William Hawkins (serjeant-at-law)
Encyclopedia
William Hawkins was a barrister
and serjeant-at-law
, best known for his work on the English criminal law
, Treatise of Pleas of the Crown
.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
from St John's College, Cambridge
in 1689, and earned a Master of Arts from the same college in 1693. He was admitted a member of the Inner Temple
on 10 February 1700 (or possibly 24 November 1701, as two persons of his name appear in the record books). He became a serjeant-at-law on 1 February 1723. Among his clients was Thomas Bambridge
, the notoriously cruel warden of Fleet Prison
.
In addition to his Treatise of Pleas of the Crown, he also published an abridgment of the first part of Edward Coke
's Institutes of the Lawes of England
in 1711. This work ran through many editions, and was praised by Blackstone
in the Commentaries on the Laws of England
.
The poet William Hawkins
was his son.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
, best known for his work on the English criminal law
English criminal law
English criminal law refers to the body of law in the jurisdiction of England and Wales which deals with crimes and their consequences. Criminal acts are considered offences against the whole of a community...
, Treatise of Pleas of the Crown
Hawkins' Treatise of Pleas of the Crown
A Treatise of Pleas of the Crown; or, a system of the principal matters relating to that subject, digested under proper heads is an influential treatise on the criminal law of England, written by William Hawkins, serjeant-at-law, and later edited by John Curwood, barrister...
.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
in 1689, and earned a Master of Arts from the same college in 1693. He was admitted a member of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
on 10 February 1700 (or possibly 24 November 1701, as two persons of his name appear in the record books). He became a serjeant-at-law on 1 February 1723. Among his clients was Thomas Bambridge
Thomas Bambridge
Thomas Bambridge was a notorious warden of the Fleet Prison in England.Bambridge became warden of the Fleet in 1728. He had paid, with another person, £5000 to John Huggins for the wardenship...
, the notoriously cruel warden of Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
.
In addition to his Treatise of Pleas of the Crown, he also published an abridgment of the first part of Edward Coke
Edward Coke
Sir Edward Coke SL PC was an English barrister, judge and politician considered to be the greatest jurist of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. Born into a middle class family, Coke was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge before leaving to study at the Inner Temple, where he was called to the...
's Institutes of the Lawes of England
Institutes of the Lawes of England
The Institutes of the Lawes of England are a series of legal treatises written by Sir Edward Coke. They were first published, in stages, between 1628 and 1644. They are widely recognized as a foundational document of the common law. They have been cited in over 70 cases decided by the Supreme Court...
in 1711. This work ran through many editions, and was praised by Blackstone
William Blackstone
Sir William Blackstone KC SL was an English jurist, judge and Tory politician of the eighteenth century. He is most noted for writing the Commentaries on the Laws of England. Born into a middle class family in London, Blackstone was educated at Charterhouse School before matriculating at Pembroke...
in the Commentaries on the Laws of England
Commentaries on the Laws of England
The Commentaries on the Laws of England are an influential 18th-century treatise on the common law of England by Sir William Blackstone, originally published by the Clarendon Press at Oxford, 1765–1769...
.
The poet William Hawkins
William Hawkins (clergyman)
-Life:He was eldest son of William Hawkins, serjeant-at-law, by his first wife, a daughter of Sir Roger Jenyns and sister of Soame Jenyns. Through his grandmother he was descended from Thomas Tesdale, one of the founders of Pembroke College, Oxford, and he matriculated there on 12 November 1737. He...
was his son.