Joseph Chitty

He was himself the son of a Joseph Chitty (1729–1795), and his wife, Sarah née Cartwright. He initially practised as a special pleader before being called to the bar by the Middle Temple on 28 June 1816. He never became a KC but built a huge junior practice at 1 Pump Court and published many books.[1]

Chitty was also pupil master to a generation of lawyers, including:

• John Walter Hulme; his co-author and son-in-law, and the first Chief Justice of Hong Kong;
• Thomas Starkie;[2]
• Edward Hall Alderson;[3]
• Thomas Noon Talfourd;[4] and
• Henry Havelock.[5]

In fact, at the time, the Inns of Court were in decline and Chitty organised lectures and moots, in 1810 being given permission to use the hall of Lincoln's Inn.[2]

Despite his successful practice, by 1831, Chitty had amassed extensive debts that were costing almost £2,000 per year to service. Further, Chitty's health was in decline and he was becoming increasingly anxious about his parlous state. Much of his energy became taken up in avoiding the attentions of his creditors. He retired from practice in 1833 but continued to publish. He died in London[2] and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.

He married Elizabeth Woodward, and they had eight children. Of those, Joseph Chitty the younger, Thomas Chitty, Edward Chitty, and Thompson Chitty were lawyers and legal writers:[2] Joseph the younger and Thompson were the first editors of the standard textbook Chitty on Contracts.[6] The judge Joseph William Chitty was a son of Thomas Chitty.

• Lobban, Michael. "Chitty, Joseph, the elder (1775–1841)]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5336. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Simpson, A. W. B. (ed.) (1984). Biographical Dictionary of the Common Law. London: Butterworths. ISBN 040651657X.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)