Justice of the King's Bench

Justice of the King's Bench, or Justice of the Queen's Bench during the reign of a female monarch, was a puisne judicial position within the Court of King's Bench, under the Chief Justice. The King's Bench was a court of common law which modern academics argue was founded independently in 1234, having previously been part of the curia regis.^[2] The court became a key part of the Westminster courts, along with the Exchequer of Pleas (qualified to hear cases involving revenue owed to the King) and the Court of Common Pleas (qualified to hear cases between subject and subject); the latter was deliberately stripped of its jurisdiction by the King's Bench and Exchequer, through the Bill of Middlesex and Writ of Quominus respectively. As a result, the courts jockeyed for power. In 1828 Henry Brougham, a Member of Parliament, complained in Parliament that as long as there were three courts unevenness was inevitable, saying that "It is not in the power of the courts, even if all were monopolies and other restrictions done away, to distribute business equally, as long as suitors are left free to choose their own tribunal", and that there would always be a favourite court, which would therefore attract the best lawyers and judges and entrench its position.^[3] The outcome was the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873, under which all the central courts were made part of a single Supreme Court of Judicature. Eventually the government created a High Court of Justice under Lord Coleridge by an Order in Council of 16 December 1880. At this point, the King's Bench formally ceased to exist.^[4]

The Justices of the King's Bench at work. This illuminated manuscript from about 1460 is the earliest known depiction of the English court.^[1]

The number of Justices at any one time varied; until 1348 it fluctuated between two and four, while between 1349 and 1391 there was only one. The number continued to change, but after 1522 was (in principle) fixed at three. Acts of Parliament in 1830 and 1868 provided funding for a fourth and fifth Justice respectively.^[5] Salaries were first established in 1278, with one Justice receiving 50 marks a year and the others 40. From 1307 all received 40, with additional pay increases resulting in each being paid £100 by 1389. Salaries of £1,000 a year were provided from 1645, increasing to £1,500 in 1714, £2,000 in 1759, £3,000 in 1799 and (after variations) the salary settled at £5,000 in 1828. In 1799 pension provisions were first made, starting at £2,000 a year and peaking at £3,500 in 1825.^[6]

List of justices

Name	Born/Died	Active service	Reason for termination	Notes
Richard Staines	d. 1277/8	1272–1274	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[6][7]
Nicholas Stapleton	d. 1290	1273–1274 1278 1290		[8][9]
Walter de Helyun		1273–1278	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[8]
William Saham		1278 1288–1290	Became justice of an eyre circuit Convicted of judicial misconduct	[10]
Walter Hopton	1235–1295/6	1274–1278	Became senior justice of a court in Wales	[11]
Walter Wimborne		1276–1289		[8]
Ellis Sutton		1285–1287		[8]
William Saham	c. 1225–1292	1288–1290	Convicted of judicial misconduct	[12]
Gilbert de Thornton	c. 1245–1295	1290	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[8][13]
Roger Brabazon	c. 1247–1317	1290–1295	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[14]
Robert Malet	d.1294	1290–1294	Died	[8][15]
John Lovel		1294–1230		[8]
Gilbert de Rothbury	c. 1260–1321	1296 – 10 March 1316	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[16][17]
William Ormesby	d. 1317	1296–1303	Became an Assize justice	[16][18]
