Joseph Chitty

Joseph Chitty (12 March 1775 – 17 February 1841) was an English lawyer and legal writer, author of some of the earliest practitioners' texts and founder of an important dynasty of lawyers.

He was himself the son of a Joseph Chitty (1729–1795), and his wife, Sarah née Cartwright. He initially practised as a special pleader before being called to the bar by the Middle Temple on 28 June 1816. He never became a KC but built a huge junior practice at 1 Pump Court and published many books.

Chitty was also pupil master to a generation of lawyers, including:

In fact, at the time, the Inns of Court were in decline and Chitty organised lectures and moots, in 1810 being given permission to use the hall of Lincoln's Inn.

Despite his successful practice, by 1831, Chitty had amassed extensive debts that were costing almost GBP2,000 per year to service. Further, Chitty's health was in decline and he was becoming increasingly anxious about his parlous state. Much of his energy became taken up in avoiding the attentions of his creditors. He retired from practice in 1833 but continued to publish. He died in London and was buried in Kenal Green Cemetery.

He married Elizabeth Woodward, and they had eight children. Of those, Joseph Chitty the younger, Thomas Chitty, Edward Chitty, and Thompson Chitty were lawyers and legal writers: Joseph the younger and Thompson were the first editors of the standard textbook Chitty on Contracts. The judge Joseph William Chitty was a son of Thomas Chitty. Musician Gus Unger-Hamilton is Joseph Chitty's great great great great great grandson.

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