Charles Appleton (jurist)

For other people with the same name, see Charles Appleton.

Charles-Louis Appleton (11 July 1846 – 20 January 1935) was a French jurist, law professor and member of the Academy of Lyon.

Biography

Early life and education

Charles Appleton was born at Rennes, the grandson of the former U.S. consul in Calais, John Appleton. His father, John James Appleton, was an American businessman and his mother, Augustine Houdon, came from a family of sailors.

His parents both died before he came of age. At 18, he began to study law and obtained his degree in 1864 in Rennes. Later, he chose to become a French citizen.

He married Joséphine Tondu de Quennefer, daughter of the lawyer Alexandre Tondu de Quennefer. Following his marriage, he joined his in-laws to practice as a lawyer in Charolles. His first two sons, Jean (1868) and Henri (1870) were both born there. His first daughter Charlotte was born in 1873 in Bernes. His last three children were born in Lyon: Marie (1877), Paul (1878) and Jeanne (1883).

Career overview

He defended his thesis in Dijon in 1871 where he became a professor of civil law for three years. He passed the competitive examination for the agrégation in 1875, after which he was offered a position at the Faculty of Law in Lyon.

Three of his sons began studying law and went on to careers in the legal profession.

Charles Appleton participated in the creation of the Faculty of Law in Lyon, where he specialized in Roman law. He also taught the law of nations, comparative constitutional law and the guarantees of individual liberties. On November 3, 1892, the first day of the university year, he spoke about the status of women in modern law. His works are still studied and republished.

During World War I, he continued to give lectures on a voluntary basis and supervised Serbian students who had taken refuge in Lyon.

He died on January 20, 1935 in Oullins.

Works

• De la possessions et des actions possessoires (1871)
• Résumé du cours d droit romain (1884–1885; 2 vols.)
• Histoire de la propriété prétorienne (1889; 2 vols.)
• Histoire de la compensation en droit romain (1895)
• Le testament romain, la méthode du droit comparé et l’antiquité des XII Tables (1903)

References

• David Deroussin, « Charles Appleton », in H. Filchiron (dir.), La faculté de droit de Lyon : 130 d’histoire, ELAH, 2006, p.97-101.
• Les facultés de droit de province au XIXe siècle. Presses Univ. Toulouse 1. 2009, p. 377-417.
• Sylvie Rondel, L’enseignement du droit romain à Lyon, mémoire Univ. Lyon 3 inédit, 2006. 119 p.
• Paul Collinet, « M. Charles Appleton (1846-1935) », CRAI, 1935, p. 609-622.
• Le progrès, 22 janvier. 1935. Publications de M. Ch. Appleton (1871-1921) : supplément (1921-1929).
• Renée Garraud, Rapport lu devant l’Académie, 25 novembre, 1913.
• Nicole Dockès-Lallement et Dominique Saint-Pierre (dir.), « Appleton, Charles », dans Dictionnaire historique des Académiciens de Lyon : 1700-2016, Lyon, éd. ASBLA de Lyon, 2017, p. 44-47.

External links

• Works by Charles Appleton at Gallica