Henry Spigurnel	c. 1261–1328	1301–1323	Retired	[16][19]
Lambert de Trickingham		6 August 1316 – 6 August 1320	Became a Baron of the Exchequer	[16]
Robert de Malberthorp	d. 1331/2	6 August 1320 – 1 May 1329	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[16][20]
John Stonor	c. 1281 – August 1354	1323 – 3 May 1324	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[16][21]
Walter Friskeney		3 May 1324 – 1326 6 March 1327 – 1328	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[16]
Robert Baynard	d.1329/30	9 March 1327 – 1329	Became an Assize justice	[16][22]
John Shardelow	d. 5 March 1344	11 September 1329 – 29 January 1332	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[16][23]
Henry Hambury	c. 1271 – c. 1350	30 December 1329 – 1330	Became an Assize justice	[24][25]
Richard de Willoughby	c. 1290 – 14 March 1362	22 December 1330 – 28 March 1332	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[24][26]
Thomas Louth		22 December 1330 – 1331	Became Chief Justice of the Justiciar's Court in Ireland	[24][27]
Geoffrey Edenham		18 January 1331 – 1333		[24]
Thomas Bacon	d. 1336	28 January 1332 – 1335		[24]
William Denum	d. 1350	1332–1334		[24][28][29]
William de Shareshull	1289/90–1369	20 March 1334 – 14 May 1334 22 October 1344 – 10 November 1345	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[24][30]
Robert de Scardeburgh	c. 1348	24 September 1334 – 1344	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland	[24][31]
William Faunt		1338		[24]
Robert Brundish		1338		[24]
William Scott	d. 1352/6	2 May 1339 – 8 January 1341	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[32][33]
Roger Baukwell	d. c. 1350	8 January 1341 – 1348	Became an Assize justice	[32][34]
William Basset	d. 1356/7	28 October 1341 – 1353	Retired	[32][35]
Adam Stonegrave		1342		[32]
William Thorpe	d. 27 May 1361	1345 – 16 November 1346	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[32][36]
Thomas Seton	d. 1359/60	1354–1355 5 July 1357	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[32][37]
William de Notton	c. 1365	12 October 1355 – 10 July 1361	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland	[32]
Thomas Ingleby		25 June 1361 – 1377		[32]
Robert Tresilian	d. 19 February 1388	6 May 1378 – 22 June 1381		[38]
David Hanmer	d. 1387	26 February 1383 – 1386		[38]
John Lockton		25 October 1387		[38]
John Hill	d. 1408	20 May 1389 – 1407		[38]
Hugh Huls	d. 3 July 1415	20 May 1389 30 May 1394 - 1414	Retired	[38]
Robert Tyrwhitt	d. 6 January 1428	4 May 1408 – 6 January 1428	Died	[38]
Roger Horton	d. 30 April 1423	16 June 1415 – 1422		[38]
William Cheyne	d. 1443	16 June 1415 – 21 January 1424	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[38]
John Hals		23 January 1424 - 1434		[39]
William Westbury	d. 25 December 1448	6 February 1426 – 21 February 1445	Retired	[39]
William Goderede	d. 1 January 1455	3 July 1434 – 1 January 1455	Died	[39]
William Yelverton	d. 27 March 1476	1 July 1443 – 6 April 1471		[39]
John Markham		6 February 1444 – 13 May 1461	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[39]
Richard Bingham	22 May 1476	5 May 1445 – 6 April 1471		[39]
Ralph Pole	d. 1460	3 July 1453 – 18 March 1460		[39]
Thomas Billing	d. 5 May 1481	9 August 1464 – 23 January 1469	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[39]
William Laken	d. 6 October 1475	4 June 1465 – 6 October 1475	Died	[39]
Richard Nele		18 April 1469 – 17 June 1471	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[39]
John Needham	d. 25 April 1480	17 June 1471 – 25 April 1480	Died	[40]
Thomas Yonge	d. 3/4 May 1477	29 April 1475 – 3/4 May 1477	Died	[40]
Guy Fairfax	d. 1495	8 October 1477 – 1495	Died	[40]
