Editing Matthew Hale (jurist) (section)

===Early life and education===
Hale was born on 1 November 1609 in West End House (now known as ''The Grange'' or ''Alderley Grange'') in [[Alderley, Gloucestershire]] to Robert Hale, a barrister of [[Lincoln's Inn]], and Joanna Poyntz.<ref>Hostettler (2002) p. 1</ref> His father gave up his practice as a barrister several years before Hale's birth "because he could not understand the reason of giving colour in pleadings".<ref name=burn2>Burnet (1820), p. 2</ref> This refers to a process through which the defendant would refer a case over the validity of his title to land to a judge instead of a jury, through claiming a (false) allegation about this right. Such an allegation would be a question of law rather than a question of fact, and as such decided by the judge with no reference to the jurors.<ref name=hof2>Hostettler (2002) p. 2</ref> 

Although in common use, Robert Hale apparently saw this as deceptive and "contrary to the exactness of truth and justice which became a Christian; so that he withdrew himself from the inns of court to live on his estate in the country".<ref name=burn2/> [[John Hostettler (author)|John Hostettler]], in his biography of Matthew Hale, points out that his father's concerns about giving colour in pleadings could not have been very strong "since he not only retired to his estate at Alderley where he managed to live on his wife's inherited income, but also directed in his will that Matthew should make a career in the law".<ref name=hof2/>

Both of Hale's parents died before he was five; Joanna in 1612,<ref>Berman (1994) p. 1703</ref> and Robert in 1614.<ref>Cromartie (1995) p. 1</ref> It was then revealed that Robert had been so generous in giving money to the poor that at his death his estate provided only £100 of income a year, of which £20 was to be paid to the local poor. Hale thus passed into the care of Anthony Kingscot, one of his father's relatives.<ref>Burnet (1820) p. 3</ref> A strong [[Puritan]], Kingscot had Hale taught by a Mr. Stanton, the vicar of [[Wotton, Gloucester|Wotton]] known as the "scandalous vicar" due to his extremist puritan views.<ref name=hof4>Hostettler (2002) p. 4</ref> On 20 October 1626,<ref>Cromartie (1995) p. 2</ref> at the age of 16, Hale [[matriculation|matriculated]] at the [[University of Oxford]] as a member of [[Magdalen Hall, Oxford|Magdalen Hall]],<ref name="google1"/> with the goal of becoming a priest. 

Both Kingscot and Stanton had intended this to be his career, and his education had been conducted with that in mind.<ref>Flanders (1908) p. 385</ref> He was taught by [[Obadiah Sedgwick]], another Puritan, and excelled in both his studies and fencing. Hale also regularly attended church, private prayer-meetings, and was described as "simple in his attire, and rather aesthetic".<ref>Campbell (2005), p. 408</ref> After a company of actors came to Oxford, Hale attended so many plays and other social activities that his studies began to suffer, and he began to turn away from Puritanism. In light of this, he abandoned his desire to become a priest and instead decided to become a soldier. His relatives were unable to persuade him to become a priest, or even a lawyer, with Hale describing lawyers as "a barbarous set of people unfit for anything but their own trade".<ref name=hof4/>

His plans to become a soldier died after a legal battle concerning his estate, in which he consulted [[John Glanville (judge)|John Glanville]]. Glanville successfully persuaded Hale to become a lawyer, and, after leaving Oxford at the age of 20 before obtaining a degree, he joined [[Lincoln's Inn]] on 8 November 1628.<ref>Hostettler (2002), p. 5</ref> Fearing that the theatre might dissuade him from his legal studies as it had at Oxford, he swore  "never to see a stage-play again".<ref>Campbell (2005), p. 409</ref> At around this time he was drinking with a group of friends when one of them became so drunk he fainted; Hale prayed to God to forgive and save his friend, and forgive him for his previous excesses. His friend recovered, and Hale was restored to his Puritan faith, never drinking to someone's health again (not even drinking to the King) and going to church every Sunday for 36 years. He instead settled into his studies, working for up to 16 hours a day during his first two years at Lincoln's Inn before reducing it to eight hours due to health concerns.<ref>Hostettler (2002), p. 6</ref> As well as reading the law reports and statutes, Hale also studied the [[Roman law|Roman civil law]] and [[jurisprudence]].<ref>Campbell (2005), p. 411</ref> Outside of the law, Hale studied anatomy, history, philosophy and mathematics. He refused to read the news or attend social events, and occupied himself entirely with his studies and visits to church.<ref name="Flanders 1908 p.387">Flanders (1908), p. 387</ref>