Travers Twiss

Born in London on March 19, 1809, Travers Twiss became one of the best-known English jurists of the 19th century. He studied at University College, Oxford, where he earned high honors in mathematics and classics, then went on to serve there as fellow, tutor, and later professor. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, a sign of the respect he earned in academic life.

Twiss built a distinguished career in law and public affairs. He taught political economy at Oxford, held the chair of international law at King's College London, and later became Oxford's professor of civil law. Called to the bar and eventually appointed Queen's Advocate-General, he was especially known for his work on the law of nations and for books such as The Law of Nations in Peace and The Law of Nations in War.

His public reputation suffered badly in 1872 after a widely publicized scandal involving his wife, and he withdrew from many of his official roles. Even so, he continued to write and remained a notable figure in international legal thought. Later accounts also note that he was consulted on the constitution of the Congo Free State, showing how far his influence reached beyond Britain.