William Jenney	d. 22/23 December 1483	14 May 1481 – 22/23 December 1483	Died	[40]
John Sulyard	d. 14 March 1488	22 October 1484 – 14 March 1488	Died	[40]
Thomas Tremayle	d. 10 September 1508	16 June 1488 – 10 September 1508	Died	[40]
Robert Rede	d. 7/8 January 1519	24 November 1495 – 26 November 1506	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[40]
Robert Brudenell	1461 – 30 January 1531	28 April 1507 – 23 April 1520	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[40]
Humphrey Coningsby	d. 2 June 1535	21 May 1509 – 28 November 1533		[40]
John More	d. 5 November 1530	23 April 1520 – 5 November 1530	Died	[40]
John FitzJames	c. 1470 – 1538	6 February 1522 – 24 January 1526	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[40][41]
John Port	d. March 1540	10 July 1525 – March 1540	Died	[42]
John Spelman	d. 26 January 1546	3 July 1531 – 26 January 1546	Died	[42]
Walter Luke	d. 21 July 1544	28 November 1533 – 21 July 1544	Died	[42]
William Coningsby	d. 10 September 1540	5 July 1540 – 10 September 1540	Died	[42]
Edmund Mervin	d. 1553	22 November 1540 – 1553	Died	[42]
Thomas Bromley	d. 15 May 1555	5 November 1544 – 4 October 1553	Became Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench	[42][43]
William Portman	1497/8 – 5 February 1557	14 May 1546 – 11 June 1555	Became Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench	[42]
John Whiddon	d. 27 January 1576	4 October 1553 – 27 January 1576	Died	[42]
William Dalison	d. 18 January 1559	2 November 1555 – 18 January 1559	Died	[42]
Francis Morgan	d. 19 August 1558	23 January 1558 – 19 August 1558	Died	[42]
James Dyer	1510 – 24 March 1582	23 April 1558 – 27 April 1558	Retired	[42][44]
William Rastell	d. 27 August 1565	27 October 1558 – 10 February 1563		[45]
Reginald Corbet	d. 19 November 1566	16 October 1559 – 19 November 1566	Died	[45]
John Southcote	d. 18 April 1585	10 February 1563 – 1 June 1584	Retired	[45]
Thomas Carus	d. 5 July 1571	31 May 1567 – 5 July 1571	Died	[45]
Christopher Wray		14 May 1572 – 8 November 1574	Became Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench	[45]
Thomas Gawdy	d. 5 November 1588	16 November 1574 – 5 November 1588	Died	[45]
John Jeffrey		15 May 1576 – 12 October 1577	Became Chief Baron of the Exchequer	[45]
William Ayloffe	d. 17 November 1584	3 February 1578 – 17 November 1584	Died	[45]
John Clench	d. 18/19 August 1607	29 May 1584 – 7 February 1602	Retired	[45]
Robert Shute	d. 1590	8 February 1585 – 1590	Died	[45]
Francis Gawdy		25 November 1588 – 26 August 1605	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[45]
Edward Fenner	d. 23/24 January 1612	16 May 1590 – 23/24 January 1612	Died	[46]
Christopher Yelverton	d. 1 November 1612	8 February 1602 – 1 November 1612	Died	[46]
David Williams	d. 22 January 1613	4 February 1604 – 22 January 1613	Died	[46]
Lawrence Tanfield		13 January 1606 – 25 June 1607	Became Chief Baron of the Exchequer	[46]
John Croke	d. 23 January 1620	25 June 1607 – 23 January 1620	Died	[46]
John Doddridge	d. 12 September 1628	25 November 1612 – 12 September 1628	Died	[46]
Robert Houghton	d. 6 February 1624	21 April 1613 – 6 February 1624	Died	[46]
Thomas Chamberlayne		8 October 1620 – 20 October 1624	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[46]
William Jones	d. 10 December 1640	17 October 1624 – 10 December 1640	Died	[46]
James Whitelocke	d. 20 June 1632	18 October 1624 – 20 June 1632	Died	[46]
George Croke		9 October 1628 – 25 March 1641		[46]
Robert Berkeley	d. 5 August 1656	11 October 1632 – 12 September 1643	Discharged by Parliament	[47]
Robert Heath		23 January 1641 – 11 October 1642	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[47]
