Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Roscoe, Henry
ROSCOE, HENRY (1800–1836), legal writer, youngest son of William Roscoe [q. v.], born at Allerton Hall, near Liverpool, on 17 April 1800, was educated by private tutors, and in 1817 was articled to Messrs. Stanistreet & Eden, solicitors, Liverpool. In January 1819 he removed to London and began studying for the bar, almost supporting himself by literary work. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in February 1826, and afterwards practised in the northern circuit and at the Liverpool and Chester sessions. He was also assessor to the mayor's court, Liverpool, and a member of the municipal corporations commission. He died at Gateacre, near Liverpool, on 25 March 1836. By his marriage, on 29 Oct. 1831, to Maria, second daughter of Thomas Fletcher and granddaughter of Dr. William Enfield [q. v.], he had a son (Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe, F.R.S.), and a daughter Harriet, who married Edward Enfield [q. v.] Roscoe's widow, who died in April 1885, aged 86, published in 1868 ‘Vittoria Colonna: her Life and Times.’
Roscoe wrote ‘Lives of Eminent British Lawyers’ (1830), as one of the volumes of ‘Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia,’ and ‘The Life of William Roscoe’ (2 vols. 1833), besides the following legal treatises: 1. ‘A Treatise on the Law of Actions relating to Real Property,’ 1825, 2 vols. 2. ‘Digest of the Law of Evidence on the Trials of Actions at Nisi Prius,’ 1827. 3. ‘Digest of the Law relating to Bills of Exchange,’ &c., 1829. 4. ‘Digest relating to Offences against the Coin,’ 1832. 5. ‘General Digest of Decisions in the Courts for 1834, 1835, and 1836,’ 3 vols. 6. ‘Digest of the Law of Evidence in Criminal Cases,’ 1835. Several of the above have been frequently reprinted in England and America. He also brought out an edition of Roger North's ‘Lives’ (1826, 3 vols.), and was joint editor of ‘Price's Exchequer Reports’ for 1834–5.
[Information kindly supplied by James Thornely, esq.; Gent. Mag. May 1836, p. 553; Allibone's Dictionary, which notes the American editions of Roscoe's Works; British Museum Catalogue.]