SS Peter & Paul, Lingfield- memorial (K) (geograph 4786915)

Sir James Burrow (28 November 1701 – 5 November 1782 at Starborough Castle, Lingfield, Surrey), was a legal reporter at

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

, London, and was vice president and twice briefly

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

. He was knighted in 1773. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...

on 7 April 1737, as "A Gentleman well versed in Natural and Mathematical knowledge". He served as a member of the

Council from 1752 until 1782, initially as a vice president from 1752, and then as a council member. He twice served briefly as a

president of the Royal Society The president of the Royal Society (PRS) is the elected Head of the Royal Society of London who presides over meetings of the society's council. After informal meetings at Gresham College, the Royal Society was officially founded on 28 November ...

, from October to November 1768 following the death of The Earl of Morton, and July to November 1772, following the death of James West. As vice president, he was involved in the society's activities in organising the observation of the 1761

Transit of Venus frameless, upright=0.5 A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and a superior planet, becoming visible against (and hence obscuring a small portion of) the solar disk. During a tr ...

, signing the Articles of Agreement between the Council of the Royal Society and Mr

Charles Mason Charles Mason (April 1728 Jeremiah Dixon Jeremiah Dixon FRS (27 July 1733 – 22 January 1779) was an English surveyor and astronomer who is best known for his work with Charles Mason, from 1763 to 1767, in determining what was later called the Mason–Dixon line. Early life and ...

for their expedition to Bencoolen in the Island of Sumatra. As a legal reporter, he wrote and published reports of the decisions of significant cases in the English legal system. At the time, four reporters were formally appointed by the King 'to commit to writing, and truly to deliver, as well the words spoken, as the judgments and reasons thereupon given,' in the courts of

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

quoted i

His work is still cited in law courses.

Publications

* James Burrow, 1732, ''The Decisions of King's Bench upon Settlement Cases from the Death of Lord Raymond''. London. * James Burrow. 1757. ''Serious Reflections on the Present State of Domestic and Foreign Affairs ... together with some critical remarks on lotteries, etc.'' London. * James Burrow. 1763. ''A few Anecdotes and Observations relating to Oliver Cromwell and his family; serving to rectify several errors concerning him'', published by N. C. Padopoli in his Historia Gymnasii Patavini. London. * Sir James Burrow. 1771. ''De usu et ratione interpungendi: an essay on the use of pointing, and the facility of practising it''. J. Worrall & B. Tovey: London. * Sir James Burrow. 1772. ''Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Court of King's Bench: During the Time Lord Mansfield Presided in That Court; from Michaelmas Term, 30 Geo. II. 1756, to Easter Term, 12 Geo. III.'' London.

References

* Record of Election Certificate, reference EC/1737/02, from the Royal Society Archive Catalogue, accessed vi

17 December 2005 * Record of James Burrow in the Royal Society Fellows Catalogue. accessed via

17 December 2005 * British Library record for author James Burrow, retrieved 17 December 2005

External links

Portrait of James Burrow
by

James Basire James Basire (1730–1802 London), also known as James Basire Sr., was a British engraver. He is the most significant of a family of engravers, and noted for his apprenticing of the young William Blake. Early life His father was Isaac Basire ...

, from the collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco * Courtney, W. P. ''Burrow, Sir James (1701–1782).'' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Online ed., January 2008
(accessed November 28, 2010)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burrow, James 1701 births 1782 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society Presidents of the Royal Society Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London