Joseph Chitty (12 March 1776 – 17 February 1841) 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 ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and legal

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

, author of some of the earliest practitioners' texts and founder of an important dynasty of lawyers.

Life and practice

He was himself the son of a Joseph Chitty (1729–1795), and his wife, Sarah ''née'' Cartwright. He initially practised as a

special pleader A special pleader was a historical legal occupation. The practitioner, or "special pleader" in English law specialised in drafting "pleadings", in modern terminology statements of case. History Up to the 19th century, there were many rules, tech ...

before being

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

by the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

on 28 June 1816. He never became a KC but built a huge junior practice at 1 Pump Court and published many books. Chitty was also pupil master to a generation of lawyers, including: *

John Walter Hulme John Walter Hulme was a British lawyer and Judge. He was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong, Chief Justice of Hong Kong taking office in 1844. Early life Hulme was born in 1805 in Fenton, Staffordshire, England. He was ...

, his co-author and son-in-law, and the first Chief Justice of Hong Kong *

Thomas Starkie Thomas Starkie (2 January 1782 – 15 April 1849) was an English lawyer and jurist. A talented mathematician in his youth, he especially contributed to the unsuccessful attempts to codify the English criminal law in the nineteenth century. Ea ...

Lobban (2004) * Edward Hall Alderson *

Thomas Noon Talfourd Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd SL (26 May 179513 March 1854) was an English judge, Radical politician and author. Life The son of a well-to-do brewer, Talfourd was born in Reading, Berkshire. He received his education at Hendon and Reading School. ...

Henry Havelock Major-General Sir Henry Havelock (5 April 1795 – 24 November 1857) was a British general who is particularly associated with India and his recapture of Cawnpore during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (First War of Independence, Sepoy Mutiny). E ...

. In fact, at the time, the

Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They have ...

were in decline and Chitty organised lectures and moots, in 1810 being given permission to use the hall of

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

Personality and later life

Despite his successful practice, by 1831, Chitty had amassed extensive debts that were costing almost £2,000 per year to service. Further, Chitty's health was in decline and he was becoming increasingly anxious about his parlous state. Much of his energy became taken up in avoiding the attentions of his creditors. He retired from practice in 1833 but continued to publish. He died in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.

Family

He married Elizabeth Woodward, and they had eight children. Of those, Joseph Chitty the younger,

Thomas Chitty Thomas Chitty (1802 – 13 February 1878) was an English lawyer and legal writer who was pupil master to a generation of eminent lawyers and played a significant role in documenting the legal reforms of the 19th century. Early life Thomas was t ...

Edward Chitty Edward Chitty (1804–1863) was an English legal reporter, judge in Jamaica, and conchologist. Life The third son of Joseph Chitty the elder, he was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1829, and practised as an equity draughtsman. In 1840 he wen ...

, and Thompson Chitty were lawyers and legal writers: Joseph the younger and Thompson were the first editors of the standard textbook ''

Chitty on Contracts ''Chitty on Contracts'' is one of the leading textbooks covering English contract law. The textbook is now in its 34th edition. The first editors were Joseph Chitty the Younger and Thompson Chitty, sons of Joseph Chitty. Contents Volume I – Ge ...

''. Judge

Joseph William Chitty Sir Joseph William Chitty (28 May 1828 – 15 February 1899) was an English cricketer, rower, judge and Liberal politician. Early life Chitty was born in London, the second son of Thomas Chitty (himself son and brother of well-known lawye ...

was a grandson (son of Thomas Chitty).

Bibliography

By Chitty

*Chitty, T. (1799) ''Treatise on Bills of Exchange'' *— (1808) ''Precedents of Pleading'' *— (1811a) ''Treatise on the Law of Apprentices'' *— (1811b) ''Treatise on the Game Laws'' *— (1812) ''Treatise on the Law of Nations'' *— (1818) ''Treatise on Commercial Law'' *— (1820) ''

Treatise on the Law of the Prerogatives of the Crown ''A Treatise on the Law of the Prerogatives of the Crown'' (full title: ''A Treatise on the Law of the Prerogatives of the Crown; and the Relative Duties and Rights of the Subject'') is an 1820 legal text by Joseph Chitty. The text provides the mo ...

'' *— (1826) ''A Practical Treatise on the Criminal Law'' *— (1829–37) ''Statutes of Practical Utility'' *— (1833) ''The Practice of the Law in All its Principal Departments''

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chitty, Joseph 1775 births 1841 deaths English lawyers English legal writers English male non-fiction writers