Thomas Jenner
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Jenner was an English barrister
, baron of the exchequer and justice of the common pleas
, closely associated with the Stuart kings Charles II
and James II of England
.
. He was educated at Tunbridge grammar school
, under Nicholas Grey
. In 1665 he became a pensioner of Queens' College, Cambridge
, but left without taking a degree. He entered the Inner Temple
in 1658, and was called to the bar in 1663, after which he practised chiefly in the court of exchequer.
In 1683 Charles II, having withdrawn the charter of the city of London, appointed a lord mayor, two sheriffs, and a recorder
, who was Jenner. A few days earlier Jenner was knighted, and received an augmentation of arms. In the following January he was made king's sergeant. As king's sergeant and as recorder he took part in the state trials of the next two years, including those of Algernon Sidney and Henry Cornish
. In the parliament of 1685 he represented the borough of Rye
, until in 1686 be was raised to the bench as a baron of the exchequer. With the majority of the judges, Jenner gave judgment in favour of the king's claim to the dispensing power which was raised in the case of Sir Edward Hales.
In October 1687 Jenner was appointed one of the three royal commissioners to inquire into the appointment of a president of Magdalen College, Oxford
; the other commissioners were Robert Wright
and Thomas Cartwright
. Jenner's diary of the proceedings survived in the library of Magdalen College. Cartwright sought to have him dismissed from the commission, finding him too moderate if outwardly overbearing to the fellows, and in the end Jenner voted against the expulsions.
In July 1688 he was promoted to the common pleas. But the Glorious Revolution
soon involved him. On the night of James II's flight Jenner was one of those who endeavoured to escape to France with the king. The king's general pardon to him and money were stolen at this point stolen from his chambers in Serjeants' Inn; and he was captured at Faversham
and brought to Canterbury
. Early in January 1689 he and others prisoners were committed to the Tower of London
, charged with subverting the Protestant religion and the laws and liberties of the kingdom. They were admitted to bail, but the Convention parliament voted that Jenner was principally concerned in the arbitrary proceedings under James, and he was committed to the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. He was released when parliament was prorogued in January 1690. In 1691, when the Act of Indemnity was passed, Jenner was excepted from its provisions, but no proceedings were then taken against him.
In November 1691 one of his sons was given into the custody of a messenger of parliament for circulating libels against the right of William and Mary to the crown. Jenner was then charged with having levied fines in James's reign to the amount of £3,000 on dissenters without returning the money into court. Jenner pleaded the general pardon from the king, which had been stolen; special mention was said to be made there of those fines, which had supposedly gone direct to the king. The plea was allowed, and the prosecution failed.
Expelled from the bench by William III's government, Jenner resumed his practice at the bar. He died at his house at Petersham on 1 January 1707, and was buried in St Peters Church, Petersham
, with a tablet to his memory, with his arms, and an inscription composed by his daughter Margaret, Lady Darnell.
, Yorkshire, by whom he had eight sons and two daughters.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, baron of the exchequer and justice of the common pleas
Justice of the Common Pleas
Justice of the Common Pleas was a puisne judicial position within the Court of Common Pleas of England and Wales, under the Chief Justice. The Common Pleas was the primary court of common law within England and Wales, dealing with "common" pleas...
, closely associated with the Stuart kings Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
.
Life
He was born at Mayfield, Sussex, eldest son of Thomas Jenner of that place, and Dorothy, his wife, daughter of Jeffrey Glyde of DallingtonDallington
Dallington may refer to:* Dallington, East Sussex* Dallington, Northamptonshire* Dallington, New Zealand...
. He was educated at Tunbridge grammar school
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
, under Nicholas Grey
Nicholas Grey
Nicholas Grey , was headmaster of Eton College.Grey was born in London about 1590. He was a king's scholar at Westminster School, and proceeded in 1606 to Christ Church, Oxford. He graduated B.A. on 21 June 1610, and M.A. on 10 June 1613. In 1614 he was incorporated M.A. at Cambridge, and on 3...
