William Ridgeway (law reporter) facts for kids
William Ridgeway (born 1765, died 1817) was an Irish lawyer and someone who wrote down important court cases. He helped record what happened in legal trials, which is very useful for understanding the law.
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Early Life and Education
William Ridgeway studied at Trinity College, Dublin. He earned several degrees there: a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1787, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1790, and a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) in 1795. After his studies, he became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer who argues cases in court.
Working as a Lawyer
Ridgeway worked as a lawyer for the government, representing the "crown" (the state) in important legal cases. These were often trials that involved public interest or serious matters. For example, he was involved in cases like those of Robert Emmet in 1803, Edward Sheridan and Thomas Kirwan in 1811–1812, and Roger O'Connor and Martin McKeon in 1817. His role was to help present the government's side in these legal proceedings.
How Did William Ridgeway Die?
William Ridgeway passed away in Dublin on December 1, 1817. He caught a serious illness called typhus fever while he was working on a legal circuit (traveling to different courts) in a place called Trim, County Meath.
What Did William Ridgeway Write?
William Ridgeway was well-known for publishing reports of court cases. These reports are like detailed notes or summaries of what happened in trials, including the arguments made and the decisions reached by the judges. These records are very important for other lawyers and judges to look back at.
In 1774, he was asked to publish reports of cases from the King's Bench and Chancery courts during the time of Lord Hardwicke's leadership (1733–1737). These reports included notes explaining the decisions and references to other legal sources.
Ridgeway also prepared official reports for other significant trials. These included the proceedings against William Jackson in 1795 and the Sheares brothers in 1798. These reports were later included in a larger collection called the State Trials.
Here are some of the other important works William Ridgeway published:
- Reports of Cases upon Appeal and Writs of Error in the High Court of Parliament in Ireland since the Restoration of the Appellate Jurisdiction, which came out in three volumes between 1795 and 1798.
- Term Reports of Cases in the King's Court in Dublin, 34–35 George III (written with William Lapp and John Schoales) in 1796.
- Reports of State Trials in Ireland, 1798–1803, published in three volumes in 1803.
- Reports of Proceedings in Cases of High Treason at a Court of Oyer and Terminer held under Special Commission, August and September 1803, also from 1803.
- Report of Proceedings under Special Commission of Oyer and Terminer and Gaol Delivery for Sligo, Mayo, Leitrim, Longford, and Cavan in December 1806, published in 1807.
- Proceedings in Case of T. Kirwan and E. Sheridan, from 1811.
- Proceedings against H. Fitzpatrick for Libel on the Duke of Richmond, from 1813.
- Report of Trial of Roger O'Connor and Martin M'Keon, published in 1817 (this one was finished by R. W. Greene).
William Ridgeway's Family
William Ridgeway married a daughter of Edward Ledwich. They had seven children together.
