William Stanford (judge) facts for kids

Sir William Stanford (1509 – 1558) was an important English politician, judge, and legal expert. He lived during the time of King Henry VIII and Queen Mary I, helping to shape the laws of England.

Early Life

William Stanford was born around August 22, 1509, in a place called Monken Hadley in Middlesex. His father, also named William Stanford, was a merchant in London. His mother was Margaret Gedney.

Becoming a Legal Expert

William Stanford first studied at the University of Oxford. After that, he decided to study law. He joined Gray's Inn, a famous law school, in 1528. By 1536, he became a lawyer, which is called being "called to the bar." He was also chosen to be a "Reader" at Gray's Inn in 1544 and 1551. This meant he taught law to other students.

Political Career

By 1542, William Stanford had a powerful friend named Sir Thomas Wriothesley who worked for the King. This helped him become a Member of Parliament (MP) for Stafford in 1542 and 1545. Later, he was an MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1547. Even though he lived in Middlesex, he bought land in Staffordshire, like the areas of Perry Barr and Handsworth, which helped him connect with that region.

From 1542 to 1555, he was part of many important royal groups called "commissions." These groups helped the King with different tasks across England and Wales. In 1543, he became a justice of the peace for Middlesex, which meant he helped keep law and order. He later served as a judge in many other counties too.

Judge and Knight

In 1552, he became a "serjeant-at-law," which was a very high rank for a lawyer. When Queen Mary I came to power in 1553, she promoted him to "Queen's Serjeant." The next year, he became a judge in the Court of Common Pleas, one of the most important courts in England. He was even made a knight the following year, so he became "Sir William Stanford."

Even though he was a Catholic during a time when there were many religious disagreements, people said he treated Protestants fairly. Sir William Stanford made his will on April 4, 1558, and passed away on August 28, 1558, in Monken Hadley.

Important Writings

Sir William Stanford wrote several important books about English law. He is believed to have prepared the first printed version of a very old law book called Tractatus de legibus et consuetudinibus regni Anglie by Glanvill.

In 1557, he published his own book called Les Plees del Coron. This was the first textbook ever written about English criminal law! Another book he wrote, An Exposicion of the Kinges Prerogative, was published in 1567, after he had passed away.

A famous writer named William Fulbecke praised Sir William Stanford's work in 1600, saying that his writing was strong and clear, and that no one had done better than him in explaining the law.

Family Life

Sir William Stanford married a woman named Alice Palmer. They had six sons and five daughters. Their eldest son, Sir Robert Stanford (1540-1607), also became an important person. He moved to Perry Hall in Staffordshire and later became the sheriff of that county. He was also a Member of Parliament in 1604. One of their other sons, Ralph, became a Catholic priest.

After Sir William Stanford died, his wife Alice married Roger Carew, who was also a Member of Parliament. She passed away in 1573.