Treby, George

, a learned judge, was born, as Wood thinks, at or near Plympton in Devonshire in 1644, and was admitted a commoner of Exeter college, Oxford, in 1660. After studying some time here, he left college without taking a degree, as, we have repeatedly had occasion te observe, was usual with young gentlemen intended for the law; and went to the Inner Temple. After being admitted to the bar, he had much practice, and was accounted a good common lawyer. In 1678 and 1679, he sat in parliament as representative for Plympton, and in the lastmentioned year was appointed chairman of the committee of secrecy for the investigation of the popish plot, and was in 1680 one of the managers in the impeachment of lord Stafford. In December of the same year, when sir George Jeffries was dismissed from the recordership of London, Mr. Treby was elected in his room, and in January 1681 the king conferred on him the honour of knighthood: but when the quo warranto issued, and the city charter, for which he pleaded along with Pollexfen, was withheld, he was deprived of the recordership in Oct. 1685. On the revolution, king William restored him to this office, and he had the honour of addressing his majesty, in the absence of the lord mayor, sir John Chapman, who was confined by sickness. His very able speech on this occasion was published in the “Fourth collection of papers relating to the present juncture of affairs in England,” 1683, 4to, and in Bohun*s “History of the Desertion,” 1689, 4to, In March 1688 he was made solicitor -general, and the following year attorney-general. In April 1692 he was called to the rank of serjeant, and in May following was promoted to be chief justice of the Common Pleas, on which he resigned the office of recorder. This learned and upright lawyer died in March 1701-2, aged fifty-six. His son and grandson, of the same names, represented Plympton and Dartmouth, | and the latter was master of the household to George II. and a lord of the treasury.

Sir George Treby published “A collection of Letters and other writings relating to the horrid Popish Plot, printed from the originals,” Lond. 1681, fol. in two parts, and is supposed to have written “Truth vindicated; or, a detection of the aspersions and scandals cast upon sir Robert Clayton and sir George Treby, justices, &c. in a paper published in the name of Dr. Francis Hawkins, minister of the Tower, entitled ‘The confession of Edward Fitzharris, &c.’” Lond. 1681. His pleadings and arguments in the King’s-bench on the quo warranto, are printed with those of Finch, Sawyer, and Pollexfen, Lund. 1690, fol. ¹