#  23. File under "Murder" 

 



##  Loffice et aucthoritie de iustices de peace 

 

  ![Recto](/sites/g/files/omnuum10456/files/2025-11/stc_10979_c_2_folio_16_recto_adjusted.jpg)

 



 

  

 

  ![Book tabs](/sites/g/files/omnuum10456/files/2025-11/stc_10979_c_2_book_tabs_adjusted.jpg)

 



 

  

 

 

 

 

**Anthony Fitzherbert**  
London, England, 1584  
  
This is a copy of an expanded Law French edition of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert’s popular treatise on the duties of justices of the peace. At the top of the title page, its late sixteenth century owner—most likely a man—signed his name. Unfortunately his signature is now undecipherable due to close cropping (possibly when the Law Library had it rebound in 1897). In the sixteenth century, readers often purchased their books as printed sheets and had them bound to their specifications, and it was common practice for legal texts to be interleaved for note-taking. In this case, the former owner had this work partially interleaved and subsequently made lengthy notes on those sheets. His extensive annotations to the text itself include citations to laws, given in regnal years. Additionally, and perhaps most interestingly, small vellum tabs were sewn onto the edges of selected leaves of text and labeled by topic—as shown here, the topic was “Murder”. The irregularity of the linen stitches leads one to believe that these tabs were sewn on by the owner. Many of the tabs are now faded and most are illegible, but they bear witness to this early reader’s efforts to organize and find his way efficiently through the printed text.

English, Law French, Latin. Paper.  
Harvard Law School Library. Rare STC 10979 Beale T330 . HOLLIS Catalog: [003973326](https://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990039733260203941/catalog)



 

 [24. Putting a price on art chevron\_right](https://prod-cadm004.drupalsites.harvard.edu/24-putting-price-art) 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Anthony Fitzherbert ](/keywords/anthony-fitzherbert)
- [ inscriptions ](/keywords/inscriptions)
- [ organization ](/keywords/organization)
- [ Harvard Law School Library ](/libraries/harvard-law-school-library)