Sir Joseph Jekyll

Sir Joseph Jekyll KS PC
Chief Justice of Cheshire
In office 1697–1717
Preceded by	John Coombe
Succeeded by	Spencer Cowper
Master of the Rolls
In office 13 July 1717 – 19 August 1738
Preceded by	Sir John Trevor
Succeeded by	Sir John Verney
Personal details
Born	1663
Died	19 August 1738
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig
Relations	Thomas Jekyll, John Jekyll
Profession	Barrister, judge, politician

Sir Joseph Jekyll KS (1663 – 19 August 1738) was a British barrister, politician and judge. Born to John Jekyll, he initially attended a seminary before joining the Middle Temple in 1680. Thanks to his association with Lord Somers Jekyll advanced rapidly, becoming Chief Justice of Chester in 1697 and a King's Serjeant in 1702. He was returned as a Whig Member of Parliament for Eye in 1697, and was considered an excellent speaker in the House of Commons and one of the Whig Junto.

As a member of parliament Jekyll helped draft many bills, and was key in convincing the government to investigate the collapse of the South Sea Company in 1720. On 13 July 1717 he was made Master of the Rolls, and fulfilled his duties with "legal ability, integrity and despatch" until his death on 19 August 1738 of "a mortification in the bowels".

Jekyll was born in 1663 to John Jekyll and his second wife Tryphena, and was the half-brother of Thomas Jekyll. He attended a seminary in Islington before joining the Middle Temple in 1680 and was called to the Bar in 1687. Thanks to his connections with Middle Temple he became an associate of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Somers, and later married Somers' sister, Elizabeth. With Somers' support he became Chief Justice of Cheshire in June 1697, succeeding John Coombe, and was knighted on 12 December of that year. In 1699 he became a Reader of Middle Temple. In 1700 he became a Serjeant-at-Law, in 1702 a King's Serjeant and finally Prime Serjeant in 1714. Jekyll was very active in bringing cases before the House of Lords, acting in 14 cases in 1706 alone.

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