He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1850,[1] and began practice in the Court of Chancery. In 1855 he published An Introduction to the Study of Jurisprudence, consisting of a translation of the general part of Thibaut's System des Pandekten Rechts, with copious notes. In 1860 he published in two volumes his Treatise on the Law of Partnership, including its Application to Joint Stock and other Companies, and in 1862 a supplement including the Companies Act 1862. This work has since been developed into two textbooks well known to lawyers as Lindley on Companies and Lindley on Partnership.[2] Among his pupils were Francis William Maclean, later Chief Justice of Bengal, and Frederick Pollock.
Hetook silk in February 1872.[3] In 1874 he was elected a bencher of the Middle Temple, of which he was treasurer in 1894[2]
Prior to the 1875 reforms, the appointment of serjeants-at-law had already declined, but common law judges could only be appointed from amongst the serjeants-at-law, so it was customary for any appointee who was not yet a serjeant to be appointed a serjeant immediately prior to being appointed a judge. As the requirement for common law judges to be serjeants was abolished shortly after, Lord Lindley became the last serjeant-at-law appointed, and the last judge to wear the serjeant's coif, or rather the black patch representing it, on the judicial wig.[2]
He married Sarah Katharine, daughter of Edward John Teale of Leeds, on 5 Aug 1858.[1][2][14] He died at home in East Carleton, near Norwich, in 1921.[15] They had nine children, including diplomat Sir Francis Oswald Lindley and the army officer Major-General John Lindley.[16]
Lord Lindley published two notable works, Lindley on Companies and Lindley on Partnership.[2] The latter is still published today, as Lindley and Banks on Partnership, now in its 21st edition (2022).
Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company [1892] EWCA Civ 1, [1893] 1 QB 256, [1892] 2 QB 484 (QBD) - an advertisement containing certain terms to get a reward constituted a binding unilateral offer that could be accepted by anyone who performed its terms.
Foakes v Beer (Lindley sitting in the Court of Appeal) [1884] UKHL 1, [1881-85] All ER Rep 106, (1884) 9 App Cas 605; 54 LJQB 130; 51 LT 833; 33 WR 233 - a leading case from the House of Lords on the legal concept of consideration
Nathaniel Lindley, An Introduction to the Study of Jurisprudence; Being a Translation of the General Part of Thibaut’s System des Pandekten Rechts (William Maxwell, 1855)
Pine, L. G. (1972). The New Extinct Peerage 1884–1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms. London, U.K.: Heraldry Today. p. 178..
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lindley, Nathaniel Lindley, Baron". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 719.
