Life

The youngest son of William Roscoe

William Roscoe

William Roscoe , was an English historian and miscellaneous writer.-Life:He was born in Liverpool, where his father, a market gardener, kept a public house called the Bowling Green at Mount Pleasant. Roscoe left school at the age of twelve, having learned all that his schoolmaster could teach...

, he was born at Allerton Hall

Allerton Hall

Allerton Hall is in Clarkes Gardens, Allerton, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.-History:During the medieval period the manor of Allerton was held by the Lathom family....

, near Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, on 17 April 1800. He was educated by private tutors, and in 1817 was articled to Messrs. Stanistreet & Eden, solicitors, Liverpool. In January 1819 he moved to London and began studying for the bar, almost supporting himself by literary work. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple

Inner Temple

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...

 in February 1826; and then practised in the northern circuit and at the Liverpool and Chester sessions. He was also assessor to the mayor's court, Liverpool, and a member of the municipal corporations commission.

He died at Gateacre

Gateacre

Gateacre is a district of Liverpool, England, located approximately from the city centre. It is bordered by Childwall, Woolton and Belle Vale...

, near Liverpool, on 25 March 1836.

Works

Roscoe wrote ‘Lives of Eminent British Lawyers’ (1830), as one of the volumes of Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia, and ‘The Life of William Roscoe’ (2 vols. 1833). His legal treatises were:

• ‘A Treatise on the Law of Actions relating to Real Property,’ 1825, 2 vols.
• ‘Digest of the Law of Evidence on the Trials of Actions at Nisi Prius,’ 1827.
• ‘Digest of the Law relating to Bills of Exchange,’ &c., 1829.
• ‘Digest relating to Offences against the Coin,’ 1832.
• ‘General Digest of Decisions in the Courts for 1834, 1835, and 1836,’ 3 vols.
• ‘Digest of the Law of Evidence in Criminal Cases,’ 1835.

Several of these works were often reprinted. He also brought out an edition of Roger North's Lives (1826, 3 vols.), and was joint editor of ‘Price's Exchequer Reports’ for 1834–5.

Family

By his marriage, on 29 October 1831, to Maria, second daughter of Thomas Fletcher and granddaughter of William Enfield

William Enfield

William Enfield was a British Unitarian minister who published a bestselling book on elocution entitled The Speaker .-Life:...

, he had a son Henry Enfield Roscoe

Henry Enfield Roscoe

Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe, FRS was an English chemist. He is particularly noted for early work on vanadium and for photochemical studies.- Life and work :...

, and a daughter Harriet, who married Edward Enfield

Edward Enfield

Edward Enfield is an English television, radio and newspaper journalist and presenter. He is also the father of British comedian Harry Enfield and novelist Lizzie Enfield, and husband of Deirdre.-Biography:...

. Roscoe's widow, who died in April 1885, aged 86, published in 1868 Vittoria Colonna: her Life and Times.