Project Gutenberg 2017-10-09 Public domain in the USA. 209 Watt, Francis 1849 1927 The Law's Lumber Room Benefit of clergy -- Peine forte et dure -- A passage in Shakespeare (fines and recoveries) --The custom of the manor -- Deodands -- The law of the forest -- Par nobile fratrum (John Doe and Richard Roe) -- Sanctuary -- Trial by ordeal -- Wager of battle -- The press gang -- Sumptuary laws. Produced by deaurider, David E. Brown and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "The Law's Lumber Room" by Francis Watt is a collection of essays on legal history written in the late 19th century. This work delves into the often archaic and curious aspects of English law, exploring peculiar legal terms, antiquated practices, and the evolution of various laws that have shaped the justice system over time. The book aims to reveal the romance hidden within the dry bones of legal history, shedding light on its more colorful and controversial aspects. The opening of the book introduces the metaphor of a lumber room filled with discarded statutes and outdated legal practices, suggesting that the complexities of law are often overlooked yet harbor fascinating stories. Watt discusses the concept of "Benefit of Clergy," a legal privilege allowing certain individuals to evade harsher penalties, and recounts its historical context as a remnant from a time when the church played a significant role in legal proceedings. He touches upon the quirks and contradictions of this practice, illustrating both the absurdities and the grim realities of how justice was administered in earlier centuries. Overall, the beginning sets the tone for a reflective exploration of historical legal practices, aiming to captivate readers with tales of law that are as peculiar as they are fascinating. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 64.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Law -- Great Britain KD Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: History - British Category: Law & Criminology 176129 2025-09-22T08:42:00.154580 text/html 154582 2024-10-23T02:44:37 text/html 125665 2025-09-22T08:42:03.164586 application/epub+zip 124093 2025-09-22T08:42:00.713590 application/epub+zip 124093 2025-09-22T08:42:00.383584 application/epub+zip 170630 2025-09-22T08:42:05.264567 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 144549 2025-09-22T08:42:02.904625 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 148948 2022-08-25T07:00:27.471018 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 155890 2025-09-22T08:41:59.946629 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 136046 2024-10-23T02:44:37 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16635 2025-09-22T08:42:05.390613 application/rdf+xml 9110 2025-09-22T08:42:00.459609 image/jpeg 1709 2025-09-22T08:42:00.420594 image/jpeg 111496 2025-09-22T08:42:00.171578 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog