Sir Thomas Skyrme, in this book, sets the seal on a lifetime of distinguished public service - service mainly to the Magistrates both in England and Wales, and also elsewhere in the Commonwealth, with what the Publishers believe will be the definitive History of Justices of the Peace. It is a work of scholarship which at the same time breathes the enthusiasm of its author for his subject.
Encompassing the evolution of Magistracy from its first hesitant steps in the twelfth century to its development throughout the Middle Ages and to its present role in our Society, make the three volumes that form the book, a classic of its kind. The spread of the ideal of the Magistrate in countries outside England is also dealt with, and Sir Thomas's work should receive the approbation of all who are interested in the history of Justices of the Peace. It is also a remarkable contribution to social history.