Difference between revisions of "Cases Argued and Adjudged in the High Court of Chancery"

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}}[[File:VernonCase1726V1Frontispiece.jpg|left|thumb|250px|<center>Frontispiece, volume one.</center>]]Thomas Vernon (1654-1721), a preeminent practitioner in chancery cases and a politician in the House of Commons, was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1672 and called to the bar in 1679.<ref> Stuart Handley, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28248 “Vernon, Thomas (1654–1721)”], “Oxford Dictionary of National Biography”, (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed Nov 22, 2013. Subsequent biographical information derives from this source unless otherwise noted.</ref> Vernon amassed great wealth from his labors, enabling him to develop a large country estate near Hanbury in Worchestershire. He also engaged in politics, becoming a knight of the shire in 1715. He also remained active as a practitioner, working in the chancery court until his death in 1621.<br />
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}}[[File:VernonCase1726V1Frontispiece.jpg|left|thumb|250px|<center>Frontispiece, volume one.</center>]]Thomas Vernon (1654-1721), a preeminent practitioner in chancery cases and a politician in the House of Commons, was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1672 and called to the bar in 1679.<ref> Stuart Handley, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28248 “Vernon, Thomas (1654–1721)”], “Oxford Dictionary of National Biography”, (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed Nov 22, 2013. Subsequent biographical information derives from this source unless otherwise noted.</ref> Vernon amassed great wealth from his labors, enabling him to develop a large country estate near Hanbury in Worchestershire. He also engaged in politics, becoming a knight of the shire in 1715. Vernon also remained active as a practitioner, working in the chancery court until his death in 1621.<br />
 
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Vernon's ''Reports'' were published posthumously, the manuscript of which was the subject of some controversy. After his death, Vernon's wife, trustees, and heirs all claimed his papers. Ultimately, the court decided to keep and publish the papers without collecting profit from the work.<ref>Ibid.</ref> Scholars consider the first edition of the reports, edited by William Melmoth and William Peere Williams, full of errors making it nearly useless.<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) 709.</ref> Later editions correct the mistakes in the first and are considered the “best of the old Chancery reporters,” however, “unless they are read with scrupulous attention, they may prove to be dangerous guides.”<ref>Ibid.</ref>
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Vernon's ''Reports'' were published posthumously, the manuscript of which was the subject of some controversy. After his death, Vernon's wife, trustees, and heirs all claimed his papers. Ultimately, the court decided to keep and publish the papers without collecting profit from the work.<ref>Ibid.</ref> Scholars consider the first edition of the reports, edited by William Melmoth and William Peere Williams, full of errors and making it nearly useless.<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) 709.</ref> Later editions correct the mistakes in the first and are considered the “best of the old Chancery reporters,” however, “unless they are read with scrupulous attention, they may prove to be dangerous guides.”<ref>Ibid.</ref>
  
 
==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==  
 
==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==  

Revision as of 21:48, 14 February 2014

by Thomas Vernon

Vernon's Reports
VernonsCasesArgued1726v2.jpg

Title page from Cases Argued and Adjudged in the High Court of Chancery, volume two, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary.

Author Thomas Vernon
Editor William Melmoth and William Peere Williams
Translator {{{trans}}}
Published London, In the Savoy: Printed by E. and R. Nutt and R. Gosling (assigns of Edw. Sayer) for J. Tonson
Date 1726-1728
Edition First
Language English
Volumes 2 volume set
Pages {{{pages}}}
Desc. Folio (33 cm.)
Location [[Shelf {{{shelf}}}]]
  [[Shelf {{{shelf2}}}]]
Frontispiece, volume one.
Thomas Vernon (1654-1721), a preeminent practitioner in chancery cases and a politician in the House of Commons, was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1672 and called to the bar in 1679.[1] Vernon amassed great wealth from his labors, enabling him to develop a large country estate near Hanbury in Worchestershire. He also engaged in politics, becoming a knight of the shire in 1715. Vernon also remained active as a practitioner, working in the chancery court until his death in 1621.


Vernon's Reports were published posthumously, the manuscript of which was the subject of some controversy. After his death, Vernon's wife, trustees, and heirs all claimed his papers. Ultimately, the court decided to keep and publish the papers without collecting profit from the work.[2] Scholars consider the first edition of the reports, edited by William Melmoth and William Peere Williams, full of errors and making it nearly useless.[3] Later editions correct the mistakes in the first and are considered the “best of the old Chancery reporters,” however, “unless they are read with scrupulous attention, they may prove to be dangerous guides.”[4]

Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library

There is no doubt that Wythe owned the first edition of this title—a copy at the Library of Congress includes George Wythe's bookplate in each volume. We also know that Wythe ordered these reports from London merchant John Norton in a letter dated May 7, 1770. The letter's endorsement indicates it was answered on July 28, 1770.[5] Finally, Thomas Jefferson listed Vernon's reports. 2.v. fol. in his inventory of Wythe's Library, noting that he kept the volume himself. He later sold it to the Library of Congress. Not surprisingly, all four of the Wythe Collection sources (Goodwin's pamphlet[6], Dean's Memo[7], Brown's Bibliography[8] and George Wythe's Library[9] on LibraryThing list Vernon's Reports. The Wolf Law Library moved a copy of the first edition from another rare book collection to the George Wythe Collection.

Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy

Rebound in black leather with red leather labels and black marbelled endpapers. Purchased through the generosity of Daniel W. Baran and Lena Stratton Baran, Class of 1936.

View this book in William & Mary's online catalog.

References

  1. Stuart Handley, “Vernon, Thomas (1654–1721)”, “Oxford Dictionary of National Biography”, (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed Nov 22, 2013. Subsequent biographical information derives from this source unless otherwise noted.
  2. Ibid.
  3. J. G. Marvin, Legal Bibliography or a Thesaurus of American, English, Irish, and Scotch Law Books (Philadelphia: T. & J. W. Johnson, Law Booksellers, 1847) 709.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Mason, John Norton & Sons Newton; Abbot, 1968, p. 134, "Andrews' reports".
  6. Mary R. M. Goodwin, The George Wythe House: Its Furniture and Furnishings (Williamsburg, Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library, 1958), L.
  7. Memorandum from Barbara C. Dean, Colonial Williamsburg Found., to Mrs. Stiverson, Colonial Williamsburg Found. (June 16, 1975), 7 (on file at Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary).
  8. 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
  9. LibraryThing, s. v. "Member: George Wythe", accessed on June 28, 2013.