White [q. v.], principal of the English College at Lisbon.
In addition to his paternal inheritance he left estates at Burghfield, Shiplake, and other places in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. These latter estates seem to have been acquired by his professional gains.
His name was embodied in the proverb, ‘The case is altered, quoth Plowden,’ which has occasioned some speculation as to its origin. The most probable explanation is that Plowden was engaged in defending a gentleman who was prosecuted for hearing mass, and elicited the fact that the service had been performed by a layman, who had merely assumed the sacerdotal character and vestments for the purpose of informing against those who were present. Thereupon the acute lawyer remarked, ‘The case is altered: no priest, no mass,’ and succeeded in obtaining the acquittal of his client. By his contemporaries he was acknowledged to be the greatest and most honest lawyer of his age. Camden says that, ‘as he was singularly well learned in the common laws of England, whereof he deserved well by writing, so for integrity of life he was second to no man of his profession’ (Annales, transl. by R. N., 1635, p. 270). He was regarded with great admiration by Sir Edward Coke, who remarks, in terminating the fourth part of his ‘Institutes:’ ‘We will conclude with the aphorism of that great lawyer and sage of the law, Edmund Plowden, which we have often heard him say, “Blessed be the amending hand.”’
His works are: 1. ‘Les comentaries, ou les reportes de Edmunde Plowden, un apprentice de la comen ley, de dyvers cases esteantes matters en ley, et de les argumentes sur yceaux, en les temps des raygnes les roye Edwarde le size, le roigne Mary, le roy et roigne Phillipp et Mary, et le roigne Elizabeth,’ London, 1571, fol. Reprinted ‘Ovesque un Table des Choses notables, compose per William Fleetwoode, Recorder de Loundres, & iammes cy devaunt imprime,’ 1578. The latter edition contains the second part, which is thus headed: ‘Cy ensuont certeyne Cases Reportes per Edmunde Plowden, puis le primier imprimier de ses Commentaries, & ore a le second imprimpter de les dits Commentaries a ceo addes,’ 1579. Both parts were reprinted, London, 1599, 1613, 1684, fol., and they were translated into English, with useful references and notes [by Mr. Bromley, barrister-at-law], London, 1779, fol.; 2 vols. 1816, 8vo. An epitome of the reports appeared with the following title: ‘Abridgement de toutes les Cases Reportes a large per T[homas] A[she],’ London, 1607, 12mo; translated into English by F[abian] H[icks] of the Inner Temple, London, 1650, 1659, 12mo. Sir Edward Coke, Daines Barrington, and Lord Campbell concur in extolling the merits of Plowden as a reporter. 2. ‘Les Quæres del Monsieur Plowden,’ London, n.d. 8vo; translated into English by H. B., London, 1662, 8vo; 1761, fol. The ‘Queries’ are included in some editions of the ‘Reports.’ 3. ‘A Treatise of Succession written in the lifetime of the most virtuous and renowned Lady Mary, late Queen of Scots. Wherein is sufficiently proved that neither her foreign birth, nor the last will and testament of King Henry VIII could debar her from her true and lawful title to the Crown of England,’ manuscript of 160 pages preserved at Pensax Court, Worcestershire. It is referred to by Sir Matthew Hale (Hist. of the Pleas of the Crown, 1736, i. 324). The dedication to James I is signed by Francis Plowden. 4. Several legal opinions and arguments preserved in manuscript in the Cambridge University Library (Gg. iv. 14, art. 3), and among the Hargrave collection in the British Museum.
His portrait has been engraved by T. Stagner, and his monument by J. T. Smith.
[Addit. MS. 5878, f. 117; Ames's Typogr. Antiq. (Herbert), pp. 819, 822, 1132; Biogr. Brit. (Kippis), v. 197 n.; Campbell's Chancellors, 4th edit. ii. 344; Cal. of Chancery Proceedings, temp. Eliz. ii. 339; Collectanea Juridica, ii. 51; Dodd's Church Hist. i. 532; Foley's Records, iv. 168, 538, 546, 641; Foss's Judges of England, v. 347, 350, 425, 434; Fuller's Worthies (Shropshire); Granger's Biogr. Hist. of England; Haynes's State Papers, 197 vel. 193; Leigh's Treatise of Religion and Learning, p. 294; Murdin's State Papers, pp. 29, 113, 122, 123; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. ix. 56, 113, 2nd ser. i. 12, 3rd ser. x. 353 xi. 184; Oliver's Jesuit Collections, pp. 166, 168; Simpson's Life of Campion, p. 307; Cal. State Papers, Dom. Eliz. 1547–80, pp. 307, 355, 689, 696; Strype's Works (gen. index); Tanner's Bibl. Brit.; Willis's Notitia Parliamentaria, vol. iii. pt. ii. pp. 25, 40, 45, 52.]
PLOWDEN, FRANCIS PETER (1749–1829), writer, brother of Charles Plowden [q. v.], and eighth son of William Ignatius Plowden, of Plowden, Shropshire, was born at Plowden on 28 June 1749, and received his education in the college of the English jesuits at St. Omer. He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Watten on 7 Sept. 1766, and was master of the college at Bruges from 1771 to 1773. When the bull suppressing the Society of Jesus came into force, he, not having taken holy orders, found himself released from his first or simple
