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 The Green Bag.

Vol. II. No. 10.

BOSTON. October, 1890.

LORD LYNDHURST.

O name in English judicial history pos' sesses more interest for the legal profession in this country than that of Lord Lyndhurst, who was an American by birth and a native of Massachusetts.

John Singleton Copley, the future Lord Chancellor of England, was born in Boston on the 21st of May, 1772. His father, a portrait-painter in that city, had sent over to England, in 1766, a beautiful picture, " The Boy with the Squirrel," consigned to the care of Benjamin West, who had already achieved a great reputation in England. West was greatly impressed by the talent displayed in this work, and through his efforts it was permitted to be hung on the walls of the Society of Incorporated Artists, although the rules of the Association only allowed the works of its members to be exhibited. This picture thus strangely introduced to English art circles established Copley's reputation in England. Notwithstanding the success of this painting and of others which he sent over in the next few years, Copley hesitated long about removing to London. In 1774, however, he sailed for London, and was followed a year later by his wife and children. After living for a few years in Leicester Fields, the family moved to a small but commodious house, No. 25 George Street, Hanover Square.

Young Copley was educated at Dr. Home's school at Chiswick, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1790. Over-confident in his fine memory and in his quickness of perception, he put off too long the preparation for honors, and had to make up for lost hours by working late into the night under the stimulus of strong tea and with wet bandages on his head. He came out, however, in 1794, as second wrangler, and second Smith's prizeman.

Having decided upon the law as a profession, before finally settling down to his lifework, he paid a visit to America. His father had a small property at Boston, called the Beacon Hill Estate. It was only twelve acres; but its value as building land was great, and young Copley, having obtained from his University the appointment of travelling bachelor for three years, with a grant of £100 a year, went to see whether he could secure the property, which had been imperilled by his father's removal to England. He found that according to American law his father was an alien, and agreed to a compromise, by which he resigned all claim to the estate on payment of £4,000. For a time he had serious thoughts of buying a good tract of land and settling down in America; but all such schemes were soon abandoned, and by the middle of 1797 he was again in England. Travel had enlarged his views, and bound him to the land of his birth by many warm ties of friendship.

The serious business of life was now before him. He took his M. A. degree, and at tended the chambers of Mr. Tidd, the famous special pleader. For some time after being called to the bar his prospects were not bright; but they gradually became better and better as opportunities were afforded him of displaying his talents. The trial of the Spa conspirators, in which he was associated with Mr. Wetherell for the defence, 55