Background
He was born at Gredington, Flintshire, on the '5th of October 1732. He was descended by his father's side from an old Lancashire family; his mother was the daughter of a small proprietor in Wales.
He was born at Gredington, Flintshire, on the '5th of October 1732. He was descended by his father's side from an old Lancashire family; his mother was the daughter of a small proprietor in Wales.
He was initially educated at a school in Hanmer. Later he was educated at Ruthin grammar school.
He was in his fifteenth, when articled to an attorney at Nantwich, Cheshire. In 1750 he entered at Lincoln's Inn, London, and in 1756 was called to the bar. As for several years he was almost unemployed, he utilized his leisure in taking notes of the cases argued in the court of King's Bench, which he afterwards published. Through answering the cases of his friend John Dunning, afterwards Lord Ashburton, he gradually became known to the attorneys, after which his success was so rapid that in 1780 he was made king's counsel.
He showed conspicuous ability in the cross-examination of the witnesses at the trial of Lord George Gordon, but his speech was so tactless that the verdict of acquittal was really due to the brilliant effort of Erskine, the junior counsel. Through the influence of Lord Thurlow, Kenyon in 1780 entered the House of Commons as member for Hindon, and in 1782 he was, through the same friendship, appointed attorney-general in Lord Buckingham's administration, an office which he continued to hold under Pitt.
In 1788 he was appointed lord chief justice as successor to Lord Mansfield. As he had made many enemies, his elevation was by no means popular with the bar; but on the bench, he proved himself not only an able lawyer, but a judge of rare and inflexible impartiality. Kenyon was succeeded as 2nd baron by his son George (1776 - 1855), whose great-grandson, Lloyd (b. 1864), became the 4th baron in 1869. See Life by Hon. G. T. Kenyon, 1873.
As an advocate he was, moreover, deficient in ability of statement; and his position was achieved chiefly by hard work, a good knowledge of law and several lucky friendships.
He had a capricious and choleric temper.
Quotes from others about the person
Kenyon was noted by John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell as "a man of wonderful quickness of perception, of considerable intellectual nimbleness, of much energy of purpose, and of unwearied industry".
In 1773 he married his cousin, Mary Kenyon, with whom he had three sons; Lloyd, who predeceased him, George, and Thomas.
