John Bruce Williamson

Williamson was born on 28 January 1859.^[2] The son of John Williamson of Glasgow, he matriculated at Balliol College, Oxford on 29 January 1881, graduating B.A. in 1885.^[3]

In 1887 Williamson was called to the bar at the Middle Temple.^[3] He was appointed secretary to the University of Durham Commissioners constituted under the University of Durham Act 1908 by warrant under the royal sign manual dated 27 October 1908.^[4] He was elected to serve on the General Council of the Bar in February 1911^[5] and again in 1913.^[6] He became a bencher of the Middle Temple in 1925.^[1]

Williamson died on 7 July 1938.^[7] The National Portrait Gallery has a photograph of him taken in 1936 by Olive Edis.^[8]

Williamson was the author of:

• The Foreign Commerce of England Under the Tudors: The Stanhope Essay for 1883 (B H Blackwell, Oxford, 1883)^[9][10]
• The Law of Licensing in England (1st Ed: 1898,^[11] 2nd Ed: 1902,^[12] 3rd Ed: 1905, 4th Ed: 1911). Sometimes called Williamson's Law of Licensing. The first three editions were published by William Clowes & Sons Limited, the fourth was published by Stevens & Sons (Limited). The "standard book" of its day on its subject.^[13][14]
• The Palatine Court of Durham Act, 1889 (Beavis, Stewart & Co; Newcastle; 1890)^[15] Also called Bruce Williamson on Palatine Court.^[16]
• Memorials of John Bruce, Schoolmaster in Newcastle upon Tyne and of Mary Bruce, His Wife (Newcastle, 1903) (aka Memorials of John and Mary Bruce; Memorials of John Bruce)
• The History of the Temple, London, from the institution of the order of the Knights of the Temple to the close of the Stuart period (J Murray, London, 1st Ed: 1924, 2nd Ed: 1925; both editions reprinted by Gaunt, Holmes Beach, 1998)^[17] Baker calls this book "excellent"^[18]
• Roll of Honour (1925)
• Drawings of the Inns of Court and Chancery made probably in the first half of the Eighteenth Century (London Topographical Society, Publication No 59, 1928)
• Middle Temple Hall: Notes upon its History (Printed for Society of the Middle Temple by Chancery Lane Press, London, 1st Ed: 1928, 2nd revised Ed: 1934)^[19]
• Catalogue of Silver Plate: The property of the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple (Bonner, London, 1930) Also known as "Silver plate of the Middle Temple", which appears on the cover.^[20]
• The Practice of the Law in England (London, 1930)
• Catalogue of the Paintings and Engravings in the Possession of the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple (Society of the Middle Temple, London, 1931)^[21]
• Notes on the Middle Temple in the Nineteenth Century, chiefly with reference to the Buildings of the Inn (Bonner & Co, London, 1936)
• Sir Walter Raleigh and His Trial (Pitman, London, 1936)^[22] Autumn Reader of the Middle Temple (Lector Autumnalis) for 1935.^[23]
• Volume 1 of the Second Edition of "The Middle Temple Bench Book" (1937)^[24][25]

Williamson was joint author with Roger William Wallace QC^[26] of:

• The Law and Practice Relating to Letters Patent for Inventions (Wallace and Williams on Patents for Inventions) (W Clowes and Sons Limited, 1900)^[27] Reprinted in "nineteenth century legal treatises" microform series by Research Publications, Woodbridge.^[28]