Sir
Edward CokeSir
Edward Coke
Sir
Edward Coke (pronounded "Cook") is largely regaurded as the
spiratual founder of the Delta Chi Fraternity. Born Febuary 1, 1552, in
Mileham, Norfolk, Engalnd, he died 82 years later September 3, 1634. His
lifetime was spanned by the reigns of Edward VI, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I,
James I, and Charles I. Sir Edward Coke was Knighted by King James in 1603.
Coke held many positions, first entering Parliament in 1589, elected speaker
of the House of Commons in 1592, Attorney-General in 1593, Chief Justice of
the Common Pleas in 1606 and Finally Chief Justice of the Kings Bench ("Lord
Chief Justice of England") in 1613. Sir Edward entered Parliament again in
1620. After being wrongly accused and detained by the King in 1622. After
spending nine months in the Tower of London Coke went on to fight against
inprosonment of men by the Crown without cause. It was Coke's defence that
Common Law should be held superior to Royal powers. Coke proposed and wrote the
historic "Petition of Rights. (below) The House of Commons forced the
crown to adopt it by withholding a vote on revenue subsidies which King
Charles needed to replenish the Royal Trasury. Sir Edward Coke's long and
storied legal career was responsible for many of the foundations of common law
still in effect today. His writings are studied by law students the world
over, most notably the rule in "Shelly's Case". Shelly's case was
famous for establishing precedents regaurding the inheritence of land, and
was a question on bar examinations for over three centuries. Such a man was
Sir Edward Coke, the spiratual founder of Delta Chi.
Coke Quotes
"Lex est tutissima cassis"
"The law is the safest shield" Sir Edward Coke was
to write "The law is the surest sanctuary that a man can take, and the
strongest fortress to protect the weakest of all; "Lex est tutissima
cassis."
"Petition of Rights": "An
Act for the better securing of every free man touching property of his goods
and liberty of his person...
"Be is now enacted that no free man
shall be committed by the command of the King or the Privy Council but the
cause ought to be expressed and the same being returned upon a Habeas Coupus,
he shall be delivered or bailed... Be in now enacted that no tac, tallage, or
loand shall be levied by the King or any minister without Act of Parliament and
that none be compelled to recieve any soldier into his house against his
will..." (note the foundations for writ of habeus corpus, powers of
congress and language within our own United States Constitution.)
"Quad Rex non debet esse sub homine, sed sub deo et Lege."
(The King himself should be under no man, but under God and
the Law.)
"Et domus sua culque est tutissimum refugium"
(A man's home is his castle.)
Delta Chi Home Page
Thanks to
the Delta Chi Cornerstone for information and facts regaurding Sir Edward Coke.