The Duty and Authority of Justices of the Peace, in the State of...
The First JP Manual Printed in Tennessee Haywood, John [1762-1826], Compiler. The Duty and Authority of Justices of the Peace, In the State of Tennessee. Nashville: Printed and Sold by Thomas G. Bradford, 1810. [iv], 372, [7] pp. An additional four leaves, all containing advertisements, not present in this copy. Octavo (7" x 4-1/2"). Recent period-style calf, gilt rules and lettering piece to spine, hinges mended. Some toning and faint dampspotting to text, several printing faults resulting in torn leaves near the gutter, typical with early frontier imprints. Two later owner inscriptions (of J.H. Shankland and Edward T. Danford) to front pastedown, interior otherwise clean. $1,500. * First edition. Justice of the peace manuals are important resources for understanding the growth and development of Anglo-American law. They are also rich sources of social history, providing insights into how everyday people interacted with the legal system. In early America, where county courts were vital instruments of local government and social organization, the justice of the peace was "the arch symbol of our emphasis on local autonomy;" a justice of the peace, more than merely resolving disputes, "responded to the practical need, in a time of poor and costly communications, to bring justice close to each man's door" (Hurst). These justices were often prominent local landholders and rarely had formal legal training, making a justice's manual an essential tool. Justice of the peace manuals were of such importance, in fact, that they were among the first legal titles printed and composed in America. This was the first JP manual printed in Tennessee. With its choice of topics and rather amateurish printing, it evokes the state of frontier life in the early nineteenth century. Haywood was a jurist and historian from North Carolina who moved to Tennessee in 1807. Soon after his arrival he enhanced his already solid reputation by publishing a series of legal compilations and the earliest important histories of his adopted state. He served on the Tennessee Supreme Court for the last 12 years of his life. Other editions of his manual were published in 1811 and 1816. One of the owners of this copy was likely James Horton Shankland [1846-1923], a Nashville-born attorney who relocated to San Francisco in 1874 and became a founder and early offic.
Price: $1,500.00
Book number 61650