Frederic William Maitland lived from 1850 to 1906 and was an English historian of medieval England and jurist regarded as the modern father of English legal history. He was Reader in English Law at Cambridge from 1884 to 1888 and Downing Professor of the Laws of England from 1888 until his death in 1906. Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, he left for the bar after an initial failure to obtain a Cambridge fellowship, then returned to academia in 1884 and quickly became one of the most distinguished historians of his generation.
Facts
RoleHistorian of medieval England and jurist 2 Nationality / Jurisdiction Birthplace53 Guilford Street, London 2 Place of DeathLas Palmas, Canary Islands 2 Classification
Field of Law Role
Role (category) FAQs
What did Frederic William Maitland mean by saying the forms of action still rule us from their graves?
He meant that English law cannot be properly understood without knowing the old writ system, even though reform had abolished it.
In his lectures on the forms of action at common law, Maitland described the system of forms of action, also called the writ system, as the most important characteristic of English medieval law, and said it was not abolished until its piecemeal destruction in the nineteenth century. His point was that although the forms of action had been buried by modern reforms, a student still has to answer the question of what a form of action was to have more than a very superficial knowledge of English law as it stands today. In that sense the old procedure continued to shape how the law is understood.
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Source Frederic William Maitland (Wikipedia)tier 2
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1. Frederic William Maitland (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFull article, field of lawQuote, Full article, field of law
Posthumous publications by his students, editing their lecture notes based on his lectures, include The Constitutional History of England, Equity, and The Forms of Action at Common Law.
2. Frederic William Maitland (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributorsIntroduction
Frederic William Maitland (28 May 1850 - c. 19 December 1906) was an English historian of medieval England and jurist who is regarded as the modern father of English legal history.
Early life and education section, opening sentence
Frederic William Maitland was born on 28 May 1850 at 53 Guilford Street in London.
Section on final illness and death
He died at Las Palmas and was buried in the English Cemetery there.
Lead sentence
was an English historian of medieval England and jurist who is regarded as the modern father of English legal history.
View the Source 3. Wikidata: Frederic William Maitland
Wikidata Q1376924, P570 date of death claim (full date)
P570 (date of death): 1906-12-19
- In Legal System: English Law, Frederic William Maitland lived from 1850 to 1906 and was an English historian of medieval England and jurist regarded as the modern father of English legal history. He was Reader in English
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