Courtney Stanhope Kenny
Encyclopedia
Courtney Stanhope Kenny was a British jurist, academic and Liberal
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1888.
, the son of William Fenton Kenny J.P. of Halifax and Ripon and his wife Agnes Ralph, daughter of John Rhodes Ralph J.P. of Halifax. He was educated at the Heath
and Hipperholme
grammar schools and joined a firm of solicitors in 1863. In 1869 he became a partner but decided to leave and pursue a university education, entering Downing College, Cambridge
in 1871. His career at university was particularly brilliant; in 1872 he was awarded a scholarship, in 1874 he was senior in the law and history tripos, won the Winchester Reading Prize
, and was elected president of the union. In 1875 he won the chancellor's medal for legal studies.
Kenny was elected a fellow of Downing College in 1875 and was appointed to a lecturership in law and moral science. In three successive years, 1877, 1878, 1879, he submitted an essay which won him the Yorke Prize
; the essays were on the history of the law of primogeniture
(jointly with Perceval Maitland Laurence
), the law relating to married women's property, and the law of charities. These were published as The Law of England on the Effects of Marriage on Property, The History of the Law of Primogeniture and Endowed Charities.
In 1881 Kenny was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
and joined the south-eastern circuit.
Kenny was elected Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Barnsley division
of Yorkshire, and at the general election of June 1886
he was again returned as a Liberal
. While in parliament he introduced bills for the abolition of primogeniture and for the amendment of the law relating to blasphemy
, which demanded the repeal of the laws restricting the expression of religious opinion.
to concentrate on work at the university. In 1907 he was elected to replace the recently deceased Frederic William Maitland
as Downing professor of the laws of England, a position he held until his retirement in 1918. He died in Cambridge
aged 83.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1888.
Early life and career
Kenny was born on the WirralWirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, the son of William Fenton Kenny J.P. of Halifax and Ripon and his wife Agnes Ralph, daughter of John Rhodes Ralph J.P. of Halifax. He was educated at the Heath
Heath Grammar School
Heath Grammar School, Free School Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England was founded in 1585 by Dr. John Favour. Its full title was The Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth at Heath, near Halifax...
and Hipperholme
Hipperholme Grammar School
Hipperholme Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Hipperholme , West Yorkshire, England. It educates pupils between the ages of 11 and 18....
grammar schools and joined a firm of solicitors in 1863. In 1869 he became a partner but decided to leave and pursue a university education, entering Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
in 1871. His career at university was particularly brilliant; in 1872 he was awarded a scholarship, in 1874 he was senior in the law and history tripos, won the Winchester Reading Prize
Winchester Reading Prize
The Winchester Reading Prize, endowed in 1867 by John Noble, is awarded at the University of Cambridge for the public reading of passages:* of classical English Prose and Poetry;* of the Old and New Testament and the English Liturgy; and...
, and was elected president of the union. In 1875 he won the chancellor's medal for legal studies.
Kenny was elected a fellow of Downing College in 1875 and was appointed to a lecturership in law and moral science. In three successive years, 1877, 1878, 1879, he submitted an essay which won him the Yorke Prize
Yorke Prize
The Yorke Prize is awarded annually by the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge for an essay of between 30,000 and 100,000 words on a legal subject, including the history, analysis, administration and reform of law....
; the essays were on the history of the law of primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
(jointly with Perceval Maitland Laurence
Perceval Maitland Laurence
Sir Perceval Maitland Laurence was an English classical scholar, judge in South Africa and a benefactor of the University of Cambridge.-Early life and education:...
), the law relating to married women's property, and the law of charities. These were published as The Law of England on the Effects of Marriage on Property, The History of the Law of Primogeniture and Endowed Charities.
In 1881 Kenny was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
and joined the south-eastern circuit.
Political career
At the 1885 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
Kenny was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Barnsley division
Barnsley (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnsley was a Parliamentary constituency covering the town of Barnsley in England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
of Yorkshire, and at the general election of June 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
he was again returned as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
. While in parliament he introduced bills for the abolition of primogeniture and for the amendment of the law relating to blasphemy
Blasphemy law in the United Kingdom
This article describes the blasphemy law in the United Kingdom.-England and Wales:The common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel were abolished by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. See the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006....
, which demanded the repeal of the laws restricting the expression of religious opinion.
Cambridge Professor
In 1888 Kenny became university reader of English law at Cambridge University, and resigned from parliamentResignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
to concentrate on work at the university. In 1907 he was elected to replace the recently deceased Frederic William Maitland
Frederic William Maitland
Frederic William Maitland was an English jurist and historian, generally regarded as the modern father of English legal history.-Biography:...
as Downing professor of the laws of England, a position he held until his retirement in 1918. He died in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
aged 83.