Erskine May
Categories: 1815 births | 1886 deaths | English constitutionalists | Constitutional law
Thomas Erskine May, 1st Baron Farnborough (1815–1886) was a British constitutional theorist. His most famous work, A Practical Treatise on the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament (known as Parliamentary Practice or simply Erskine May), is considered part of the Constitution of the United Kingdom. Similarly, it is a highly influential document in many Commonwealth nations, often with strong influence on constitutional convention.
Another notable work is The Constitutional History of England since the Accession of George Third, 1760–1860 (ISBN 0837724295).
He was created Baron Farnborough less than a week before his death. As he left no heirs, the title became extinct, making it the second-shortest-lived peerage in British history.
Parliamentary Practice can be found under various ISBNs, including:
- ISBN 0406291012 (1971 edition)
- ISBN 0406291039 (1983 edition)
- ISBN 0406970947 (2004 edition)