William Blackstone

William Blackstone (1723-1780), British jurist and legal scholar, whose work, Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-1769), was used for more than a century as the foundation of all legal education in England and the United States.

Born in London on July 10, 1723, Blackstone received his education at Oxford University. After completing his law studies in 1746 he set up a modest practice while performing administrative services at the university. By 1750 he had published several legal works, and in 1756 his lectures on the laws of England were published under the title An Analysis of the Laws of England. He became the first professor of English law at Oxford in 1758. As his fame spread, his private practice increased, and he received various government appointments.

From 1765 to 1769 Blackstone published the four volumes of his Commentaries, which were immediately successful in both England and the American colonies. They provided an introduction to English law in a clear style that was easily understandable to the public. Although the authority of his sources, the accuracy of his statements, and the relevancy of his point of view have been subjected to severe criticism, the Commentaries are still significant as a comprehensive history of English law.

In 1770 Blackstone was appointed a justice of the Court of King’s Bench and a little later a justice of the Court of Common Pleas. He spent the remainder of his life discharging his judicial duties and working for the reform of England’s prison system. He died on February 14, 1780, in London.