George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys
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The Right Honourable The Lord Jeffreys PC |
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| Lord Chancellor | |
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In office 1685–1688 |
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| Preceded by | The Lord Guilford |
| Succeeded by | In Commission |
| Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench | |
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In office 1683–1685 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Fraser Pemberton |
| Succeeded by | Sir Edward Herbert |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 May 1645 Acton, Wrexham, Wales |
| Died | 18 April 1689 (aged 43) Tower of London, England |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Religion | Anglicanism |
George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, PC (15 May 1645 – 18 April 1689), also known as "The Hanging Judge", was a Welsh judge. He became notable during the reign of King James II, rising to the position of Lord Chancellor (and serving as Lord High Steward in certain instances). His conduct as a judge was to enforce royal policy, resulting in a historical reputation for severity and bias.
Jeffreys was born at the family estate of Acton Hall, in Wrexham, in North Wales, the sixth son of John and Margaret Jeffreys. His grandfather, John Jeffreys (died 1622), had been Chief Justice of the Anglesey circuit of the Great Sessions. His father, also John Jeffreys (1608–1691), was a Royalist during the English Civil War, but was reconciled to the Commonwealth and served as High Sheriff of Denbighshire in 1655.
His brothers were people of note. Thomas, later Sir Thomas (knighted in 1686), was English Consul in Spain and a Knight of Alcántara. William was vicar of Holt, near Wrexham, from 1668 to 1675. His younger brother, James, made a good ecclesiastical career, becoming Vice-Dean of Canterbury in 1685.
George was educated at Shrewsbury School from 1652 to 1659, his grandfather's old school, where he was periodically tested by Philip Henry, a friend of his mother. He attended St Paul's School, London, from 1659 to 1661 and Westminster School, London, from 1661 to 1662. He became an undergraduate at Trinity College, Cambridge University, in 1662, leaving after one year without graduating, and entering the Inner Temple for law in 1663.
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