Thomas Malet		1 July 1641 – 24 November 1645 31 May 1660 – 13 June 1663	Discharged by Parliament Discharged	[47]
Francis Bacon	d. 22 August 1657	14 October 1642 – 8 February 1649	Declined reappointment	[47]
Robert Brerewood		31 January 1644 – June 1646	Ceased to act after the fall of Oxford	[47]
Henry Rolle		7 October 1645 – 15 November 1648	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[47]
Samuel Browne		22 November 1648 – 8 February 1649	Declined reappointment	[47]
Philip Jermyn		22 November 1648 – 18 March 1654	Not reappointed	[47]
Robert Nicholas		12 June 1649 – 23 January 1654 19 January 1660 – May 1660	Became a Baron of the Exchequer Not reappointed	[47]
Richard Aske	d. 23 June 1656	12 June 1649 – 23 June 1656	Died	[47]
Richard Newdigate		30 May 1654 – 1 May 1655 13 June 1657 – 19 January 1660	Not reappointed Became Chief Justice of the Upper Bench	[48]
Peter Warburton		11 February 1656 – May 1659	Not reappointed	[48]
Roger Hill		19 January 1660 – May 1660	Not reappointed	[48]
Thomas Twisden	d. 2 January 1683	27 June 1660 – 2 January 1683	Died	[48]
Wadham Wyndham		24 November 1660 – 24/5 December 1668	Died	[48]
John Kelynge		18 June 1663 – 21 November 1665	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[48]
William Morton	d. 23 September 1672	23 November 1665 – 23 September 1672	Died	[49]
Richard Raynsford		6 February 1669 – 12 April 1676	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[49]
William Wilde	d. 23 November 1679	21 January 1673 – 29 April 1679	Dismissed	[49]
Thomas Jones		13 April 1676 – 29 September 1683	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[49]
William Dolben	d. 25 January 1694	23 October 1678 – 18 April 1683 18 March 1689 – 25 January 1694	Dismissed Died	[49]
Francis Pemberton		1 May 1679 – 16 February 1680	Dismissed	[49]
Thomas Raymond	d. 14 July 1683	24 April 1680 – 14 July 1683	Died	[49]
Francis Wythens		25 April 1683 – 21 April 1687	Dismissed	[49]
Richard Holloway		25 September 1683 – 2 July 1688	Dismissed	[49]
Thomas Walcot	d. 6 September 1685	22 October 1683 – 6 September 1685	Died	[49]
Robert Wright		10 October 1685 – 13 April 1687	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[49]
John Powell		13 April 1687 – 2 July 1688	Dismissed	[50]
Richard Allibond	d. 22 August 1688	27 April 1687 – 22 August 1688	Died	[50]
Thomas Powell		6 July 1688 – 1689	Not reappointed after the Glorious Revolution	[50]
Robert Baldock		6 July 1688 – 1689	Not reappointed after the Glorious Revolution	[50]
Thomas Stringer		22 October 1688 – 1689	Not reappointed after the Glorious Revolution	[50]
William Gregory	d. 28 May 1696	8 May 1689 – 28 May 1696	Died	[50]
Giles Eyre	d. 2 June 1695	8 May 1689 – 2 June 1695	Died	[50]
Samuel Eyre	d. 12 September 1698	19 February 1694 – 12 September 1698	Died	[50]
Thomas Rokeby	d. 26 November 1699	25 October 1695 – 26 November 1699	Died	[50]
John Turton		27 June 1696 – 8 June 1702	Dismissed	[50]
Henry Gould	d. 26 March 1710	30 January 1699 – 26 March 1710	Died	[50]
Littleton Powys		26 January 1701 – 26 October 1726	Retired	[51]
John Powell		23 June 1702 – 2 June 1713	Retired	[51]
Robert Eyre		12 May 1710 – 21 November 1723	Became Chief Baron of the Exchequer	[51]
Thomas Powys		3 June 1713 – 14 October 1714	Dismissed	[51]
John Pratt		20 November 1714 – 19 May 1718	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[51]
John Fortescue Aland		19 May 1718 – 27 September 1727	Dismissed	[51]
Robert Raymond		31 January 1724 – 2 March 1725	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[51]
James Reynolds		16 March 1725 – 28 April 1730	Became Chief Baron of the Exchequer	[51]
Edmund Probyn		4 November 1726 – 24 November 1740	Became Chief Baron of the Exchequer	[51]
