A New Law Dictionary was published in 1729 by E. and R. Nutt and R. Gosling and contains elements of a dictionary and an abbreviation of law. [3] In addition to a compilation of legal definitions and a list of Anglo-Saxon and French vocabulary, the treatise contains writings, legal opinions, legal forms, and other documents that Giles believes would help others better understand the meaning of the law in clear and simple terms. [4] Giles` dictionary went through ten editions before 1800. [5] In Britain and colonial America, the Giles` Law Dictionary was one of the most widely read English legal dictionaries and was often found in the libraries of respected colonial lawyers and jurists. [6] So what does Jacob`s dictionary bring to today`s research? While it`s not the easiest text to look at, it`s a great tool for any local, family, or social historian, as it contains contemporary definitions of (now) often archaic terms. Among many other definitions, it explains in detail the laws of copying, capital crimes, laws on slander and indecency, the statutes behind the registration of apprentices and much more.
Anyone who has trouble reading and analyzing deeds, legal documents, court records, indiquities, etc. will find this dictionary a godsend, as it puts into context many useful examples of words and phrases, which is crucial for anyone studying legal documents from the 17th and 18th centuries. Images from the library copy of this book are available on Flickr. Check out the dataset for this book in William & Mary`s online catalogue. It would be tempting to think that Jacob was an arid obsessed with law, but he had a keen interest in contemporary poetry and literature, writing a farce in 1714 – “Love in a Wood or The Country Squire” which was never produced – and later wrote a satire on Alexander Pope`s “The Rape of the Lock” entitled “The Rape of the Smock”. The poem was extremely crude and led to other equally crude publications of works the following year. Pope later mocked Jacob (the two seemed to have had a healthy dislike for each other) in his 1728 work The Dunciad, for Jacob had considerable commercial success with his dictionary and several other works for the trial student and the legal profession. He married late in life (1733) and had at least one child. In 1736 he moved from London to Staines, Middlesex, but died on 8 May 1744. « James, the scourge of grammar, marks with reverence, still less venerates the sculptor of the law. » So if you`re struggling to decipher a legal document, or need to know exactly what constitutes capital crime and why, take a look at Jacob`s Law Dictionary and discover a wonderful key to 18th century legal history. Bound in the young calf`s quarter on marble planks, raised ribbons, with blind ornaments and letters on the back.
The title page contains the signatures of previous owners. Purchased from The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. Some terminologies that may be used in this description are: title page of A New Law-Dictionary, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary. Read instantly in your browser with Kindle Cloud Reader. Giles Jacob (1686–1744) was born in Romsey, Hampshire, the son of a brewer. Although his early life is not well documented, we do know that he studied law and eventually became secretary to Sir William Blathwayt, who founded the War Office. He seems to have worked in litigation, probably mainly before the seigneurial courts. In 1713 he wrote his first book, “The Compleat Court-Keeper,” on the administration of the estate, which proved very successful. A New Law Dictionary is the most famous work by Giles Jacob (1686–1744), British writer and literary critic. A prominent compiler of laws in the early eighteenth century, Jacob published several influential texts on courts and local officials; Means of transport; and constitutional, military, commercial and criminal law; and political and poetic work.
[1] Jacob was strongly influenced by philosophers John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, both of whom believed that “a general agreement on the definition of words was necessary” to eliminate confusion about the meaning of the law and the legal rights of men. [2] Ascension! Take a look at the middle ring where you will see the most amazing and colorful series of history books the world has ever seen! That way, guys. To calculate the total number of stars and the percentage distribution per star, we do not use a simple average. Instead, our system takes into account things like updating a review and whether the reviewer purchased the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to check for reliability. 30-day return guarantee, with full refund, including original shipping costs up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives incorrectly described or damaged. Listed in the Jefferson inventory of Wythe`s library as “Jacob`s L. D.
fol.” and donated to Dabney Carr by Thomas Jefferson. The Brown Bibliography[7] contains the first edition (1729), while George Wythe`s Library[8] states on LibraryThing: “Precise edition unknown. Many folio editions were published from 1729 onwards. The Wolf Law Library followed Brown`s suggestion and purchased a copy of the first edition.