His seminal work, A Treatise upon the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament (first published in 1844) has become known as Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice or simply Erskine May: this parliamentary authority (book of procedural rules) is currently in its 25th revised edition (2019) and is informally considered part of the constitution of the United Kingdom.
Following his retirement as Clerk of the House of Commons in May 1886, May was created "Baron Farnborough, of Farnborough, in the county of Southampton" just a week before his death. Since he left no heirs, the barony became extinct, making it the second-shortest-lived peerage in British history.[1]
May began his parliamentary service in 1831, at the age of 16, as Assistant Librarian in the House of Commons Library. He was admitted to the Middle Temple on 20 June 1834 and called to the bar on 4 May 1838.[4][5] May married Johanna Laughton, of Fareham, on 27 August 1839.[6] May became examiner of petitions for private bills in 1846 and from 1847 to 1856 was Taxing Master for both Houses of Parliament. In 1856 he became Clerk Assistant of the House of Commons.
May was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 16 May 1860[7] and promoted to Knight Commander (KCB) on 6 July 1866.[8] On 16 February 1871, he was appointed Clerk of the House of Commons by letters patent.[9]
In 1873, he was elected a bencher of the Middle Temple and awarded an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law by the University of Oxford in 1874. In 1880, he was made a Reader of the Middle Temple and sworn of the Privy Council in 1884.
On 10 May 1886, shortly after his retirement as Clerk of the House of Commons, May was created "Baron Farnborough, of Farnborough, in the county of Southampton".[10] He died just a week later on 17 May 1886.[11] Since he left no heirs, the barony became extinct, making it the second-shortest-lived peerage in British history, after the Barony of Leighton.
May's most famous work, A Treatise upon the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament (now popularly known as Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice or simply Erskine May), was first published in 1844. The book is currently in its 25th edition (2019). It is informally considered part of the constitution of the United Kingdom. The guide is authoritative in many Commonwealth nations, often with strong influence on constitutional convention.
Another notable work is The Constitutional History of England since the Accession of George III, 1760–1860 (ISBN0-8377-2429-5). May's work was rejected by later historians, such as Herbert Butterfield who wrote, "Erskine May must be a good example of the way in which an historian may fall into error through an excess of brilliance. His capacity for synthesis, and his ability to dovetail the various parts of the evidence ... carried him into a more profound and complicated elaboration of error than some of his more pedestrian predecessors ... he inserted a doctrinal element into his history which, granted his original aberrations, was calculated to project the lines of his error, carrying his work still further from centrality or truth."[13]
References
^Leigh Rayment (1 September 2015). . Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^Parish register printouts of Westminster, London, England (Saint Martin in the Fields), christenings, 1813–1837.
^1881 Census: "Name: May, Thomas E. Age: 66. Relation: Head. Spouse's name: Lousia J. Gender: Male. Where born: Highgate, Middlesex, England. Civil parish: St Margaret. County/Island: London. Country: England. Street Address: Palace of Westminster. Condition as to marriage: Married. Occupation: K.C.B. Clerk Of The House Of Commons. Registration district: St George Hanover Square. Sub-registration district: St Margaret Westminster. Enumeration district: 1." Source: The National Archives, class RG11, piece 117, folio 18, page 30.
^Fellowes, E. A. (1 January 1950). "Review section". Parliamentary Affairs. IV (2): 266–268. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.pa.a052785.
^The formal appointment, as Under Clerk of the Parliaments, was officially announced on 2 February. "No. 23702". The London Gazette. 3 February 1871. p. 383.
^Death certificate: "Name: May, Thomas Erskine (Lord Farnborough). Age at Death: 71. District: St George Hanover Square. County: London, Middlesex." General Register Office, England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes, April–June 1886, volume 1a, page 305.
^William McKay, May, Thomas Erskine, Baron Farnborough (1815–1886), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2000. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
^Butterfield, Herbert (1957). George III and the Historians. London: Collins. p. 152.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Erskine May, 1st Baron Farnborough.
