KENYON, LLOYD, LORD, tho second son of Lloyd Kenyon, Esq., by Jane, daughter of Robert Esidowes of Eagle Hall in Cheshire, was born at Greddington in Flintshire, on the 5th of October 1732. He was descended from an ancient family In Lancashire, which had migrated Into North Wales at the commencement of the last century. His father lived independently as a country gentleman, and belonged to the commission of tho peacs for hi4 county. The education of the future chief-justice was however, from the straitened means of tho parent., very defective. He was sent early to the grammar school at Rabin, but wee taken away before he had time to do more than acquire a little Latin. At the age of fourteen be was articled to 'Ir.
Tomlinson, an attorney in large practice at Nantwich iu Cheshire, with whom ho remained for seven years, during which time his diligence and shrewdness procured him so much of his maater's favour that ho expected, at the end of hie clerkship, to be taken into partuership. In this expectation ho was however disappointed, and thereupon deter mined upon being called to the bar. In 1754 he took chambers at the Temple, and became a member of Lincoln's Inn. While a student Le devoted himself with great earnestness to the law, nod to the law only; and in doing this be nude smaller sacrifices than moat people. Ito had neither a literary taste nor n love of pleasure ; and his pecuoiary resources were but scanty.
Mr. Kenyon was called to the bar in Hilary Term, 1761, but in con sequence of the want of a professional connection, and being of a character too honourable and indepeudent to stoop to little artifices, many years elapsed before he obtained business. Still he laboured patiently and unceasiugly, frequenting the courts both of common law and equity, but more especially the latter, and attending both circuit and sessions. His attainments in all departments appear to have been not only considerable, but exact, and he acquired by degrees the reputation of being a sound lawyer, and a neat and safe equity draftsman and couveyancer. It is stated, that having by some sugges tions, as amicus curia:, attracted the notice of Mr. Thurlow, the then attorney-general, be had the offer made to him of sharing with Mr.
Hargrave in the toil and profit of assisting him. In 1773, when ho had
been twelve years in the profession, he married Mary, third daughter of George Kenyon of Peelo in Lancashire. He now began to rise into notice. In 1779 he was retained as one of the council for Lord l'igot in the state prosecution of Shelton and others for depriving him of his government; and afterwards in the same year as leading counsel for Lord George Gordon. In April 1782, on the accession of the Fox and Rockingham administration, he was appointed attorney-general. While holding this situation his conduct evinced that official intrigue and partisanship were not at all suited to his character. Ou the death of the Marquis of Rockingham ho retained his office with Pitt as chan cellor of the exchequer, and went out with tho Shelburne administra tion in the spring of the year following. In December he was reappointed attorney-general, having through all the ministerial changes of the day asserted his independence. To the character of au orator he had no pretensiou, being a man of little imagination, and expressing himself not only without elegance, but occasionally with vulgarity. He was no scholar, and yet he would insert Latin words and phrases without point or taste in his discourse.
In 1784 he was raised to tho office of Master of the Rolls, and created a baronet; and in May 1788 he was gazetted Lord Kenyon, Baron Greddington, and succeeded Lord Mansfield as Chief-Justice of the King's Bench. His appointment to this important and dignified situation was at the time unpopular with the professiou generally. To the opinion of his brother judges he gave a reception not only of neg lect, but almost of contempt; and whenever they ventured to differ from him (which only took place some half dozeu times in fourteen years), he exhibited the same feelings which another person would do upon receiving a personal affront. To the barristers, both leaders and juniors, ho was equally ungracious; and whenever anything escaped them not in accordance with his sentiments, ho castigated them in terms neither measured nor in character with the situation which he filled. To some leading men he would take a personal dislike, and allow no opportunity for mortifying them to escape him; Mr. Law, afterwards Lord Ellenborougb, was one of them.