Francis Page	d. 19 December 1741	27 September 1727 – 19 December 1741	Died	[51]
William Lee		13 June 1730 – 8 June 1737	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[51]
William Chapple	d. 15 March 1745	16 June 1737 – 15 March 1745	Died	[52]
Martin Wright		24 November 1740 – 6 February 1755	Retired	[52]
Thomas Denison		11 February 1742 – 14 February 1765	Retired	[52]
Michael Foster	d. 7 November 1763	22 April 1745 – 7 November 1763	Died	[52]
John Eardley Wilmot		11 February 1755 – 20 August 1766	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[52]
Joseph Yates		23 January 1764 – 16 February 1770	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[52]
Richard Aston	d. 1 March 1778	24 April 1765 – 1 March 1778	Died	[52]
James Hewitt		5 November 1766 – 24 November 1767	Became Lord Chancellor of Ireland	[52]
Edward Willes	d. 14 January 1787	29 January 1768 – 14 January 1787	Died	[52]
William Blackstone		16 February 1770 – 25 June 1770	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[52]
William Henry Ashurst		25 June 1770 – 3 June 1799	Retired	[52]
Francis Buller		6 May 1778 – 18 June 1794	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[53]
Nash Grose		9 February 1787 – 16 June 1813	Retired	[53]
Soulden Lawrence		18 June 1794 – 31 March 1808	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[53]
Simon Le Blanc	d. 15 April 1816	5 June 1799 – 15 April 1816	Died	[53]
John Bayley		7 May 1808 – 11 November 1830	Became a Baron of the Exchequer	[53]
Henry Dampier	d. 3 February 1816	23 June 1813 – 3 February 1816	Died	[53]
George Sowley Holroyd		20 February 1816 – 17 November 1828	Retired	[53]
Charles Abbott		3 May 1816 – 4 November 1818	Became Chief Justice of the King's Bench	[53]
William Best		28 November 1818 – 15 April 1824	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[53]
Joseph Littledale		4 May 1824 – 11 February 1841	Retired	[53]
James Parke		17 November 1828 – 29 April 1834	Became a Baron of the Exchequer	[53]
William Elias Taunton	d. 11 January 1835	11 November 1830 – 11 January 1835	Died	[54]
John Patteson		11 November 1830 – 11 February 1852	Retired	[54]
John Williams	d. 14/15 September 1846	29 April 1834 – 14/15 September 1846	Died	[54]
John Taylor Coleridge		26 January 1835 – 14 June 1858	Retired	[54]
William Wightman	d. 10 December 1863	15 February 1841 – 10 December 1863	Died	[54]
William Erle		27 October 1846 – 24 June 1859	Became Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	[54]
Charles John Crompton	d. 30 October 1865	11 February 1852 – 30 October 1865	Died	[54]
Hugh Hill		14 June 1858 – 3 December 1861	Retired	[54]
Colin Blackburn		28 June 1859 – 1 November 1875	Became a Justice of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division)	[54]
John Mellor		3 December 1861 – 1 November 1875	Became a Justice of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division)	[54]
William Shee		19 December 1863 – 19 February 1868	Died	[54]
Robert Lush		2 November 1865 – 1 November 1875	Became a Justice of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division)	[54]
James Hannen		25 February 1868 – 20 November 1872	Became a Justice of the High Court of Justice (Probate Division	[55]
George Hayes	d. 24 November 1869	25 August 1868 – 24 November 1869	Died	[55]
John Richard Quain		5 January 1872 – 1 November 1875	Became a Justice of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division)	[55]
Thomas Dickson Archibald		20 November 1872 – 6 February 1875	Became a Justice of the Common Pleas	[55]
William Field		6 February 1875 – 1 November 1875	Became a Justice of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division)	[55]