Works by or about Erskine May, 1st Baron Farnborough at Wikisource
Works by or about Erskine May in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
Parliamentary Archives, Papers of Thomas Erskine May (1815-1886), Baron Farnborough
March 04, 2023
erskine, this, article, about, constitutional, theorist, book, parliamentary, practice, thomas, baron, farnborough, february, 1815, 1886, british, constitutional, theorist, clerk, house, commons, right, honourablethe, lord, farnboroughkcb, pcunder, clerk, parl. This article is about the constitutional theorist For the book see Erskine May Parliamentary Practice Thomas Erskine May 1st Baron Farnborough KCB PC 8 February 1815 17 May 1886 was a British constitutional theorist and Clerk of the House of Commons The Right HonourableThe Lord FarnboroughKCB PCUnder Clerk of the ParliamentsIn office 16 February 1871 17 April 1886MonarchVictoriaPreceded bySir Denis Le Marchant BtSucceeded bySir Reginald PalgravePersonal detailsBornThomas Erskine May8 February 1815Highgate Middlesex England United KingdomDied17 May 1886 1886 05 17 aged 71 St George Hanover Square Middlesex England United KingdomHis seminal work A Treatise upon the Law Privileges Proceedings and Usage of Parliament first published in 1844 has become known as Erskine May Parliamentary Practice or simply Erskine May this parliamentary authority book of procedural rules is currently in its 25th revised edition 2019 and is informally considered part of the constitution of the United Kingdom Following his retirement as Clerk of the House of Commons in May 1886 May was created Baron Farnborough of Farnborough in the county of Southampton just a week before his death Since he left no heirs the barony became extinct making it the second shortest lived peerage in British history 1 Contents 1 Biography 2 Notable works 3 References 4 External linksBiography EditThomas Erskine May was born in Highgate Middlesex on 8 February 1815 He was christened on 21 September 1815 at St Martin in the Fields Westminster with his parents being registered as Thomas and Sarah May 2 He was educated at Bedford School 3 May began his parliamentary service in 1831 at the age of 16 as Assistant Librarian in the House of Commons Library He was admitted to the Middle Temple on 20 June 1834 and called to the bar on 4 May 1838 4 5 May married Johanna Laughton of Fareham on 27 August 1839 6 May became examiner of petitions for private bills in 1846 and from 1847 to 1856 was Taxing Master for both Houses of Parliament In 1856 he became Clerk Assistant of the House of Commons May was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath CB on 16 May 1860 7 and promoted to Knight Commander KCB on 6 July 1866 8 On 16 February 1871 he was appointed Clerk of the House of Commons by letters patent 9 In 1873 he was elected a bencher of the Middle Temple and awarded an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law by the University of Oxford in 1874 In 1880 he was made a Reader of the Middle Temple and sworn of the Privy Council in 1884 On 10 May 1886 shortly after his retirement as Clerk of the House of Commons May was created Baron Farnborough of Farnborough in the county of Southampton 10 He died just a week later on 17 May 1886 11 Since he left no heirs the barony became extinct making it the second shortest lived peerage in British history after the Barony of Leighton Sir William McKay who edited Erskine May s private journal has suggested that May was possibly an unacknowledged son or grandson of The 1st Baron Erskine 12 Notable works EditMay s most famous work A Treatise upon the Law Privileges Proceedings and Usage of Parliament now popularly known as Erskine May Parliamentary Practice or simply Erskine May was first published in 1844 The book is currently in its 25th edition 2019 It is informally considered part of the constitution of the United Kingdom The guide is authoritative in many Commonwealth nations often with strong influence on constitutional convention Another notable work is The Constitutional History of England since the Accession of George III 1760 1860 ISBN 0 8377 2429 5 May s work was rejected by later historians such as Herbert Butterfield who wrote Erskine May must be a good example of the way in which an historian may fall into error through an excess of brilliance His capacity for synthesis and his ability to dovetail the various parts of the evidence carried him into a more profound and complicated elaboration of error than some of his more pedestrian predecessors he inserted a doctrinal element into his history which granted his original aberrations was calculated to project the lines of his error carrying his work still further from centrality or truth 13 References Edit Leigh Rayment 1 September 2015 Peerage Records Leigh Rayment s Peerage Page Archived from the original on 23 March 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Parish register printouts of Westminster London England Saint Martin in the Fields christenings 1813 1837 1881 Census Name May Thomas E Age 66 Relation Head Spouse s name Lousia J Gender Male Where born Highgate Middlesex England Civil parish St Margaret County Island London Country England Street Address Palace of Westminster Condition as to marriage Married Occupation K C B Clerk Of The House Of Commons Registration district St George Hanover Square Sub registration district St Margaret Westminster Enumeration district 1 Source The National Archives class RG11 piece 117 folio 18 page 30 Fellowes E A 1 January 1950 Review section Parliamentary Affairs IV 2 266 268 doi 10 1093 oxfordjournals pa a052785 Lee Sidney ed 1894 May Thomas Erskine Dictionary of National Biography Vol 37 London Smith Elder amp Co pp 139 140 Correspondence of Lady Farnborough and Miss E G Laughton No 22387 The London Gazette 18 May 1860 p 1915 No 23134 The London Gazette 6 July 1866 p 3871 The formal appointment as Under Clerk of the Parliaments was officially announced on 2 February No 23702 The London Gazette 3 February 1871 p 383 No 25585 The London Gazette 11 May 1886 p 2269 Death certificate Name May Thomas Erskine Lord Farnborough Age at Death 71 District St George Hanover Square County London Middlesex General Register Office England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes April June 1886 volume 1a page 305 William McKay May Thomas Erskine Baron Farnborough 1815 1886 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 online edn Jan 2000 Retrieved 11 April 2011 Butterfield Herbert 1957 George III and the Historians London Collins p 152 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Erskine May 1st Baron Farnborough Works by or about Erskine May 1st Baron Farnborough at Wikisource Works by or about Erskine May in libraries WorldCat catalog Parliamentary Archives Papers of Thomas Erskine May 1815 1886 Baron Farnborough Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Erskine May amp oldid 1137325132, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
