Theodore Plucknett
Encyclopedia
Theodore Frank Thomas Plucknett (January 2, 1897 – February 14, 1965) was a British legal historian who was the first ever chair of legal history at the London School of Economics
.
Plucknett was born on January 2, 1897 in Bristol. Plucknett completed his early education at Alderman Newton's school in Leicester and then Bacup and Rawstenstall school in Newchurch, Lancaster. He completed his degree in history at London University and graduated with second class honours. He later completed his masters at University College London
before his twenty-first birthday. He was also awarded the Alexander prize of the Royal Historical Society
. For his masters Plucknett's speciality was the fifteenth-century council; he would later go on to write his PHD thesis on Statutes and their Interpretation in the First Half of the Fourteenth Century. He received his PHD from Emmanuel College, Cambridge
and studied under the tutorship of H. D. Hazeltine.
With Plucknett's PHD came an LLB degree, which helped him get into Harvard Law School
. Whilst studying at Harvard he took no courses, and instead only studied. He arrived at the school as a student in 1920 and by 1923 was an instructor. By 1926 he had graduated to an assistant professor; a position he held until 1931.
Plucknett then left Harvard for the London School of Economics after he received a recommendation from Harold Laski
, who had been impressed by Plucknett's recent publication, Concise History of the Common Law. The book had been dictated and edited in a matter of weeks. When Plucknett arrived at the London School of Economics, he became the first ever holder of the school's chair of legal history. He was to remain in that position until his retirement in 1963.
Though Plucknett remained at the London School of Economics, he also held the presidency of the Royal Historical Society from 1948 to 1952, and the presidency of the Society of Public Teachers of Law from 1953 to 1954. In 1950 Plucknett was awarded a fellowship at University College London and in 1950 he was made an honorary fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He also received honorary degrees from both Glasgow University, Birmingham University and Cambridge.
In later life colleagues would describe Plucknett as 'distant'. He maintained the history of law had nothing to do with its practical application and was quoted as saying that "It is still too often said that English law can only be understood historically. Now English law may be bad, but is it really as bad as that?"
Plucknett officially retired from teaching in 1963 due to poor health and died at his home in Crescent Road, Wimbledon
, London SW19 on February 14, 1965.
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Plucknett was born on January 2, 1897 in Bristol. Plucknett completed his early education at Alderman Newton's school in Leicester and then Bacup and Rawstenstall school in Newchurch, Lancaster. He completed his degree in history at London University and graduated with second class honours. He later completed his masters at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
before his twenty-first birthday. He was also awarded the Alexander prize of the Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
. For his masters Plucknett's speciality was the fifteenth-century council; he would later go on to write his PHD thesis on Statutes and their Interpretation in the First Half of the Fourteenth Century. He received his PHD from Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
and studied under the tutorship of H. D. Hazeltine.
With Plucknett's PHD came an LLB degree, which helped him get into Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. Whilst studying at Harvard he took no courses, and instead only studied. He arrived at the school as a student in 1920 and by 1923 was an instructor. By 1926 he had graduated to an assistant professor; a position he held until 1931.
Plucknett then left Harvard for the London School of Economics after he received a recommendation from Harold Laski
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski was a British Marxist, political theorist, economist, author, and lecturer, who served as the chairman of the Labour Party during 1945-1946, and was a professor at the LSE from 1926 to 1950....
, who had been impressed by Plucknett's recent publication, Concise History of the Common Law. The book had been dictated and edited in a matter of weeks. When Plucknett arrived at the London School of Economics, he became the first ever holder of the school's chair of legal history. He was to remain in that position until his retirement in 1963.
Though Plucknett remained at the London School of Economics, he also held the presidency of the Royal Historical Society from 1948 to 1952, and the presidency of the Society of Public Teachers of Law from 1953 to 1954. In 1950 Plucknett was awarded a fellowship at University College London and in 1950 he was made an honorary fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He also received honorary degrees from both Glasgow University, Birmingham University and Cambridge.
In later life colleagues would describe Plucknett as 'distant'. He maintained the history of law had nothing to do with its practical application and was quoted as saying that "It is still too often said that English law can only be understood historically. Now English law may be bad, but is it really as bad as that?"
Plucknett officially retired from teaching in 1963 due to poor health and died at his home in Crescent Road, Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, London SW19 on February 14, 1965.