Edward Christian
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Edward Christian (3 March 1758 – 29 March 1823) was an English judge and law professor. He was the older brother of Fletcher Christian, leader of the mutiny on the Bounty.
Edward Christian was one of the three sons of Charles Christian of Moorland Close and of the large Ewanrigg Hall estate in Dearham, Cumberland, an attorney-at-law descended from Manx gentry, and his wife Ann Dixon.[1][2]
Charles's marriage to Ann brought with it the small property of Moorland Close, "a quadrangle pile of buildings ... half castle, half farmstead."[3] Charles died in 1768 and Edward's mother, Ann, proved herself irresponsible with money. By 1779, Ann had run up a debt of nearly £6,500 (equal to £1,103,433 today),[3] and faced the prospect of debtors' prison. Moorland Close was lost and Ann and her younger children were forced to flee to the Isle of Man, where English creditors had no power. The three elder Christian sons managed to arrange a £40 (equal to £6,790 today) per year annuity for their mother, allowing the family to live in genteel poverty. His mother, Ann, died on the Isle of Man in 1819.[4]
Christian attended St Bees School and went up to Peterhouse, Cambridge in 1775, but migrated to St John's College in 1777, graduating as third wrangler in 1779.[5] From 1781 to 1782, Edward Christian was Headmaster at Hawkshead Grammar School. He left his job at the school to go to Cambridge University.
While at Cambridge, he forged a friendship with William Wilberforce.[6] He was admitted to Gray's Inn on 5 July 1782.[7] In 1788, Christian was appointed Downing Professor of the Laws of England at the University of Cambridge, although the chair was only founded along with Downing College in 1800. He held the professorship in conjunction with a fellowship of Downing until his death in 1823. He was also law professor at the East India Company College from 1806 to 1818.[5][7]
Christian was Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely and was one of the presiding judges at the Ely and Littleport riot Special Commission assizes at Ely in 1816.[8]
