Thomas de Littleton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Thomas de Littleton KB SL
Sir Thomas Littleton
Born	1407
Died	23 August 1481 (aged 73–74)
Buried	Worcester Cathedral
Noble family	Lyttleton
Spouse(s)	Joan Burley
Issue	Sir William Littleton Richard Littleton Thomas Littleton Ellen Littleton Alice Littleton
Father	Thomas Westcote or Heuster alias Littleton
Mother	Elizabeth Littleton
Occupation	Judge, Writer, Undersheriff, Knight

Sir Thomas de Littleton (born around 1407, died August 23, 1481) was an important English judge and writer. He was also an undersheriff, which is like a deputy sheriff. He belonged to the Lyttelton family. King Edward IV made him a Knight of the Bath, a special honor.

Growing Up and Family

Thomas de Littleton was the oldest son of Elizabeth Littleton. She was the only daughter and heir of Thomas de Littleton, who owned a large estate called Frankley in Worcestershire. Thomas's father was Thomas Westcote or Heuster.

Historians are not completely sure when Thomas was born. Some old records say 1422, but it was probably earlier. If he was born at Frankley Manor, it would have been after 1407. That's the year his grandfather got the manor back from another part of the family.

Elizabeth Littleton and Thomas Westcote had four sons. Thomas, the oldest, took his mother's last name, Littleton. This was likely part of an agreement when his parents married, as he was set to inherit the Frankley estate. His two brothers, Nicholas and Guy, kept the name Westcote.

His Career and Achievements

Thomas de Littleton went to a grammar school in Worcester. This school was connected to a monastery. Today, two schools, the Royal Grammar School Worcester and The King's School, Worcester, still remember him as a famous former student. Some say he also went to a university, but there is no clear proof.

He likely became a lawyer at the Inner Temple, a famous place for legal training in London. He even gave lectures there about important laws. Around 1445, he was known as a skilled lawyer. Later, he received land as a reward for his legal work.

Before 1468, he bought another large estate called Tixall Manor. After he died, his granddaughter Joan inherited this manor. It stayed in her family, the Aston family, for many years.

Thomas de Littleton held many important jobs during his life:

• In 1450, he was the Recorder of Coventry, which means he was a judge in that city.
• He became the Escheator of Worcestershire, a person who managed land that went back to the king.
• From 1447 to 1448, he was the undersheriff of Worcestershire.
• In 1453, he became a sergeant-at-law, a very senior lawyer.
• He then became a Justice of Assize, traveling to different parts of the country to hear court cases.
• In 1466, he was made a judge of the common pleas, one of the main courts in England.
• In 1475, he was made a Knight of the Bath.

Sir Thomas de Littleton passed away on August 23, 1481. He was buried in Worcester Cathedral.

Family Life and Children

Before 1447, Thomas Littleton married Joan Burley. She was a widow and the daughter of William Burley, who had been the Speaker of the House of Commons. Thomas and Joan had three sons and two daughters:

• Sir William Littleton (1450–1507): He became a knight after a battle and was also a lawyer. He had children who continued the family line.
• Richard Littleton (died 1517): He was also a lawyer.
• Thomas Littleton (died 1524): He became a lawyer too.
• Ellen Littleton: She never married.
• Alice Littleton: She also never married.

Through his sons, Thomas Littleton became the ancestor of several important families. These families later held noble titles like Cobham and Hatherton.

His Famous Book: Treatise on Tenures

Sir Thomas de Littleton wrote a very important book called Treatise on Tenures. He probably wrote it after he became a judge. It's believed he wrote it for his second son, Richard, who also became a lawyer.

Why the Book Was Important

Littleton's book was the first textbook about English law of property. In his time, property law mostly dealt with rights over land. He wanted to organize and explain these laws clearly.

By Littleton's time, the laws about land had become very complex. Courts had been working for centuries, creating rules based on old customs and the Norman feudalism system. There were many court records and reports of important cases. Littleton's book helped make sense of all this information.

The Language of the Law

Littleton's book was written in a special language called law French. This was a mix of Norman French and English words. Even though a law in the 1300s said that court talks should be in English, lawyers continued to write and report in French for a long time.

What Made His Book Special

Unlike earlier legal writers, Littleton focused only on English law. He didn't use ideas from Roman law. His book was different because it tried to classify rights over land in a scientific way.

Littleton's method was to start with a clear, short definition of a type of land right. Then, he would give examples to explain it. He often used made-up situations to show how his principles worked. This made his book more than just a list of court decisions.

What the Book Covered

The book is divided into three main parts:

• Book One: This part describes different ways people could hold land. For example, he explained "tenancy in fee simple," which meant owning land completely, and "tenancy in fee tail," which meant the land could only be passed down to certain heirs. He also wrote about "copyhold tenures," which explained how ordinary people, like farmers, gained secure rights to their land.

• Book Two: This section talks about the rights and duties between a lord and a tenant. It explains old feudal customs like "homage" (showing loyalty to a lord) and "fealty" (a promise of faithfulness). It also covered "knight's service," where land was held in exchange for military service. This book also describes other ways of holding land, like "socage tenure" (where rent or service was paid instead of military service) and "frankalmoign" (how churchmen held land).

• Book Three: This final part explains how people could get or lose rights to land, especially when several people shared rights to the same land. He discussed "joint tenants" and "tenants in common." He also explained "estates upon condition," which included mortgages. In Littleton's time, a mortgage meant if you didn't pay back a loan by a certain date, the lender got to keep your land forever.

Littleton's book was a complete summary of the common law of his time. It didn't talk much about "equitable interests" in land, which were special rights recognized by the Lord Chancellor to make things fair. Even Littleton himself used these "equitable interests" in his own will to make sure his land went to the people he wanted.

How the Book Was Published

The first edition of The Tenures was printed around 1481 or 1482. It was one of the first books ever printed in London and the first English law book printed anywhere! Many editions followed, first in Law French, then in English.

In 1628, a famous lawyer named Edward Coke wrote a huge commentary on Littleton's book, called "Coke upon Littleton." For over 350 years, The Tenures was a key part of legal education. Even today, it is still used in courts in England and the United States as an important source on old land laws.