KENYON, Lloyd Kenyon, Lord (1732-1802), an English lawyer and lord chief-justice of England, was descended by his father’s side from an old Lancashire family, and his mother was the daughter of a small proprietor in Wales. He was born at Gredington, Flintshire, 5th October 1732. After studying five years at Ruthin grammar school, he was in his fifteenth year articled to an attorney at Nantwich, Cheshire. In 1750 he was entered a student of Lincoln’s Inn, London, and in 1756 was called to the bar. As for several years he was left almost unemployed, he utilized his leisure in taking notes of the cases argued in the court of Queen’s Bench, which he afterwards published. Through answering the cases of his friend John Dunning, afterwards Lord Ashburton, he gradually became known to the attorneys, after which his success was so rapid that in 1780 he was made king’s counsel, his promotion being assisted to some extent through his friendship with Thurlow. He manifested conspicuous ability in the cross-examination of the witnesses at the trial of Lord George Gordon, but his speech was so deficient in tact that the verdict of acquittal was solely due to the extraordinary and brilliant effort of Erskine, the junior counsel Through the influence of Lord Thurlow, Kenyon in September 1780 entered the House of Commons as member for Hindon, and in April 1782 he was, through the same friendship, appointed attorney-general in Lord Buckingham’s administration, an office which he also continued to hold under Pitt. In 1784 he received the mastership of the rolls, and was created a baronet. His position at the bar had been achieved chiefly by hard work, a good knowledge of law, and several lucky friendships. As an advocate he was not only deficient in manner and in ability of ...