author

James Williams

1851–1911

A Liverpool-born legal scholar and poet, he spent much of his career at Oxford, where he taught Roman law and wrote on both legal and literary subjects. His work ranged from commentary on Justinian to volumes of verse, giving him an unusual place between academia and poetry.

1 Audiobook

Briefless Ballads and Legal Lyrics

Briefless Ballads and Legal Lyrics

by James Williams

About the author

Born in Liverpool in 1851, he studied at Lincoln College, Oxford, winning a scholarship and building a strong academic record before being called to the Bar in 1875. Although he began on the Northern Circuit, he was drawn toward legal writing and scholarship, becoming a regular contributor to reference and review publications.

He later served as Fellow of Lincoln College and All Souls Reader in Roman Law, and was known at Oxford as a teacher, examiner, and college officer. His published work included legal studies—especially an edition of Justinian's Institutes with commentary—as well as writing on education.

Alongside his legal career, he also wrote poetry. An obituary in The Times described him as the author of several volumes of verse, noting in particular a 1911 collection of poems adapted from Thomas à Kempis. He died in 1911 after several years of declining health.