author
Giles Jacob
1686–1744
Best remembered as one of the leading legal writers of early eighteenth-century Britain, he produced a law dictionary that stayed influential long after his lifetime. He also moved in literary circles, writing poetry and criticism as well as legal works.
1 Audiobook
Tractus de Hermaphrodites; Or, A Treatise of Hermaphrodites
by Giles Jacob
About the author
Born in Romsey, Hampshire, and baptized in 1686, Giles Jacob built his career around the law but wrote across more than one field. Sources describe him as a legal and literary author, and he became especially known for explaining legal terms and practice in a way readers could actually use.
His best-known work, A New Law-Dictionary, was widely admired and later became especially popular in the United States. He also wrote on courts, offices, and legal procedure, helping make him one of the most prominent legal compilers of his time.
Jacob had a literary side as well: he published poetry and criticism, and his name appears in the world of eighteenth-century satire and letters. He died on May 8, 1744, leaving behind a body of work that connects the practical world of law with the lively print culture of his age.