Edward Christian facts for kids

Edward Christian (born March 3, 1758 – died March 29, 1823) was an English judge and law professor. He was the older brother of Fletcher Christian, who led the famous mutiny on the ship Bounty.

Early Life and Family

Edward Christian grew up in Cumberland, England. He was one of three sons of Charles Christian, a lawyer from a well-known family. His mother was Ann Dixon. His family owned a property called Moorland Close, which was like a mix between a castle and a farm.

Sadly, Edward's father passed away in 1768. His mother, Ann, struggled with money. By 1779, she owed a lot of money, about £6,500 (which would be a huge amount today!). Because of this, the family lost Moorland Close. Ann and her younger children had to move to the Isle of Man, where people they owed money to in England couldn't reach them. Edward and his older brothers helped by arranging a small yearly payment for their mother so the family could live simply. Ann passed away on the Isle of Man in 1819.

Education and Career

Edward Christian went to St Bees School and then studied at Peterhouse, Cambridge in 1775. He later moved to St John's College and graduated in 1779. From 1781 to 1782, Edward was the Headmaster at Hawkshead Grammar School. He left this job to continue his studies at Cambridge University.

While at Cambridge, he became good friends with William Wilberforce, who was famous for his work against slavery. In 1782, Edward became a lawyer at Gray's Inn. In 1788, he was chosen to be the Downing Professor of the Laws of England at the University of Cambridge. He held this important teaching position until he died in 1823. He also taught law at the East India Company College from 1806 to 1818.

Edward Christian also served as the Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely. In 1816, he was one of the judges who oversaw the special court cases related to the Ely and Littleport riots in Ely.

Important Writings

Edward Christian played a big part in changing what people thought about the Bounty mutiny. In 1794, he encouraged Stephen Barney to publish the Minutes of the Bounty Court-Martial. This book included an Appendix written by Edward himself. In this Appendix, Edward didn't try to excuse his brother Fletcher's actions. Instead, he shared details from interviews with people involved, which showed some of the harsh actions of Captain William Bligh, the commander of the Bounty.

Before this, the public only knew about the mutiny from Captain Bligh's own books. Edward Christian's Appendix started to turn public opinion against Bligh. Bligh even published a response, and Edward quickly published another reply, which made the discussion even bigger. Many people believe that Edward Christian's writings are why Captain Bligh still has a somewhat negative reputation today. It's thought that Edward was inspired to write these after receiving a letter and meeting with Peter Heywood, a young officer on the Bounty who had been pardoned.

Christian is also known for creating the twelfth edition of the Commentaries on the Laws of England. This was a very important book about English law, originally written by William Blackstone. Edward added his own notes and updates to it. This twelfth edition was published in several parts between 1793 and 1795.