William Grant (Master of the Rolls)

Grant proved to be a powerful orator, giving a lucid explanation of Canadian law during the debates over the Quebec Government Bill.

He received a patent of precedence in 1793, was made a bencher of Lincoln's Inn, and was appointed a Welsh justice for the Carmarthen great sessions.

He continued to support Addington and the second Pitt ministry in debate in the House of Commons; his defence of Melville in 1805 brought him into conflict with Grenville when he came to power.

He left office as Master of the Rolls in 1817, but continued for several years to hear appeals to the Privy Council at the cockpit.

On 24 June 1824, he was appointed to the Royal Commission for inquiring into the nature and extent of the Instruction afforded by the several Institutions in Ireland established for the purpose of Education where he served with the other Commissioners: Thomas Frankland Lewis, John Leslie Foster, James Glassford and Anthony Richard Blake.

Writing about the period between 1820 and 1914, Patrick Polden states that "the judge who was most often mentioned as epitomizing the judicial ideal was the imperturbable Sir William Grant MR."