The portrait was originally engraved by Robert Vaughan for the 1629 edition of Coke on Littleton – Courtesty of National Portrait Gallery.
Thomas Littleton [Lyttleton] (d. 1481), was a prominent fifteenth century justice and legal writer. During his lifetime he was best known for his contributions to the Year Books, but his most famous work became a short treatise on property published posthumously and known as Littleton’s Tenures. The treatise, was first printed anonymously and without title by John Lettou and William Machlinia in around 1481. Along with a Year Book of Henry VI, it is thought to have been the first law book published in England. Several contemporary manuscripts copies also survive including this copy from around 1479 held in he University of Manchester Library.
The text was probably written for the instruction of one of the author’s sons and dates from about ten to fifteen years before the first printed edition. It consolidated the law as it pertained to real property, land, and especially of the law of trusts as they were beginning to influence the common law.
The book was extremely successful, enjoying over ninety editions. Richard Tottel printed at least four editions, some in Law French and some in English. Thomas Marshe the printer who printed an edition of the Magna Carta in same year as Tottel also printed an edition of Littleton in 1556.
Lyttylton tenures nevvly revised, and truly corrected vvith a table, after the alphabete to finde out briefely the cases desired in the same, thereto added verye necessary to the readers
1554 English Short Title Catalogue record
1556 English Short Title Catalogue record
1557 English Short Title Catalogue record
Les tenures du monsieur Littleton, ouesque certein cases addes p[er] auters de puisne temps, queux cases vous troueres signes ouesque ce[st] signe [fleuron] al co[m]mencement [et] al fine de chescun deux, au fine que ne poies eux misprender pur les cases de monsieur Littleton: pur quel inconuenience, ils fuerent dernierment tolles de cest lieur. Et cy vn foits pluis admotes al request des gentill homes studentes en le ley dengleterre.
1581 English Short Title Catalogue record
There is a complete digitised copy of Tottel’s 1556 edition.
In 1628 Edward Coke (1552–1634), the eminent lawyer, legal writer, and politician published his Commentarie upon Littleton, known as Coke on Littleton. The book presented Coke’s glosses on the text of Littleton’s Tenures and became a notable work itself.
Richard Tottel 