1560
by Staunford, Sir William; Stanford, Sir William
1560. London, 1560.. London, 1560. The First Printed Work Devoted Solely to Criminal Law Staunford, Sir William [1509-1558]. Les Plees del Coron: Divisees in Plusiours Titles & Common Lieux. Per Queux Home Plus Redement & Plenaireme[n]t Trovera, Quelq[ue]; Chose que il Quira, Touchant les Ditz Plees. [London]: In Aedibus Richardi Tottelli, 1560. [xiv], 198 ff. Quarto (7-1/4" x 5-1/4"). Eighteenth century calf with later rebacking, panels with corner fleurons to boards, raised bands and gilt title to spine, corners repaired. Light rubbing to extremities, a few minor scratches to boards, corners bumped and lightly worn, hinges starting at ends, later armorial bookplate (a letter C beneath a coronet) to front pastedown. Title printed within woodcut architectural border, woodcut decorated initials. Some toning to text. Underlining and brief annotations to some leaves in a fine early hand, interior otherwise clean. An appealing copy. $1,250. * Second edition. First published in 1557, Staunford's Plees is considered a "principal book" by Pollock and Maitland, one that enables us "to trace our modern laws of crimes, from the later middle ages onwards." Based on Bracton, the Year Books and especially Fitzherbert's Graunde Abridgement, Staunford's treatise is divided into three parts. The first treats offences, the second treats jurisdiction, appeals, indictments, and defenses. The third addresses trials and convictions. Plees was written after Staunford was appointed judge of the common pleas in 1554. "The greatest" of his works, it "was the first legal textbook in England to adopt the practice of citing specific authorities for every proposition, and as such had a major influence on legal literature" (ODNB). Pollock and Maitland, The History of English Law II:448. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) (accessed online). English Short-Title Catalogue S117819. Beale, A Bibliography of Early English Law Books T48.
(Inventory #: 63823)