Chief Justice of the Common Pleas

John Coleridge, the last Chief Justice of the Common Pleas

The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was the head of the Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, which was the second-highest common law court in the English legal system until 1875, when it, along with the other two common law courts and the equity and probate courts, became part of the High Court of Justice. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord High Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice of England, who headed the Queen's Bench (King's when the monarch was male).

Initially the position of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was not an appointment; of the justices serving in the court, one would become more respected than his peers, and was therefore considered the "chief" justice. The position was formalised in 1272 with the raising of Sir Gilbert of Preston to Chief Justice, and from then on it was a formally appointed role similar to the positions of Lord Chief Justice and Chief Baron of the Exchequer.^[1] When the High Court was created in 1875, each of the three common law courts became separate divisions of it, each headed by the person who had led the respective court before the merger. When the Lord Chief Justice and Chief Baron died in 1880, the three common law divisions (Queen's Bench, Exchequer, and Common Pleas) were merged, and John Coleridge, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, became Lord Chief Justice, and the offices of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and Chief Baron were abolished.^[2]

Chief Justices of the Common Pleas

Sir Edward Coke, a famed jurist whose judgements included seminal cases in corporate and competition law and the creation of judicial review

Sir Orlando Brudgeman, who tried the Regicides of Charles I

Nicholas Conyngham Tindal, who successfully defended Queen Caroline on charges of adultery in 1820

Sir Alexander Cockburn, who was repeatedly refused a peerage on the grounds of "notoriously bad moral character"

