William Inge (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Inge was an English
lawyer, and Chief Justice of the King's Bench for a few months from 1316 to 1317. He was born in or near Dunstable
, Bedfordshire
, the son of Thomas Inge, a minor landowner and administrator. William Inge acted as an attorney at the common bench
from 1281 and 1285, and was a serjeants of the king between 1287 and 1293. He was employed as a justice of eyre
and of the assize, and became a regular assize justice in 1293. He had been knighted by 1300.
In the early years of the fourteenth century, he accompanied King Edward I
several times on the king's campaigns in Scotland
. After 1307, Inge remained close with the new king, Edward II
, and acted as a commissioner in France
in 1310-11. He was appointed justice of the common bench in 1313, and held this post until he was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1316, upon the death of Roger Brabazon
.
By this time, however, serious allegations of corruption had been raised against Inge. He was accused of, and convicted of, improper conduct over the purchase of the manor of Woodmansterne in Surrey
. Though the conviction came after he had been dismissed as Chief Justice, it is likely that the allegations contributed to his downfall.
He took no part in public life after this. Inge was married twice, and had one daughter by his first wife – Joan, who married Eon la Zouche. William Inge died in some time shortly before 10 May, 1322.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lawyer, and Chief Justice of the King's Bench for a few months from 1316 to 1317. He was born in or near Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, the son of Thomas Inge, a minor landowner and administrator. William Inge acted as an attorney at the common bench
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
from 1281 and 1285, and was a serjeants of the king between 1287 and 1293. He was employed as a justice of eyre
Eyre (legal term)
An Eyre or Iter was the name of a circuit traveled by an itinerant justice in medieval England, or the circuit court he presided over , or the right of the king to visit and inspect the holdings of any vassal...
and of the assize, and became a regular assize justice in 1293. He had been knighted by 1300.
In the early years of the fourteenth century, he accompanied King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
several times on the king's campaigns in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. After 1307, Inge remained close with the new king, Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
, and acted as a commissioner in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1310-11. He was appointed justice of the common bench in 1313, and held this post until he was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1316, upon the death of Roger Brabazon
Roger Brabazon
Sir Roger Brabazon was an English lawyer, and Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1296 to 1316. Little is known of his background, he was the son of William le Brabazon, and may have been born at Mowsley in Leicestershire in or before 1247...
.
By this time, however, serious allegations of corruption had been raised against Inge. He was accused of, and convicted of, improper conduct over the purchase of the manor of Woodmansterne in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Though the conviction came after he had been dismissed as Chief Justice, it is likely that the allegations contributed to his downfall.
He took no part in public life after this. Inge was married twice, and had one daughter by his first wife – Joan, who married Eon la Zouche. William Inge died in some time shortly before 10 May, 1322.