George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys

George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys (1645 to 1689) was a Welsh judge and politician, born at the family estate of Acton Hall near Wrexham. After Shrewsbury, St Paul's and Westminster schools and a year at Trinity College, Cambridge, he entered the Inner Temple in 1663, began his legal career in 1668 and became Common Serjeant of London in 1671. He was knighted in 1677, served as Recorder of London from 1678 and by 1680 was Chief Justice of Chester. Created a baronet in 1681, he became Chief Justice of the King's Bench and a member of the Privy Council, and in 1683 Lord Chief Justice, presiding over the trial of Algernon Sidney. He rose under James II to the position of Lord Chancellor. His conduct as a judge was to enforce royal policy, which gave him a historical reputation for severity and bias and the nickname the Hanging Judge.