We have recently been donated ‘Reports and Cases’ by Sir John Popham of Littlecote, written in 1682.

The Reports and Cases collected by the Learned Sr John Popham Kt, Late Lord Chief Justice of England, written with his own hand in French, and now faithfully translated into English, to which are added some remarkable Cases reported by other Learned Pens since his death by Sir John Popham dated 1682

Sir John Popham was known as the ‘hanging judge’ and ‘drawing & quartering judge’. Amongst his famous trials were the Earl of Essex, Guy Fawkes, Walter Raleigh and Mary Queen of Scots. He lived at Littlecote House, Wiltshire which was described by Pevsner as the ‘only brick built mansion in Wiltshire.’ The book was bought by its owner in 1964 when she worked in Westminster for the Ministry of Public Building and Works from a man who pulled a wooden bookcase on a wheeled cart around the streets and sold books, very Dickensian!

DZSWS:Book.17511