Henry Finch (died 1625) facts for kids

Sir Henry Finch (died 1625) was an important English lawyer and politician. He was known for his legal writings. He became a high-ranking lawyer called a serjeant-at-law and was also knighted by the King.

Sir Henry Finch's Life and Career

Henry Finch was born to Sir Thomas Finch and Catherine Moyle. He was also the brother of Moyle Finch. He studied at Christ's College, Cambridge, and later became a lawyer at Gray's Inn in London. He was allowed to practice law in 1585.

In 1593, Henry Finch was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Canterbury. He kept this job in the next election in 1597. He also became a legal advisor for the Cinque ports, which were important coastal towns. In 1604, he taught law at Gray's Inn.

In 1613, he became the recorder (a type of judge) for Sandwich. On June 11, 1616, he became a serjeant-at-law. Just nine days later, he was knighted by the King at Whitehall Palace. Around this time, he worked with other famous people like Francis Bacon to try and organize all the country's laws. He was also elected to Parliament for St Albans in 1614.

Sir Henry Finch passed away in October 1625. He was buried in the church at Boxley, Kent. He was married to Ursula Thwaites and they had two sons.

The World's Great Restauration Book

In 1621, Sir Henry Finch published a book called The World's Great Restauration, or Calling of the Jews, and with them of all Nations and Kingdoms of the Earth to the Faith of Christ. In this book, he wrote about his ideas for the future. He seemed to predict that Jewish people would regain their own land and create a worldwide empire.

King James I did not like this book. He saw it as disrespectful to his rule. Because of this, Finch was arrested in April 1621. He was released after he said sorry and explained that he didn't mean to upset the King. He also said he disowned any parts of the book that could be seen as harmful. The book was later stopped from being widely published.

A scholar named Mel Scult studied Finch's work. He noted that the book suggested Jewish people would convert to Christianity. It also said they were special and held God's word. However, the book also showed a new way of looking at the Bible. It suggested that the old prophecies were about the Jewish people themselves, not just the Christian Church. This helped to bring the Old Testament back to its original meaning for Jewish people.

Sir Henry Finch's Legal Writings

In 1613, Finch published an important legal book called Nomotexnia. The first version of this book was written in a special legal language called "law French." It is thought that an earlier draft was written in the 1580s. This book was influenced by a way of thinking called Ramist logic. Finch had studied this at Christ's College, Cambridge.

Nomotexnia has four main parts. The first part talks about the difference between natural law (rules that are always true) and positive law (rules made by people). The second part discusses common law, customs, and laws made by Parliament. The third part explains how legal cases are handled. The fourth part looks at special courts, like those for admirals or bishops.

An English version of the book came out in London in 1627. It was later updated by Danby Pickering in 1759. Another translation, which was very close to the original, was also published in 1759. Finch's Law, as it was called, was a very important guide to common law. It was only replaced much later by William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England. It was also a key book for understanding legal ideas until John Austin's work. A shorter summary of the book, called A Summary of the Common Law of England, was published in 1673.

Sir Henry Finch's Family

Sir Henry Finch was the second son of Sir Thomas Finch of Eastwell, Kent. His mother was Catherine, who was the daughter of Sir Thomas Moyle. His older brother became Sir Moyle Finch, 1st Baronet. Sir Henry Finch and his wife Ursula, who was the daughter of John Thwaites, had two sons. One son was John Finch, who became the speaker of the House of Commons during the time of King Charles I. Their other son was Edward Finch, who was a religious leader.