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Sir Samuel Romilly Biography

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ROMILLY, Sir Samuel (1757-1818). An English jurist and law reformer, born at Westminster. He was called to the bar in 1783 and in 1805 was made Chancellor of the County Palatine of Durham, which position he held until 1815. He was returned to Parliament several times and was active in securing reforms, especially in the mitigation of the harsh criminal laws. He committed suicide in 1818. Besides numerous pamphlets be published: Thoughts on Executive Justice (London, 1786); Observations on the Criminal Law of England (ib., 1813); Objections to the Project of Creating a Vice-Chancellor of England (ib., 1813). His son, JOHN, first BARON ROMILLY (1802-74), was successively Solicitor-General, Attorney-General, and Blaster of the Rolls. He performed a great public service in the supervision of a compilation and collection of the Public Records of England. 

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XX (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920)