Oxford movement (Brit. Critic, 1838). In 1869 an article from the ‘British Critic’ of October 1839 was republished under the title of ‘The State in its Relations with the Church,’ with a preface by Canon Liddon. In 1877 was also published ‘Studia Sacra,’ with a preface by ‘J. P. N.’ (Canon Norris). These included fragments of a commentary on St. John's Gospel, only reaching the 15th verse of the first chapter, which Dr. Pusey had persuaded him to undertake in 1863, and a specimen of a commentary on the Epistle to the Romans which he had been asked in 1833 to contribute for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
[Keble's Works; Coleridge's Memoir of John Keble; the Rev. John Frewen Moor's Memoir of J. Keble; Cardinal Newman's Apologia pro Vitâ Suâ; Professor Shairp's Essay on the author of the Christian Year; Isaac Williams's Autobiography, edited by Sir George Prevost, 1892; Musings over the Christian Year, &c., by C. M. Yonge; Birthplace, Home, &c., of the author of the Christian Year, with Photographs by W. Savage and Memoir and Notes by J. F. Moor; private information from Sir George Prevost, Sir Charles Anderson, and Canon P. Young, and unpublished manuscripts of the Rev. Isaac Williams.]
KEBLE, JOSEPH (1632–1710), barrister and essayist, youngest son of Richard Keble or Keeble [q. v.], was born in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London, in 1632. He was educated at the parish school of St. Andrews, Holborn, and afterwards proceeded to Jesus College, but migrated to All Souls' College, Oxford, where he was made fellow by the visitors appointed by parliament in 1648, and graduated B.C.L. in 1654. He was admitted to Gray's Inn 6 May 1647 (Foster, Gray's Inn Admission Register, p. 224), and in 1658 was called to the bar. After travelling on the continent he regularly attended the court of king's bench from 1661. He had no practice, but occupied himself in reporting cases. He usually spent part of the vacation at Hampstead, where he had a small estate. He died, unmarried, on 28 Aug. 1710, at Gray's Inn Gate in Holborn, and was buried at Tuddenham, near Ipswich, where he also had property.
Keble is best known by his ‘Reports in the Court of Queen's Bench … from the 12th to the 30th year of the reign of Charles II,’ 1685. Keble himself confesses (Preface) that his notes were only rough jottings, and of the worthlessness of this work all the authorities speak with unanimous contempt. ‘It is scarcely possible to comprehend it,’ says Lord St. Leonards (Sugden, Powers, p. 456). ‘In former time Keble's Reports were forbidden to be quoted, and it is to be regretted that any reference is ever made to them,’ says Chance; and Mr. Justice Park, hearing them severely censured by Lord Kenyon, went home and burned his copy. Lord Campbell (Lives of the Chancellors, iii. 43) calls the author ‘a drowsy serjeant, known only for some bad Law Reports.’
Keble also published: 1. ‘The Statutes at large, in paragraphs,’ 1676, 1681, 1684, 1695, 1706. 2. ‘An Explanation of the Laws against Recusants,’ abridged (1681) from a work by William Cawley of the Inner Temple, 1680. 3. ‘An Assistance to the Justices of the Peace, for the easier performance of their duty … to which is added a Table for … finding out the Precedents,’ 1689. 4. ‘An Essay on Human Nature,’ 1707; another edit. 1710. He is also credited with an ‘Essay on Human Actions’ and a number of legal works, chiefly digests in manuscript. Several of these are in Gray's Inn Library.
[A Brief Account of Joseph Keble; Biographia Britannica, iv. 2800; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iv. 575, 581; Fasti Oxon. p. 182; Notes and Queries, 7th ser. iv. 127, 535, v. 197–8; Marvin's Legal Bibliography, p. 434; Wallace's Reporters, p. 207.]
KEBLE, KEEBLE, or KEBBEL, RICHARD (fl. 1650), judge, was of an old family settled at Newton in Suffolk. He was admitted a member of Gray's Inn 7 Aug. 1609, called to the bar 14 July 1614, and became on ancient of the inn in 1632 and Lent reader in 1639. He first appears in reported cases in Croke's 'Reports' in 1636. Parliament appointed him a judge in Wales in March 1647, and he became a serjeant in 1648. In 1651 presided at the trials of Colonel Lilburne, Christopher Love, and John Gibbons. An opponent calls him 'an insolent, mercenary pettifogger,' who without jury or evidence sent to the gallows any he suspected of royalism (Life of Dr. Join Barwick, p. 153). After the execution of Charles I he had been appointed the junior of the three commissioners who had the custody of the great seal. Echard (History of England, ed. 1718, ii. 652) speaks of him as being then a man of 'little practical experience.' From this office he was removed in April 1654. His salary was irregularly paid, and his petition for payment of what was owing, part of which amounted to one thousand guineas, was presented in 1655, and still disregarded in 1658 (Whitelocke, Memorials, pp. 240, 342, 380; Blomefield, Norfolk, i. 396; Public Record Commission, 5th Rep. App. ii. 271; Green, Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1655- 1668). At the Restoration he was excepted
