Sir James Eyre PC, (17341 July 1799) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

judge, the son of the Rev. Thomas Eyre, of Wells,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

Biography

He was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

and at St John's College, Oxford, which he left without taking a degree. He was called to the bar at

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...

in 1755, through the influence of Thomas Parker,

chief baron of the exchequer The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning judge) of the English Exchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who pre ...

. He commenced practice in the lord mayors and sheriffs courts, paying £63 (''2011: £'') for one of the four counsel to the

City of London Corporation The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United King ...

. He was appointed

Recorder of London The Recorder of London is an ancient legal office in the City of London. The Recorder of London is the senior circuit judge at the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey), hearing trials of criminal offences. The Recorder is appointed by the Cr ...

in 1763 and knighted in 1770. He was counsel for the plaintiff in the case of ''Wilkes v. Wood'', and made a brilliant speech in condemnation of the execution of general

search warrant A search warrant is a court order that a magistrate or judge issues to authorize law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person, location, or vehicle for evidence of a crime and to confiscate any evidence they find. In most countries, ...

s. His refusal to voice the remonstrances of the corporation against the exclusion of Wilkes from

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

earned him the recognition of the ministry, and he was appointed a Baron of the Exchequer in 1772 and

Chief Baron of the Exchequer The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning judge) of the English Exchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who pre ...

in 1787. From June 1792 to January 1793 he was Chief Commissioner of the Great Seal. In 1793 he was made

Chief Justice of the Common Pleas The chief justice of the Common Pleas was the head of the Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, which was the second-highest common law court in the English legal system until 1875, when it, along with the othe ...

, and presided over the trials of Horne Tooke,

Robert Thomas Crossfield The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

and others. In 1793 statutory powers were sought by Bishop Yorke to sell

Wisbech Castle Wisbech Castle was a stone to motte-and-bailey castle built to fortify Wisbech (historically in the Isle of Ely and now also in the Fenland District of Cambridgeshire, England) on the orders of William I in 1072, it probably replaced an earlier ...

and grounds. The Bill passed despite the opposition of Eyre and the premises were sold by auction in the same year to

Joseph Medworth Joseph Medworth a son of Simon Medworth (1723-1761), a ropemaker, and Anna Lampson (b. 1725) was born in Wisbech in 1752. He was apprenticed as a brick-layer and moved to London. He returned as a successful developer and bought Thirloe's mansion ...

. Eyre was son-in-law of Henry Southwell of Bank House,

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and only 5 miles ...

Isle of Ely The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an administrative county. Etymology Its name has been said to mean "island of eels", a reference to the creatures th ...

a member of the family tenanting the castle, and to that extent an interested party. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...

in May 1791. He died in 1799 and was buried at Ruscombe in Berkshire.

References

External links

*''Wilkes v. Wood''
19 Howell's State Trials 1153
(C.P. 1763) , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Eyre, James 1734 births 1799 deaths Burials in Berkshire People from Ruscombe People from Wells, Somerset People educated at Winchester College Alumni of St John's College, Oxford Members of Gray's Inn Barons of the Exchequer Chief Justices of the Common Pleas Recorders of London 18th-century English judges Fellows of the Royal Society