The Reporters (book)

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The Reporters is a book on the subject of law reporters, written by John William Wallace.

Contents

Nineteenth-century reviews

In 1847, J. G. Marvin said of the second edition, revised, of this book:

Mr. Wallace has embodied, in one hundred pages, more useful information respecting the Reporters, than can be found in any single publication whatever. Mr. Sumner contributed two articles in the 8th and 12th volumes of the American Jurist, upon Legal Bibliography, and Mr. Ram, in his work entitled The Science of Legal Judgement, collects many judicial criticisms upon the Reports and elementary law book, but in point of fulness of illustration, and appropriateness of comment, Mr. Wallace's volume, as to the Reporters, surpasses all that had previously been done. He confines his illustrations chiefly to the Reports, from the earliest period of reporting in England, to the close of the reign of Geo. II. Prefixed to the more immediate subject matter of the work, are some remarks upon the value to be placed upon the incidental observations of the Bench upon the merits of the Reporters, the original language in which the Reports were taken, the sources from whence the MSS. of the published volumes were obtained, and a general survey of the laborers in the "old fields, out of which the new corn must come." The work is written in a peculiar, and happy style, and impresses the reader favourably with the author's abundant reading, and aptness for communicating this species of information. The volume lacks only one thing, an Index. 6 L. R. 425. [1]

In 1882, the New Jersey Law Journal said of the fourth edition, revised and enlarged, of this book:

A new edition of The Reporters is of real importance as a means of keeping alive a knowledge of the old reports. In the multiplication of law reports, made almost by machinery, there is a danger that the younger Bar will overlook the old Reporters and miss the treasures which they contain, and so have no acquaintance with the sources of the law. The Reporters is a delightful book - the last edition is even more entertaining than the others - and if it is only to be easily obtained it cannot fail of being generally read. [2]

Twentieth-century reviews

In 1988, Bookman's Yearbook said that this book was "well worth using". [3]

Glanville Williams described this book as a "detailed monograph". [4]

The Harvard Law Review said, in relation to Year-Book bibliography, that this book discloses little that is valuable and its accuracy does not stand the test of verification. [5]

Related Research Articles

Nominate reports, also known as nominative reports, named reports and private reports, is a legal term from common-law jurisdictions referring to the various published collections of reports of English cases in various courts from the Middle Ages to the 1860s, when law reporting was officially taken over by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting, for example Edmund F. Moore's Reports of Cases Heard and Determined by the Judicial Committee and the Lords of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council on Appeal from the Supreme and Sudder Dewanny Courts in the East Indies published in London from 1837 to 1873, referred to as Moore's Indian Appeals and cited for example as: Moofti Mohummud Ubdoollah v. Baboo Mootechund 1 M.I.A. 383.

Solicitors Journal is a legal journal published in the United Kingdom.

Select Cases in the K. B. in 22d, 23d, and 24th years of Charles I., with the names of the learned Counsel who argued the same is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by John Aleyn, of cases decided by the Court of King's Bench between approximately 1646 and 1649. For the purpose of citation, their name may be abbreviated to "Al". They are reprinted in volume 82 of the English Reports.

Reports of cases in the Court of King's Bench, in the 11 and 12 years of Geo. II. is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by George Andrews, of cases decided in the Court of King's Bench between approximately 1738 and 1739. For the purpose of citation their name may be abbreviated to "Andr". They are reprinted in volume 95 of the English Reports.

Reports of Cases argued and determined in the High Court of Chancery, in the time of Lord Hardwicke, from 1737 to 1754 is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by John Tracy Atkyns, of cases decided by the Court of Chancery between approximately 1736 and 1755. For the purpose of citation their name may be abbreviated to "Atk". They are in three volumes. They are reprinted in volume 26 of the English Reports.

Reports of Cases in the High Court of Chancery, 13 and 14 Geo. II. from April 25, 1740, to May 9, 1741 is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by Thomas Barnardiston, of cases decided by the Court of Chancery, between approximately 1740 and 1741. For the purpose of citation, their name may be abbreviated to "Barn C". They are reprinted in volume 27 of the English Reports.

