Son of William Gent, Lord of the Manor of Moyns, Steeple Bumpstead, Essex. There is no record of his admission, but he was Lent Reader in the years 1571 and 1574. He sat in Parliament for Maiden in 1572, and became a Serjeant-at-Law in 1584. Two years later he was appointed a Baron of the Exchequer. His judgments are reported by Coke, and his merits are thus extolled by a Latin poet of the time:
Religio, virtus, pietas, pudor, ac aletheia
Exulat e terris, mobile vulgus ait.
Fallitur. Eximias nam qui considerat in te Dotes …
Admitted 22 November, 1656.
Eldest son of Robert Gibbon of Rolvenden, Kent. He was a great-greatuncle of Edward Gibbon the historian. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and at Jesus College, Cambridge. In travelling in Europe he acquired a good knowledge of French and Spanish, and in 1659 be visited Virginia, whence he returned after the Restoration. He then became known to Dugdale, by whose influence he became Bluemantle Pursuivant 10 Feb. 1668. He was the author of some whimsical pieces, including Day Fatality, or some Days Lucky and Unlucky (1678), but his chief work was an Essay to a more correct Blazon in Latine than hath formerly been used, under the first title of Introductio ad Latinam Blasoniam (1682).
Admitted 24 April, 1790.
Eldest son of John Giffard of Dublin, where he was born in 1771. He returned to Ireland in 1792, was called to the Bar, and became Chief Justice of Ceylon in 1819. During his residence there he devoted his leisure to literature, and in 1822 published a selection of poems, specimens of which are reproduced in Polwhele's Traditions and Recollections. He died on his way home from the East, 30 April, 1847. The knighthood conferred upon him on his return was never gazetted.
Admitted 21 November, 1807.
Second son of John Giffard of Dromartin, Dublin, where he was born 4 Aug. 1788. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He was called to the Bar 24 May, 1811, but not being successful in practice he took up journalism, and after some other employment was chosen Editor of the Standard newspaper on its establishment in 1827. He died at Folkstone 6 Nov. 1858. He was the father of Hardinge Stanley Giffard now (1902) Lord Halsbury, created Lord Chancellor in 1885.
Besides his work on the Standard, Mr. Giffard contributed articles to the Quarterly and Blackwood, and began a work on the English in Ireland, which he did not live to publish.
