"This is an enlightening and detailed study, ambitious in its scope and depth. David Lemmings has produced an excellent body of research on law and governance in the eighteenth century and his vast knowledge is reflected in this book. ... this book reveals a fascinating aspect of eighteenth-century society and its governance, and will appeal broadly to anybody with an interest in early modern English history." (Tessa Morrison, Parergon, Vol. 33 (1), 2016)