Name	Born/Died	Term as Chief Justice	Reason for termination[3]
Simon of Pattishall	d. 1217	1190–1214	Died
Martin of Pattishall	d. 1229	1217–1229	Retired
Sir Thomas of Moulton	d. 1240	1229–1233	Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
William de Raley	d. 1250	1233–1234	Appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Thomas of Moulton	d. 1240	1234–1236	Retired
Robert of Lexinton	d. 29 May 1250	1236–1244	Retired
Henry of Bath	d. November 1260	1245–1249	Stripped of his position after accusations of perverting the course of justice
Roger of Thirkleby	d. 1260	1249–1256	Replaced
Henry of Bath	d. November 1260	1256–1258	Retired
Roger of Thirkleby	d. 1260	1258–1260	Died
Sir Gilbert of Preston	1209 – 1274	1260–1267	Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
Martin of Littlebury	d. 1274	1267–1272	Replaced
Sir Gilbert of Preston	1209–1274	1272–1274	Died
Roger of Seaton	1230–1280	1274–1278	Retired
Sir Thomas Weyland	1230 – January 1298	1278–1289	Removed from his position and exiled
Sir Ralph Sandwich	1235–1308	1289–1290	Resigned
John of Mettingham	d. 1301	1290–1301	Died
Ralph de Hengham	1235 – 18 May 1311	1301–1309	Retired
Sir William Bereford	d. 1326	1309–1326	Death
Hervey de Stanton	1260 – November 1327	1326	Failed to be reappointed by Edward III
Sir William Herle	1270–1347	1327–1329	Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
Sir John Stonor	1281–1354	1329–1331	Failed to be reappointed by Edward III
Sir William Herle	1270–1347	1331–1333	Resigned to travel an Eyre circuit
Sir Henry Scrope	d. 7 September 1336	1333	Replaced
Sir William Herle	1270–1347	1333–1335	Retired
Sir John Stonor	1281–1354	1335–1341	Removed
Sir Roger Hillary	d. 1356	1341–1342	Replaced
Sir John Stonor	1281–1354	1342–1354	Retired
Sir Roger Hillary	d. 1356	1354–1356	Died
Sir Robert Thorpe	d. 29 June 1372	1356–1371	Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir William Fyncheden	d. 1374	1371–1374	Died
Sir Robert Bealknap	d. 19 January 1401	1374–1388	Exiled
Sir Robert Charleton	d. 1395	1388–1395	Died
William Thirning	d. 1413	1396–1413	Died
Richard Norton	d. 1420	1413–1420	Died
Sir William Babington	d. 1454	1423–1436	Retired
Sir John Juyn	d. 24 March 1440	1436–1439	Died
John Cottesmore	d. 29 August 1439	1439	Died
Sir Richard Newton	d. 13 December 1448	1439–1448	Died
Sir John Prysot	d. 1461	1449–1461	Died
Sir Robert Danby	d. 1474	1461–1471	Not reappointed by Edward IV
Sir Thomas Bryan	d. 14 August 1500	1471–1500	Died
Sir Thomas Wode	d. 31 August 1502	1500–1502	Died
Sir Thomas Frowyk	1460 – 7 October 1506	1502–1506	Died
Sir Robert Rede	d. 7 January 1519	1506–1519	Died
Sir John Ernley	1464 – 22 April 1520	1519–1520	Died
Sir Robert Brudenell	1461 – 30 January 1531	1520–1530	Retired
Sir Robert Norwich	d. April 1535	1530–1535	Died
Sir John Baldwin	d. 24 October 1545	1535–1545	Died
Sir Edward Montagu	c. 1485 – 10 February 1557	1545–1553	Retired
Sir Richard Morgan	d. May 1556	1553–1554	Removed after going insane
Sir Robert Broke	d. 5 September 1558	1554–1558	Died
Anthony Browne	1509–1567	1558–1559	Appointed a justice of the Queen's Bench
Sir James Dyer	1510–1582	1559–1582	Died
Sir Edmund Anderson	1530 – 1 August 1605	2 May 1582 – 1 August 1605	Died
Sir Francis Gawdy	d. 15 December 1605	August 1605 – 15 December 1605	Died
Sir Edward Coke	1 February 1552 – 3 September 1634	30 June 1606 – 25 October 1613	Appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Henry Hobart	c. 1560 – 29 December 1625	26 November 1613 – 29 December 1625	Died
Sir Thomas Richardson	3 July 1569 – 4 February 1635	22 November 1626 – October 1631	Appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Robert Heath	1575–1649	October 1631 – 13 September 1634	Dismissed
Sir John Finch	17 September 1584 – 27 November 1660	16 October 1634 – 1640	Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir Edward Littleton	1589 – 27 August 1645	27 January 1640 – 18 January 1641	Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir John Bankes	1589 – 28 December 1644	29 January 1641 – 28 December 1644	Died
Oliver St John	c. 1598 – 31 December 1673	1 October 1648 – 1660	Excluded from public office following the Restoration
Sir Orlando Bridgeman	30 January 1606 – 25 June 1674	22 October 1660– May 1668	Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir John Vaughan	14 September 1603 – 10 December 1674	23 May 1668 – 10 December 1674	Died
Sir Francis North	1637–1685	23 January 1675 – 20 December 1682	Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir Francis Pemberton	18 July 1624 – 10 June 1697	January 1683 – September 1683	Dismissed
Sir Thomas Jones	13 October 1614 – 31 May 1692	29 September 1683 – 21 April 1686	Dismissed
Sir Henry Bedingfield	9 December 1632 – 6 February 1687	21 April 1686 – 6 February 1687	Died
Robert Wright	1634–1689	13 April 1687 – 18 April 1687	Exchanged with Edward Herbert for the position of Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Edward Herbert	c. 1648 – November 1698	1687–1689	Dismissed after fleeing to Ireland with James II
Sir Henry Pollexfen	1632 – 15 June 1691	6 May 1689 – 15 June 1691	Died
Sir George Treby	1643 – 13 December 1700	30 April 1692 – 13 December 1700	Died
Thomas Trevor, 1st Baron Trevor	8 March 1658 – 19 June 1730	5 July 1701 – 14 October 1714	Not reappointed by George I
Peter King, 1st Baron King	c. 1669 – 22 July 1734	27 October 1714 – 1 June 1725	Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir Robert Eyre	1666 – 28 December 1735	1725–1735	Died
Sir Thomas Reeve	1673 – 19 January 1737	26 January 1736 – 19 January 1737	Died
Sir John Willes	29 November 1685 – 15 December 1761	28 January 1737 – 15 December 1761	Died
Charles Pratt, 1st Baron Camden	21 March 1714 – 18 April 1794	January 1762 – 30 July 1766	Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir John Eardley Wilmot	16 August 1709 – 5 February 1792	20 August 1766 – 26 January 1771	Resigned
Sir William de Grey	7 July 1719 – 9 May 1781	January 1771 – June 1780	Resigned
Alexander Wedderburn	13 February 1733 – 2 January 1805	1780–1793	Appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir James Eyre	1734 – 1 July 1799	11 February 1793 – 1 July 1799	Died
John Scott, 1st Baron Eldon	4 June 1751 – 13 January 1838	17 July 1799 – 1801	Appointed Lord Chancellor
Richard Pepper Arden, 1st Baron Alvanley	20 May 1744 – 19 March 1804	22 May 1801 – 19 March 1804	Died
Sir James Mansfield	1733 – 23 May 1821	24 April 1804 – 21 February 1814	Resigned
Sir Vicary Gibbs	27 October 1751 – 1820	February 1814–November 1818	Resigned
Sir Robert Dallas	16 October 1756 – 25 December 1824	November 1818–1824	Retired
Robert Gifford, 1st Baron Gifford	24 February 1779 – 4 September 1826	9 January 1824 – 5 April 1824	Appointed Master of the Rolls
Sir William Best	13 December 1767 – 3 March 1845	15 April 1824 – June 1829	Retired
Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal	12 December 1776 – 6 July 1846	9 June 1829 – 6 July 1846	Died
Sir Thomas Wilde	7 July 1782–November 1855	6 July 1846 – 15 July 1850	Appointed Lord Chancellor
Sir John Jervis	12 January 1802 – 1 November 1856	16 July 1850 – 1 November 1856	Died
Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet	24 September 1802 – 20 November 1880	November 1856 – 24 June 1859	Appointed Chief Justice of England
Sir William Erle	1 October 1793 – 28 January 1880	June 1859 – November 1866	Retired
Sir William Bovill	26 May 1814 – 1 November 1873	November 1866 –1 November 1873	Died
John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge	3 December 1820 – 14 June 1894	November 1873 – 20 November 1880	Court merged with the Court of King's Bench and the Exchequer of Pleas; became the first Lord Chief Justice of a unified King's Bench Division.[2]

References

1. Kiralfy, p. 121
2. Lord Mackay of Clashfern (ed.) (2002) Halsbury's Laws of England, 4th ed. Vol.10 (Reissue), "Courts", 603 'Divisions of the High Court'
3. "Oxford DNB theme:Chief Justices of the Common Pleas (subscription needed)". Oxford University Press. 2004. Retrieved 2008-10-21. (subscription required (help)).

Bibliography

• Kiralfy, A.K.R (1962). Potter's Historical Introduction to English Law and Its Institutions. London: Sweet & Maxwell, Ltd.