William Herle facts for kids
Sir William Herle (1270–1347) was an important judge in England a long time ago. He helped make sure laws were followed and people got fair trials.
William Herle started his career in 1291 as a lawyer for a big court called the Common Bench. This court handled many legal cases for everyday people. By 1299, he became a special kind of lawyer called a Serjeant-at-law. These lawyers were very experienced and respected.
In 1315, he was promoted to a King's Serjeant, which meant he worked directly for the King. This was a big honor!
Becoming a Judge
In 1320, William Herle became a junior judge at the Common Bench. He was also made a knight that same year, which means he was called "Sir William Herle."
He sometimes left the court for a short time to work on special legal trips called an Eyre. These trips were when judges traveled to different parts of the country to hear cases. For example, in 1321, he went to London for an Eyre.
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
William Herle worked steadily as a junior judge until 1327. That year, he became the Chief Justice, which is the main judge of the Common Bench. This was a very powerful and important job!
He left the court a couple of times to work on more Eyres in places like Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. But he always came back to his role as Chief Justice. He served until 1335. William Herle was one of only two Chief Justices who left and returned to the job three separate times.
After he retired in 1335, Sir William Herle lived for another twelve years. He passed away in 1347.
Lord of the Manor
Besides his work as a judge, William Herle was also the Lord of the Manor of Braunstone. This meant he owned a large estate and had authority over the land and people living there. He was also the overlord of Sir Simon Pakeman, who lived in Kirby Muxloe.
Family Life
William Herle had a son named Robert and a daughter named Margaret. Robert inherited his father's lands and titles. However, Robert died in 1364 without having any children. Because of this, the manor of Kirby went to his sister Margaret's son, Sir Ralph Hastings. This meant the Herle family line, through the male side, ended with Robert.
