author
Sir Thomas Littleton
d. 1481
Best known for writing Tenures, this 15th-century English judge helped shape the language and teaching of English land law for centuries. His work became one of the foundation texts studied by generations of lawyers.
2 Audiobooks
Anciennes loix des François, conservées dans les coutumes angloises, recueillies par Littleton, Vol. I
by Sir Thomas Littleton, David Hoüard
Anciennes loix des François conservées dans les coutumes angloises recueillies par Littleton, Vol. II
by Sir Thomas Littleton, David Hoüard
About the author
Born in Worcestershire in the early 15th century, Sir Thomas Littleton was an English judge and legal writer who served during the reign of Edward IV. He became a justice of the Court of Common Pleas and was also associated with Frankley and Tixall through family inheritance and property.
Littleton is remembered above all for Tenures (often called Littleton on Tenures), a highly influential treatise on landholding and property law. Written in Law French rather than Latin, it stood out as a practical guide to English legal customs and remained a standard text for centuries, especially after it was later discussed at length by Sir Edward Coke.
Although much about his early life is uncertain, his reputation as a clear legal thinker endured long after his death on August 23, 1481. For readers interested in the roots of English common law, he remains one of the most important medieval legal authors.