Thomas Bayly Howell facts for kids

Thomas Bayly Howell (born September 6, 1767 – died April 13, 1815) was an English lawyer and writer. He became famous for editing a very important collection of legal cases called Howell's State Trials. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists and thinkers.

Thomas Howell's Early Life and Career

Thomas Bayly Howell was born in Jamaica. When he was about three years old, in 1770, his family moved back to England. They settled in a place called Prinknash Park, which is close to Gloucester.

Thomas went to Christ Church, Oxford for his studies. Even though he didn't finish his degree there, he decided to become a lawyer. He joined Lincoln's Inn, which is a professional association for barristers. In 1790, he officially became a barrister, meaning he could argue cases in court.

Editing Howell's State Trials

In 1808, a well-known writer named William Cobbett asked Thomas Howell for help. Cobbett wanted to create a new, complete collection of important legal cases from England's history. These cases were about public law, which deals with how the government works and how people interact with it.

This big project was called the State Trials. Before Howell, other people like Thomas Salmon and Francis Hargrave had tried to collect these cases. Thomas Howell worked very hard on this project from 1809 to 1814. After him, his son, Thomas Jones Howell, continued the work.

Many years later, in 1972, a modern version of the State Trials was put together by Donald Thomas. It was published in two books.

Honors and Achievements

Thomas Bayly Howell received some important honors during his life. These showed that he was respected for his knowledge and work:

• He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1804. This is a group for top scientists and thinkers.
• He was also made a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. This group focuses on history and old things.