Talk:James Somersett

Inconsistancy

The article on Lord Mansfield states that Lord Mansfield stated "The air of England is too pure for a slave to breathe". The article on Habeas corpus also states this. However this states the opposite, that Lord Mansfield didn't say this. Which is correct?

This article is correct. Tough reading those articles carefully they don't directly quote Mansfield as the origin of the words but the case itself. This much is true as they were the argument of Somersett's legal council.Alci12 17:10, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

Slavery in England

"it did not end slavery in England or the British Empire". Clearly not in other parts of the British Empire at that time. But is there any evidence of chattel slavery in England from that point on? --Henrygb 00:06, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

OK, I followed the link to [1] --Henrygb 00:20, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

I have re-written that paragraph, which is wrong. Somersett's case did not end slavery in England because slavery had already ceased to exist in England centuries before. Somersett was freed because the judge held that only a statute could bring slavery back into existence. Andrew Yong 15:21, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Name

I moved this to James Somerset, as most of the papers I can find about it prioritize that spelling. Hope that's okay. SlimVirgin ^(talk) 13:46, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Merge?

Should this article be merged with Somerset's case? It is not as if anything historical happened in his life other than being the subject matter of the trial? Legis 16:04, 4 October 2006 (UTC)