George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, PC (May 15, 1645 – April 18, 1689), also known as "The Hanging Judge", became notable during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor (and serving as Lord High Steward in certain instances). George Jeffreys may be: George Jeffreys (composer) (c. ... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill, London. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Hanging Judge is an unofficial term for a judge who has gained renown for his or her eagerness to hand out harsh sentences, especially death by hanging. ... James II of England (also known as James VII of Scotland; 14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and prior to the Union the Chancellor of England and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom, and its predecessor states. ... The position of Lord High Steward of England, not to be confused with the Lord Steward, a court functionary, is the first of the Great Officers of State. ...

Jeffreys was born at the family estate of Acton Hall, Wrexham in Wales, the sixth son of John and Margaret Jeffreys. He was educated at Shrewsbury School; St Paul's School, London and Westminster School, London. He became an undergraduate at Cambridge University, leaving after one year and he embarked on a legal career in 1668. In 1667, he had married Sarah Neesham, by whom he had seven children before her death in 1678. Acton Hall in Wrexham was the birthplace of George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, PC (May 15, 1645 – April 18, 1689), better known as Judge Jefferies or The Hanging Judge, became notorious during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor (and serving as... Wrexham (Welsh: Wrecsam) is an industrial town, conurbation and county borough in north-east Wales, perched between the first mountains of Wales and the lower Dee valley, close to the English border with Cheshire. ... This article is about the country. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... St Pauls School is/was the name of many schools, starting with St Pauls School in London, England, which was re-founded in 1509 to replace an earlier foundation of 1103. ... The Royal College of St Peter at Westminster (almost always known as Westminster School) is one of Britains leading boys independent schools and one of the nine public schools set out in the Public Schools Act 1868. ... In some educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelors degree. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... 1668 (MDCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Despite his Protestant upbringing, he found favour under the Catholic Duke of York, younger brother of Charles II of England, who would later succeed Charles as James II. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... James II of England (also known as James VII of Scotland; 14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ... James II of England (also known as James VII of Scotland; 14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ...

Jeffreys was knighted in 1677 and by 1680 had become chief justice of Chester. Charles II created him a baronet in 1681, and two years later, he was Chief Justice of the King's Bench and a member of the Privy Council. 1677 (MDCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ... This article is about Chester in England. ... A baronet (traditional abbreviation Bart, modern abbreviation Bt) or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess (abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown known as a baronetcy. ... The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, and the presiding judge of Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal, and of the Queens Bench Division of the High Court. ... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ...

He presided over the trial Algernon Sidney, who had been implicated in the Rye House Plot. Sidney was convicted and executed. James II, following his accession to the throne, elevated Jeffreys to the peerage as Baron Jeffreys of Wem. Algernon Sydney (or Sidney) (~1622-1683) was an English politician, an opponent of King Charles II of England. ... Rye House 1823 The Rye House Plot of 1683 was a plan to assassinate King Charles II of England and his brother (and heir to the throne) James, Duke of York. ... The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. ...

He presided over the "Bloody Assizes" at which harsh sentences were handed out to the Duke of Monmouth's followers at Monmouth's Rebellion. The Bloody Assizes were the series of trials in the aftermath of the Battle of Sedgemoor, which ended the Monmouth Rebellion in England. ... James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth James Crofts, later James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and of Buccleuch (April 9, 1649 – July 15, 1685), was an English nobleman who was executed in 1685 after making an unsuccessful attempt to claim the English throne, the Monmouth Rebellion. ... The Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, was an attempt to overthrow the King of England, James II, who became king when his elder brother, Charles II, died on 6 February 1685. ...

James named him Lord Chancellor in 1685. Events February 6 - James Stuart, Duke of York becomes King James II of England and Ireland and King James VII of Scotland. ...

Following the Glorious Revolution, he attempted to flee the country but was captured. The Revolution of 1688, commonly known as the Glorious Revolution, was the overthrow of James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). ...

He died of kidney disease while in protective custody in the Tower of London. Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is a historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ...

He was originally buried in the Chapel Royal of Saint Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London but in 1692 was moved to St Mary Aldermanbury. , Side of St. ... Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is a historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... St Mary Aldermanbury was an Anglican church initially built by Sir Christopher Wren, which was severely damaged in the Second World War. ...

