View source for Registrum Brevium

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Registrum Brevium tam Originalium, quam Judicialium''}}
===ascribed to Ralph de Hengham===
__NOTOC__
{{BookPageInfoBox
|imagename=RegistrumBrevium1687TitlePage.jpg
|link=https://catalog.swem.wm.edu/law/Record/530071
|shorttitle=Registrum Brevium tam Originalium, quam Judicialium
|author=Ralph de Hengham
|publoc=London
|publisher=Printed by the assigns of Richard and Edward Atkins, esquires, for Thomas Bassett ...
|year=1687
|edition=Fourth
|lang=Latin
|pages=[8], 321, 85 leaves, 59, 239
|desc=Folio (32 cm.)
|shelf=K-5
}}[[File:HenghamRegistrumBrevium1687InitialCapital.jpg|left|thumb|150px|<center>Initial capital, first page of text.</center>]]"It is doubtful whether any book used by mediaeval practitioners had greater importance in the history of [English] law than the collection of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writ writs] known as ''Registrum Brevium''."<ref>Percy H. Winfield, ''The Chief Sources of English Legal History'' (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1925), 298.</ref> Loosely translated "The Register of Writs," there were many printed editions and innumerable manuscript editions, few of which are precisely the same.<ref>Ibid.</ref> First printed in 1531 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rastell William Rastell], it reached a fourth edition in 1687. 
<br />
The 1687 edition is attributed<ref>J. G. Marvin, ''Legal Bibliography or a Thesaurus of American, English, Irish, and Scotch Law Books'' (Philadelphia: T. & J. W. Johnson, Law Booksellers, 1847), 605.</ref> to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_de_Hengham Sir Ralph de Hengham] (1235–1311), the first chief justice to explain the general point of law involved in each case for the benefit of students.<ref>Paul Brand, "[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12924 Hengham, Ralph (b. in or before 1235, d. 1311)]" in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', accessed November 14, 2013.</ref> He also authored several lectures on a variety of law topics.<ref>Ibid.</ref><br />
<br />
Hengham served as a court clerk, but was rapidly appointed to his own judicial office in 1271.<ref>Ibid.</ref> Eventually he was promoted from the common bench to become chief justice of the court of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_King%27s_Bench_%28England%29 King’s Bench] in 1274.<ref>Ibid.</ref> Hengham was dismissed from office in 1289 on corruption charges.<ref>Winfield, ''The Chief Sources of English Legal History'', 274.</ref> Hengham regained the King’s favor in 1300 when he was appointed as an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assizes Assize] judge.<ref>Brand, “Hengham, Ralph."</ref> He rejoined the King’s council by the end of that year. When the chief justice of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_Common_Pleas_%28England%29 common bench] died in the summer of 1301, Hengham replaced him and served in that position until 1309.<ref>Ibid.</ref>

==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
Listed in the [[Jefferson Inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as ''Registrum brevium fol.'' and given by [[Thomas Jefferson]] to [[Dabney Carr]].  The University of Virginia owns a copy of the fourth (1687) edition with the inscription "Given by Thos. Jefferson to D. Carr". Both the [https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433 Brown Bibliography]<ref> Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433.</ref> and [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s.v. "[http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe Member: George Wythe]," accessed on September 16, 2013.</ref> on LibraryThing include the 1647 edition based on the University of Virginia copy. The Wolf Law Library moved a copy of this edition from the general rare books collection to the [[George Wythe Collection]].

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Rebound in period-style full calf. The title page includes signatures and annotations.

View the record for this book in [https://catalog.swem.wm.edu/law/Record/530071 William & Mary's online catalog.]

==See also==
*[[George Wythe Room]]
*[[Jefferson Inventory]]
*[[Wythe's Library]]

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
Read this book in [http://books.google.com/books?id=MJg0AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover Google Books.]

[[Category:Dabney Carr's Books]]
[[Category:English Law]]
[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:Probable Surviving Wythe Volumes]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]