Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Keble, Joseph
KEBLE, JOSEPH (1632–1710), barrister and essayist, youngest son of Richard Keble or Keeble [q. v.], was born in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London, in 1632. He was educated at the parish school of St. Andrews, Holborn, and afterwards proceeded to Jesus College, but migrated to All Souls' College, Oxford, where he was made fellow by the visitors appointed by parliament in 1648, and graduated B.C.L. in 1654. He was admitted to Gray's Inn 6 May 1647 (Foster, Gray's Inn Admission Register, p. 224), and in 1658 was called to the bar. After travelling on the continent he regularly attended the court of king's bench from 1661. He had no practice, but occupied himself in reporting cases. He usually spent part of the vacation at Hampstead, where he had a small estate. He died, unmarried, on 28 Aug. 1710, at Gray's Inn Gate in Holborn, and was buried at Tuddenham, near Ipswich, where he also had property.
Keble is best known by his ‘Reports in the Court of Queen's Bench … from the 12th to the 30th year of the reign of Charles II,’ 1685. Keble himself confesses (Preface) that his notes were only rough jottings, and of the worthlessness of this work all the authorities speak with unanimous contempt. ‘It is scarcely possible to comprehend it,’ says Lord St. Leonards (Sugden, Powers, p. 456). ‘In former time Keble's Reports were forbidden to be quoted, and it is to be regretted that any reference is ever made to them,’ says Chance; and Mr. Justice Park, hearing them severely censured by Lord Kenyon, went home and burned his copy. Lord Campbell (Lives of the Chancellors, iii. 43) calls the author ‘a drowsy serjeant, known only for some bad Law Reports.’
Keble also published: 1. ‘The Statutes at large, in paragraphs,’ 1676, 1681, 1684, 1695, 1706. 2. ‘An Explanation of the Laws against Recusants,’ abridged (1681) from a work by William Cawley of the Inner Temple, 1680. 3. ‘An Assistance to the Justices of the Peace, for the easier performance of their duty … to which is added a Table for … finding out the Precedents,’ 1689. 4. ‘An Essay on Human Nature,’ 1707; another edit. 1710. He is also credited with an ‘Essay on Human Actions’ and a number of legal works, chiefly digests in manuscript. Several of these are in Gray's Inn Library.
[A Brief Account of Joseph Keble; Biographia Britannica, iv. 2800; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iv. 575, 581; Fasti Oxon. p. 182; Notes and Queries, 7th ser. iv. 127, 535, v. 197–8; Marvin's Legal Bibliography, p. 434; Wallace's Reporters, p. 207.]