Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776

"Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776" by S. A. Reilly is a historical account written in the early 21st century. The book serves as a comprehensive primer on English legal history, detailing the development of legal codes and principles from early Anglo-Saxon laws to the establishment of the Magna Carta and subsequent statutes. It aims to illuminate the evolution of legal practices and their historical contexts, making it accessible for both legal practitioners and the general public. The opening portion of the book introduces the idea of exploring history through the lens of law, emphasizing the significance of legal codes as unambiguous records of societal norms and governance. Reilly outlines the primary purpose of the book, which is to provide a foundational understanding of English legal history without requiring prior knowledge. The beginning also elaborates on the structure of the text, including how chapters are organized into sections on the societal context, the legal framework of the time, and the judicial procedures that governed conflicts and resolutions. It sets up the expectation that subsequent chapters will dive deeper into specific legal developments and historical incidents through time, beginning with the early societal structures of pre-600 A.D. England.