Littleton, Sir Thomas

Littleton, Sir Thomas, 1422?–1481, English jurist. He became a sergeant-at-law, i.e., a barrister, in the Court of Common Pleas in 1453 and a judge in 1466. He is best known for his Tenures, a short work in French on the types of estates in land in England. The work, one of the earliest printed books in England, was much admired for its concise and simple quality. In the much-expanded edition of Sir Edward Coke, the Tenures was the standard text on property law until the 19th cent. His name also occurs as Lyttelton or Lyttleton.

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Littleton, Sir Thomas

(born 1422, probably at Frankley, Worcestershire, Eng.—died Aug. 23, 1481, Frankley) British jurist. In a turbulent period he held several high offices, including judge of the Court of Common Pleas (from 1466). His Littleton on Tenures (1481 or 1482) was the earliest treatise on English law ever printed. It long remained the principal authority on English real property law.