Background
Anson was born at Walberton, Sussex, the eldest son of Sir John William Hamilton Anson, 2nd Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth Catherine (née Pack).
Anson was born at Walberton, Sussex, the eldest son of Sir John William Hamilton Anson, 2nd Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth Catherine (née Pack).
Balliol College; Eton College.
Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, he took a first class in the final classical schools in 1866, and was elected to a fellowship of All Souls in the following year. In 1869, he was called to the Bar, and went the home circuit until 1873, when he succeeded to the baronetcy. In 1874, he became Vinerian reader in English law at Oxford, a post which he held until he became, in 1881, Warden of All Souls College.
Anson identified himself both with local and university interests.
He became an alderman of the city of Oxford in 1892, chairman of quarter sessions for the county in 1894, was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1898–1899, and Chancellor of the Diocese of Oxford in 1899. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1911.
Anson took an active part in the foundation of a school of law at Oxford, and his volumes on The Principles of the English Law of Contract (1884, 11th ed 1906), and on The Law and Custom of the Constitution in two parts, "The Parliament" and "The Crown" (1886–1892, 3rd ed 1907, pt 1 volume ii), are standard works. He received the honorary degree Doctor of Laws (Doctor of Laws) from the Victoria University of Manchester in February 1902, in connection with the 50th jubilee celebrations of the establishment of the university.
26th United Kingdom Parliament. 27th United Kingdom Parliament. 28th United Kingdom Parliament.
29th United Kingdom Parliament.
30th United Kingdom Parliament]
In that year he was returned, without opposition, as Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Oxford University in the Liberal Unionist interest, and consequently resigned the vice-chancellorship. In Parliament, Anson preserved an active interest in education, being a member of the newly created consultative committee of the Board of Education in 1900, and in 1902 he became the first Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education, a post he held until 1905.