Commentaries on the Laws of England

About the Author

Sir William Blackstone

Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) was an English jurist, legal scholar, and Tory politician whose 'Commentaries on the Laws of England' revolutionized legal education and shaped the development of law throughout the English-speaking world. Born posthumously to a London silk merchant, Blackstone was orphaned at an early age and raised by his maternal uncle. He received his education at Charterhouse School and Pembroke College, Oxford, initially studying mathematics and the classics before turning to law at the Middle Temple in 1741. Although he practiced at the bar, his early legal career was not particularly distinguished. Blackstone's academic contributions, however, proved transformative. In 1753, having returned to Oxford, he began delivering private lectures on English lawu2014a subject previously neglected in university education, which had focused on Roman law. The success of these lectures led to his appointment in 1758 as the first Vinerian Professor of English Law at Oxford, a position created through the bequest of Charles Viner. The published version of his lectures became the 'Commentaries on the Laws of England,' appearing in four volumes between 1765 and 1769. This work's significance cannot be overstated; it provided the first systematic, comprehensive, and accessible account of English law, serving as the principal legal textbook for generations of lawyers in Britain and America. Blackstone later served as a member of Parliament (1761-1770) and as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas (1770-1780), though his judicial career was less influential than his scholarly work. His approach to legal education combined practical knowledge with historical context and philosophical principles, making law accessible to both professionals and the educated public. Blackstone's personal life was marked by his marriage to Sarah Clitherow in 1761, with whom he had nine children. He suffered from gout and dropsy in his final years and died at his estate in Wallingford at the age of 56. Beyond his immense contribution to legal education, Blackstone's lasting legacy lies in his articulation of natural rights principles that influenced the American founders, his emphasis on the supremacy of legislative authority that shaped constitutional thought, and his systematic organization of legal principles that continues to provide structure to common law systems worldwide.