John Heath

John Heath (1736–1816) was a judge chiefly in criminal trials, in which he earned a reputation for severe sentencing. He was a resident of Hayes, Middlesex, where a road is named after him, Judge Heath Lane. Early years Born in Exeter to a family of merchants and fullers, Heath attended London's Westminster School from 1748 until 1754, when he went up to Christ Church, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1758 and M.A. in 1762. Career and reputation Admitted to the Inner Temple in May 1759, Heath was called to the Bar in 1762. He became a judge in 1779, and in 1780 he succeeded Sir William Blackstone as a Justice of the Common Pleas. Heath refused the knighthood that was customary to the office. Cost may have been a factor in his refusal, but it was also in keeping with the reputation he acquired. He was "plain John Heath" - no-nonsense - in speech and in person. Heath possessed great legal and general knowledge, and he paid scrupulous attention to evidence and argument. Once he formed an opinion, he was not easily persuaded to depart from it.