John Cottesmore
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His Worship John Cottesmore SL
JP
(died August 29, 1439) was a British justice of unknown origin. The first record of his work was in Oxfordshire
in 1403, the location of much of his early legal work. In 1418 he was appointed to a Commission of the Peace for Oxford
; by this point he was a Serjeant-at-law
. In 1420 he was appointed to Commissions of the Peace for Cambridge
and Cambridgeshire
, as well as ones in East Anglia
and the Midlands
. At this point he also became an Assize justice, and in 1423 was created a King's Serjeant; in 1425 he was one of the King's Serjeants summoned to Parliament. On October 15, 1429 he was appointed as a justice for the Court of Common Pleas
, which led to an increase in commissions and appointments; in 1437, for example, he was sent to Norwich
with Marmaduke Lumley
to oversee the mayoral elections, which, it was feared, would cause civil disturbances. On January 20, 1479 he was made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
, but served only briefly; he died on August 29 of the same year.
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(died August 29, 1439) was a British justice of unknown origin. The first record of his work was in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
in 1403, the location of much of his early legal work. In 1418 he was appointed to a Commission of the Peace for Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
; by this point he was a Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
. In 1420 he was appointed to Commissions of the Peace for Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, as well as ones in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
and the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. At this point he also became an Assize justice, and in 1423 was created a King's Serjeant; in 1425 he was one of the King's Serjeants summoned to Parliament. On October 15, 1429 he was appointed as a justice for the Court of Common Pleas
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
, which led to an increase in commissions and appointments; in 1437, for example, he was sent to Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
with Marmaduke Lumley
Marmaduke Lumley
Marmaduke Lumley was an English priest, Bishop of Carlisle from 1429 to 1450. He was a son of Ralph de Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley. He was elected about 5 December 1429, and consecrated on 16 April 1430. He was Bishop of Lincoln for a short time before his death in December of 1450...
to oversee the mayoral elections, which, it was feared, would cause civil disturbances. On January 20, 1479 he was made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord...
, but served only briefly; he died on August 29 of the same year.