His eldest son, John, succeeded him.

Literary references

• George Jeffreys is the colleague and nemesis of Neal Stephenson's fictional protagonist Daniel Waterhouse, in his 2003 novel Quicksilver.
• The ghost of Judge Jeffreys acts as the villain in Peter S. Beagle's 1999 novel Tamsin, which is set in modern-day Dorset.
• "The Devil in Wig and Gown" sits in judgement over the hero near the conclusion of Arthur Conan Doyle's historical novel Micah Clarke.
• A Jeffreys-like figure haunts "The Judge's House" in Bram Stoker's short story.
• Jeffreys sentences Dr. Peter Blood, main hero of Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood novel, for aiding wounded Monmouth rebels, with transportation. During the trial he is almost struck with apoplexy, due to the exchange with brave and quick-witted Blood.
• Jeffreys plays an important role in R. D. Blackmore's historical romance, Lorna Doone, which was set during the time of the Monmouth Rebellion.
• Jeffreys presides over the trial of the murderer George Martin, in M R James' ghost story Martin's Close.
• Jefferies is referenced in passing in Patrick O'Brian's 1986 novel, The Reverse of the Medal (the novel is set in the early 19th century; Jeffrey's notoriety as a judge is given by Dr. Maturin as an example of why Captain Aubrey shouldn't blindly assume that his trial for stock fraud will be entirely fair)
• From Victor Hugo's 1869 The Man Who Laughs, set in the 17th century, chapter 2, "English legislation did not trifle in those days. It did not take much to make a man a felon. The magistrates were ferocious by tradition, and cruelty was a matter of routine. The judges of assize increased and multiplied. Jeffreys had become a breed."

Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer, known primarily for his science fiction works in the postcyberpunk genre with a penchant for explorations of society, mathematics, currency, and the history of science. ... Daniel Waterhouse is a fictional character from Neal Stephensons The Baroque Cycle, a series of novels: Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World. ... Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson is the first volume of his series The Baroque Cycle. ... Peter Soyer Beagle (born in 1939) is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. ... Dorset (pronounced DOR-sit or [dÉ”.sÉ™t], and sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the south-west of England, on the English Channel coast. ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and the adventures of Professor Challenger. ... Micah Clarke by Arthur Conan Doyle is an historical adventure novel set during the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 in England. ... Abraham Bram Stoker (November 8, 1847 – April 20, 1912) was an Irish writer, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. ... Rafael Sabatini (April 29, 1875 - February 13, 1950) was an Italian/British writer of novels of romance and adventure. ... Captain Blood is an adventure novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1922. ... Richard Doddridge Blackmore (June 7, 1825 - January 20, 1900), usually known as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the his generation. ... Cover of an illustrated 1893 edition of Lorna Doone Jan Ridd learns to fire his fathers gun - from an 1893 illustrated edition Lorna Doone, A Romance of Exmoor, is a novel by Richard Doddridge Blackmore. ... The Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, was an attempt to overthrow the King of England, James II, who became king when his elder brother, Charles II, died on 6 February 1685. ... Montague Rhodes James, (August 1, 1862, Goodnestone Parsonage, Kent, England –June 12, 1936). ... Patrick OBrian (December 12, 1914 – January 2, 2000; original name Richard Patrick Russ) was a novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centered on the friendship of Captain Jack Aubrey and an Irish–Catalan... The Reverse of the Medal (1986) is a novel by Patrick OBrian, the eleventh in the Aubrey–Maturin series. ... Victor-Marie Hugo (pronounced in French) (26 February 1802 — 22 May 1885) was a French poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France. ... The Man Who Laughs is a novel by Victor Hugo, originally published in April 1869 under the French title LHomme qui Rit. ...

Trivia

• Jeffries held the assizes in the Great Hall of Taunton Castle, current home of the Somerset county museum.

Taunton Castle The history of Taunton as a fortified place starts early, for here King Ine of Wessex, in or about the year 710, timbered him a burgh, which his consort, Ethelburga, as an odd entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle relates, destroyed twelve years later. ... Somerset County Museum Somerset County Museum is located in the 12th century great hall of Taunton Castle. ...

External link

• George Jeffreys at Find-A-Grave