Origins of Sommersett's Case
- When
- 1771
- Where
- London; Court of King's Bench
- Episodes
- 2
In late 1771, James Somerset was kidnapped in London and forced aboard the ship Ann and Mary for transport to Jamaica. Friends filed a habeas corpus application with the Court of King's Bench to challenge his imprisonment, initiating the legal proceedings that led to the 1772 judgment.
Episodes
- Habeas Corpus Application
Friends filed a habeas corpus application with the Court of King's Bench to challenge Somerset's imprisonment.
- Kidnapping and Impoundment
Somerset was kidnapped in November 1771 and forced aboard the Ann and Mary for transport to Jamaica.
Background and detail
Background. James Somerset, an African man, had been purchased by Charles Stewart in North America. Stewart brought Somerset to England in 1769, where he lived in London. In February 1771, Somerset was baptized at the Church of St Andrew, Holborn, before his subsequent capture.
The Kidnapping. After living in freedom for two months following his escape in October 1771, Somerset was kidnapped in November 1771. He was forced aboard the Ann and Mary, captained by John Knowles, with the intent to transport him to Jamaica for sale.
Habeas Corpus Application. Friends of Somerset applied to the Court of King's Bench in 1771 for a writ of habeas corpus. This required the ship's captain to produce Somerset and asked the court to determine whether his imprisonment was lawful, setting the stage for the trial.
People involved
- James Somerset · Plaintiff
- Charles Stewart · Master
- John Knowles · Ship Captain
- Granville Sharp · Backer
Sources
- James Somerset Wikipedia, revision of 2026-04-11
- Somerset v Stewart Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-19
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.