MAITLAND

maitland, frederic william (1850-1906), english jurist and historian, son of john gorham maitland, was born on the 28th of may 1850, and educated at eton and trinity, cambridge, being bracketed at the head of the moral sciences tripos of 1872, and winning a whewell scholarship for international law. he was called to the bar (lincoln's inn) in 1876, and made himself a thoroughly competent equity lawyer and conveyancer, but finally devoted himself to comparative jurisprudence and especially the history of english law. in 1884 he was appointed reader in english law at cambridge, and in 1888 became downing professor of the laws of england. though handicapped in his later years by delicate health, his intellectual grasp and wide knowledge and research gradually made him famous as a jurist and historian. he edited numerous volumes for the selden society, including _select pleas for the crown, 1200-1225_, _select pleas in manorial courts_ and _the court baron_; and among his principal works were _gloucester pleas_ (1884), _justice and police_ (1885), _bracton's note-book_ (1887), _history of english law_ (with sir f. pollock, 1895; new ed. 1898; see also his article english law in this encyclopaedia), _domesday book and beyond_ (1897), _township and borough_ (1898), _canon law in england_ (1898), _english law and the renaissance_ (1901), the _life of leslie stephen_ (1906), besides important contributions to the _cambridge modern history_, the _english historical review_, the _law quarterly review_, _harvard law review_ and other publications. his writings are marked by vigour and vitality of style, as well as by the highest qualities of the historian who recreates the past from the original sources; he had no sympathy with either legal or historical pedantry; and his death at grand canary on the 19th of december 1906 deprived english law and letters of one of their most scholarly and most inspiring representatives, notable alike for sweetness of character, acuteness in criticism, and wisdom in counsel. see p. vinogradoff's article on maitland in the _english historical review_ (1907); sir f. pollock's in the _quarterly review_ (1907); g. t. lapsley's in _the green bag_ (boston, mass., 1907); a. l. smith, _f. w. maitland_ (1908); h. a. l. fisher, _f. w. maitland_ (1910).