William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield

Lore & Background

He was educated at Perth Grammar School, where he learned Latin, English grammar, and essay writing. As the most powerful British jurist of the 18th century, his decisions reflected the Age of Enlightenment. He advanced commercial law, modernized English law and courts, rationalized the system for submitting motions, and reformed the delivery of judgments to reduce expense for parties. Mansfield is also known for his judgment in Somerset v Stewart, where he held that slavery had no basis in common law and had never been established by positive law in England, and therefore was not binding in law. Though the judgment did not explicitly outlaw slavery in England or British colonies, it played an important role in the early British abolitionist movement and inspired challenges to slavery on both sides of the Atlantic.

Reader's Guide

William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, is significant as the most powerful British jurist of the 18th century. His decisions reflected the Age of Enlightenment and moved the country onto the path to abolishing slavery. He advanced commercial law in ways that helped establish Britain as a world leader in industry, finance, and trade. For his work in Carter v Boehm and Pillans v Van Mierop, Mansfield has been called the founder of English commercial law. His judgment in Somerset v Stewart, while not explicitly outlawing slavery, held that slavery had no basis in common law and had never been established by positive law in England, and therefore was not binding in law. This played an important role in the early stages of the British abolitionist movement and inspired challenges to slavery on both sides of the Atlantic. Mansfield also modernized both English law and England's courts, rationalized the system for submitting motions, and reformed the way judgments were delivered to reduce expense for the parties. His legacy includes helping to establish Britain as a world leader in industry, finance, and trade through his commercial law reforms.

Did You Know?

• He was described as 'beyond comparison the best speaker' in the House of Commons.
• Mansfield and his wife took care of their great niece, Lady Elizabeth Murray, and also took in Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate daughter of his nephew and an enslaved woman of African descent.

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