Notes of Cases in points of practice, taken in the Court of Common Pleas, from M.T. 1732, to H.T. 1756, inclusive. To which is added a continuation of cases to the end of the reign of Geo. II. is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by Henry Barnes, of cases decided between approximately 1732 and 1760.

Ans du Roy Richard II., hors des les Abridgments de Statham, Fitzherbert et Brooke is the title of a collection of law reports, compiled by Richard Bellewe, of cases decided between approximately 1378 and 1400. For the purpose of citation their name may be abbreviated to "Bel". They are reprinted in volume 72 of the English Reports.

Ascuns novel cases de le ans et temps le Roy H. VIII., Edv. VI, and la Roygne Mary. Escrie ex la graund Abridgment, compose per Sir Robert Brooke, Chivaler, &c., la, disperse en les Titles; mes icy collect sub ans is the title of a collection of law reports, compiled by Richard Bellewe, of cases decided between approximately 1515 and 1558. They are reprinted in volume 73 of the English Reports.

Les Reports des divers resolutions et judgement donne par les de la Ley en le Temps del Reigne de Hen. VIII., Edw. VI., and Mar. Eliz. Jac. I. et Car. I. is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by Gulielme Bendloe, of cases decided between approximately 1531 and 1628. For the purpose of citation, their name may be abbreviated to "Benl". They are reprinted in volume 73 of the English Reports.

Les Reports des divers Cases en le Court del Common Bank, en le several Reignes de Hen. VII., Hen. VIII., Edw. VI., et Mar. et Eliz. is a collection of nominate reports, attributed to Gulielme Benloe and Gulielme Dalison, of cases decided by the Court of Common Pleas between approximately 1486 and 1580. For the purpose of citation, their name may be abbreviated to "Ben & D". They are reprinted in volume 123 of the English Reports.

Legal Bibliography is a book by John Gage Marvin. It is a bibliography of law. It was the first publication of its kind to originate from the United States of America.

A Short View of Legal Bibliography is a book by Richard W. Bridgman. It was first published in 1807.

Legal bibliography is the bibliography of law. The term has been applied to "the kinds and functions of legal materials" and to "lists of law books and related materials".

This list is a legal bibliography.

A Digest of the Laws of England, also known as Comyns' Digest, is a book by Sir John Comyns. The latest English edition was published in 1822. A 120-page, handwritten tabulation by John Neal in 1826 of all cases in the digest is included with the Jeremy Bentham papers at the University College London.

Reports in Common Pleas and Exchequer, from E.T. 28 G. III., 1788, to H.T. 36 G. III., 1796 is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by Henry Blackstone, the nephew of Sir William Blackstone, of cases decided between approximately 1788 and 1796. For the purpose of citation their name may be abbreviated to "Bl H". They are in two volumes. They are reprinted in volume 126 of the English Reports.

Reports in K.B. and C.P., from 1746 to 1779 is the title of a collection of nominate reports, by Sir William Blackstone, of cases decided between approximately 1746 and 1780. For the purpose of citation their name may be abbreviated to "Black W" or "Bl W". They are in two volumes. They are reprinted in volume 96 of the English Reports.

Law Books in Print is a descriptive legal bibliography. It was published by Glanville Press. Marke, Sloan and Ryan said it is "an excellent source". S. Houston Lay said that a copy should be in the possession of all substantial law libraries. Law Books in Print is the primary series for the determination of prices and current editions. It is updated by Law Books Published.

John Bruce Williamson KC (1859–1938) was a British barrister and historical author.

References

  1. Marvin, J.G. Legal Bibliography, or a thesaurus of American, English, Irish and Scotch law books:together with some continental treatises. T & J W Johnson. 1847. Page 715. Digitised copy from Google Books.
  2. The New Jersey Law Journal. Volume 5. Honeyman & Rowe. 1882. Page 128.
  3. Bookman's Yearbook. Bookman's Weekly. 1988. Page 10.
  4. Glanville Williams. Learning the Law. Eleventh Edition. Stevens. 1982. Page 37.
  5. Harvard Law Review. 1900. Volume 14. Page 558.