. In 1665 he became a pensioner of Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
, but left without taking a degree. He entered 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 1658, and was called to the bar in 1663, after which he practised chiefly in the court of exchequer.
In 1683 Charles II, having withdrawn the charter of the city of London, appointed a lord mayor, two sheriffs, and a recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
, who was Jenner. A few days earlier Jenner was knighted, and received an augmentation of arms. In the following January he was made king's sergeant. As king's sergeant and as recorder he took part in the state trials of the next two years, including those of Algernon Sidney and Henry Cornish
Henry Cornish
Henry Cornish was a London alderman, executed in the reign of James II of England.-Life:He was a well-to-do merchant of London, and alderman of the ward of St. Michael Bassishaw; in the London Directory for 1677 he is described as a factor residing in 'Cateaton Street, near Blackwelhall Gate.' He...
. In the parliament of 1685 he represented the borough of Rye
Rye (UK Parliament constituency)
Rye was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Rye in East Sussex. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was halved under the Reform Act 1832....
, until in 1686 be was raised to the bench as a baron of the exchequer. With the majority of the judges, Jenner gave judgment in favour of the king's claim to the dispensing power which was raised in the case of Sir Edward Hales.
In October 1687 Jenner was appointed one of the three royal commissioners to inquire into the appointment of a president of Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
; the other commissioners were Robert Wright
Robert Wright (judge)
Sir Robert Wright was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench 1687–89.-Early life:Wright was the son of Jermyn Wright of Wangford in Suffolk, by his wife Anne, daughter of Richard Bachcroft of Bexwell in Norfolk. He was descended from a family long seated at Kelverstone in Norfolk,...
and Thomas Cartwright
Thomas Cartwright (bishop)
Thomas Cartwright was an English bishop and diarist, known as a supporter of James II.-Life:He was born and went to school in Northampton, and studied at the University of Oxford. He was first at Magdalen Hall, and then at Queen's College where he was tutored by Thomas Tully. He was ordained by...
. Jenner's diary of the proceedings survived in the library of Magdalen College. Cartwright sought to have him dismissed from the commission, finding him too moderate if outwardly overbearing to the fellows, and in the end Jenner voted against the expulsions.
In July 1688 he was promoted to the common pleas. But the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
soon involved him. On the night of James II's flight Jenner was one of those who endeavoured to escape to France with the king. The king's general pardon to him and money were stolen at this point stolen from his chambers in Serjeants' Inn; and he was captured at Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
and brought to Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
. Early in January 1689 he and others prisoners were committed to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, charged with subverting the Protestant religion and the laws and liberties of the kingdom. They were admitted to bail, but the Convention parliament voted that Jenner was principally concerned in the arbitrary proceedings under James, and he was committed to the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. He was released when parliament was prorogued in January 1690. In 1691, when the Act of Indemnity was passed, Jenner was excepted from its provisions, but no proceedings were then taken against him.
In November 1691 one of his sons was given into the custody of a messenger of parliament for circulating libels against the right of William and Mary to the crown. Jenner was then charged with having levied fines in James's reign to the amount of £3,000 on dissenters without returning the money into court. Jenner pleaded the general pardon from the king, which had been stolen; special mention was said to be made there of those fines, which had supposedly gone direct to the king. The plea was allowed, and the prosecution failed.
Expelled from the bench by William III's government, Jenner resumed his practice at the bar. He died at his house at Petersham on 1 January 1707, and was buried in St Peters Church, Petersham
St Peters Church, Petersham
St Peter's is the parish church of the village of Petersham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. St Peter's is part of the Diocese of Southwark in the Church of England.-Early history:...
, with a tablet to his memory, with his arms, and an inscription composed by his daughter Margaret, Lady Darnell.
Family
On 1 January 1661 he married, at the church of St. Mary Woolchurch Haw, in the city of London, Anne, daughter and heiress of James Poe of Swinden Hall, Kirkby OverblowKirkby Overblow
Kirkby Overblow is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Wetherby and Harrogate and lies to the west of Sicklinghall.It has a church called All Saints...
, Yorkshire, by whom he had eight sons and two daughters.