pufendorf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gustav_Radbruch" title="Gustav Radbruch">Radbruch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Rawls" title="John Rawls">Rawls</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Joseph_Raz" title="Joseph Raz">Raz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Adolf_Reinach" title="Adolf Reinach">Reinach</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karl_Renner" title="Karl Renner">Renner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alf_Ross" title="Alf Ross">Ross</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rumi" title="Rumi">Rumi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Carl_von_Savigny" title="Friedrich Carl von Savigny">Savigny</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quintus_Mucius_Scaevola_Pontifex" title="Quintus Mucius Scaevola Pontifex">Scaevola</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carl_Schmitt" title="Carl Schmitt">Schmitt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shang_Yang" title="Shang Yang">Shang</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Francisco_Su%C3%A1rez" title="Francisco Suárez">Suárez</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Friedrich_Julius_Stahl" title="Friedrich Julius Stahl">Stahl</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roberto_Mangabeira_Unger" title="Roberto Mangabeira Unger">Unger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eric_Voegelin" title="Eric Voegelin">Voegelin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Michael_Walzer" title="Michael Walzer">Walzer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Max_Weber" title="Max Weber">Weber</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Books_about_jurisprudence" title="Category:Books about jurisprudence">Works</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Laws_(dialogue)" title="Laws (dialogue)">Laws</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(c. 355 BC)</span></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Treatise_on_Law" title="Treatise on Law">Treatise on Law</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(c. 1270)</span></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Spirit_of_Law" title="The Spirit of Law">The Spirit of Law</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(1748)</span></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Elements_of_the_Philosophy_of_Right" title="Elements of the Philosophy of Right">Elements of the Philosophy of Right</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(1820)</span></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Pure_Theory_of_Law" title="Pure Theory of Law">Pure Theory of Law</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(1934)</span></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Concept_of_Law" title="The Concept of Law">The Concept of Law</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(1961)</span></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Natural_Law_and_Natural_Rights" title="Natural Law and Natural Rights">Natural Law and Natural Rights</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(1980)</span></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Law%27s_Empire" title="Law's Empire">Law's Empire</a></i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(1986)</span></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Theories_of_law" title="Category:Theories of law">Theories</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Analytical_jurisprudence" title="Analytical jurisprudence">Analytical jurisprudence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deontological_ethics" class="mw-redirect" title="Deontological ethics">Deontological ethics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy,_theology,_and_fundamental_theory_of_Catholic_canon_law" title="Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law">Fundamental theory of Catholic canon law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/German_historical_school" title="German historical school">German historical school</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interpretivism_(legal)" title="Interpretivism (legal)">Interpretivism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legal_moralism" title="Legal moralism">Legal moralism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legal_positivism" title="Legal positivism">Legal positivism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legal_realism" title="Legal realism">Legal realism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legalism_(Chinese_philosophy)" title="Legalism (Chinese philosophy)">Legalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Libertarian_theories_of_law" title="Libertarian theories of law">Libertarian theories of law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Natural_law" title="Natural law">Natural law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paternalism" title="Paternalism">Paternalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Utilitarianism" title="Utilitarianism">Utilitarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virtue_jurisprudence" title="Virtue jurisprudence">Virtue jurisprudence</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Concepts</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Dharma" title="Dharma">Dharma</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Fa_(concept)" class="mw-redirect" title="Fa (concept)">Fa</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Judicial_interpretation" title="Judicial interpretation">Judicial interpretation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Justice" title="Justice">Justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Law_without_the_state" title="Law 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