FITZHERBERT

fitzherbert, sir anthony (1470-1538), english jurist, was born at norbury, derbyshire. after studying at oxford, he was called to the english bar, and in 1523 became justice of the court of common pleas, the duties of which office he continued to discharge till within a short time of his death in 1538. as a judge he left behind him a high reputation for fairness and integrity, and his legal learning is sufficiently attested by his published works. he is the author of _la graunde abridgement_, a digest of important legal cases written in old french, first printed in 1514; _the office and authority of justices of the peace_, first printed in 1538 (last ed. 1794); the _new natura brevium_ (1534, last ed. 1794), with a commentary ascribed to sir matthew hale. to fitzherbert are sometimes attributed the _book of husbandry_ (1523), the first published work on agriculture in the english language, and the _book of surveying and improvements_ (1523) (see agriculture).