James Humphreys (lawyer)
James Humphreys (c. 1768 – 29 November 1830)[1] was a Welsh barrister, law reformer and legal writer. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and called to the bar in 1800 by Lincoln's Inn. Politically he was a liberal. His major publication in the field of law reform was Observations on the Actual State of the English Laws of Real Property, with the outlines of a Code (1826).
Life
A native of Montgomeryshire, Humphreys was articled to a solicitor named Yeomans at Worcester. He then entered Lincoln's Inn in November 1789, read with Charles Butler, was called to the bar (25 June 1800), and obtained a good practice as a conveyancer.[2]
In politics Humphreys was a Whig and liberal, and was friendly with Charles James Fox, Henry Clifford, Sir James Mackintosh, and Sir Francis Burdett. He went to John Horne Tooke's parties at Wimbledon, and delivered a course of lectures on law at the newly founded University of London.[2]
Humphreys died on 29 November 1830, in
Works
Humphreys's major work, Observations on the Actual State of the English Laws of Real Property, with the outlines of a Code (London, 1826, 2nd edit. 1827), gave him a reputation as a legal reformer. Fox is said to have suggested the work, but it came from association with Charles Butler and with the school of analytical jurists led by
See also
References
- ^ Elwyn Evans (1959). "Humphreys, James (c.1768-1830), legal writer". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
External links
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Humphreys, James". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.