About
Sir William Blackstone (10 July 1723 – 14 February 1780) was an English jurist, judge and Tory politician most noted for writing the Commentaries on the Laws of England. Born into a middle-class family in London, Blackstone was educated at Charterhouse School before matriculating at Pembroke College, Oxford, in 1738. After switching to and completing a Bachelor of Civil Law degree, he was made a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, on 2 November 1743, admitted to Middle Temple, and called to the Bar there in 1746. Following a slow start to his career as a barrister, Blackstone became heavily involved in university administration, becoming accountant, treasurer and bursar on 28 November 1746 and Senior Bursar in 1750. Blackstone is considered responsible for completing the Codrington Library and Warton Building, and simplifying the complex accounting system used by the college. On 3 July 1753 he formally gave up his practice as a barrister and instead embarked on a series of lectures on English law, the first of their kind. These were massively successful, earning him a total of £453 (£75,000 in 2023 terms), and led to the publication of An Analysis of the Laws of England in 1756, which repeatedly sold out and was used to preface his later works.
Key details
| Born |
10 July 1723 London, England
|
| Died |
1780 (aged 56) Wallingford, Berkshire, England
|
| Zodiac | Cancer |
| Tags | Add tag |
Family members
Parents
Siblings
Other family members
Connections
Friends & associates
William Blackstone dating history
0Children
0
Family
Parents
Siblings
Children
Other family members
Friends & associates
Missing information for William Blackstone
- missing height
- missing hair color
- missing eye color
- missing ethnicity
- add banner photo
- add photos to gallery
Lists
Facts and figures
Similar profiles
Activity
Top contributors today
Tags
Featured contributors
Couples by country
USA · UK · Canada · Australia · France · Germany · India · China · South Korea · Japan · Spain · MexicoCouples by decade
1900s · 1910s · 1920s · 1930s · 1940s · 1950s · 1960s · 1970s · 1980s · 1990s · 2000s · 2010s · 2020s
