William Reynell Anson
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Sir William Reynell Anson, Baronet (November 14, 1843 - 1914), English jurist, was born at Walberton, Sussex, son of the second baronet.
Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, he took a first class in the final classical schools in 1866, and was elected to a fellowship of All Souls in the following year. In 1869 he was called to the bar, and went the home circuit until 1873, when he succeeded to the baronetcy. In 1874 he became Vinerian reader in English law at Oxford, a post which he held until he became, in 1881, warden of All Souls College.
He identified himself both with local and university interests; he became an alderman of the city of Oxford in 1892, chairman of quarter sessions for the county in 1894, was vice-chancellor of the university in 1898-1899, and chancellor of the diocese of Oxford in 1899. In that year he was returned, without opposition, as MP for Oxford University in the Liberal Unionist interest, and consequently resigned the vice-chancellorship.
In parliament he preserved an active interest in education, being a member of the newly created consultative committee of the Board of Education in 1900, and in 1902 he became Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education, a post he held until 1905.
He took an active part in the foundation of a school of law at Oxford, and his volumes on The Principles of the English Law of Contract (1884, 11th ed. 1906), and on The Law and Custom of the Constitution in two parts, "The Parliament" and "The Crown" (1886-1892, 3rd ed. 1907, pt. 1 .vol. ii.), are standard works.
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Categories: Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica | 1843 births | 1914 deaths | Jurists | British legal academics | UK Liberal Unionist politicians | Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for University constituencies | Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies
