he was "offensive and unpopular". Both opinions are suspect, however; Pitt's because he was a constant rival to Mansfield and Yorke's because he was attempting to beat Mansfield to the position of Lord Chancellor at the time. Edward Foss said that "there has never been a judge more venerated by his contemporaries, nor whose memory is regarded with greater respect and affection", and described him as "the great oracle of law". Mansfield has been called "the legal genius of his generation", and compared favourably with Joseph Story, a judge of the Supreme Court of the United States noted for his brilliance. Other Americans such as Julian S. Waterman, the founder of the University of Arkansas School of Law, described him as "not only the greatest common law judge but the greatest judge in Anglo-American legal history", while Joseph Story himself said that Mansfield "broke down the narrow barrier of the common law, redeemed it from feudal selfishness and barbarity" and that "he was one of those great men raised up by Providence, at a fortunate moment, to effect a salutary revolution in the world". In popular culture In the 2013 film Belle, Murray is portrayed by Tom Wilkinson. In the 2015 film The Scandalous Lady W, Murray is portrayed by David Calder (actor). See also List of cases involving Lord Mansfield References Bibliography External links 1705 births 1793 deaths 18th-century English judges People from Perth, Scotland People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of Lincoln's Inn Black British history Chancellors of the Exchequer of Great Britain William 1 Peers of Great Britain created by George II Lord chief justices of England and Wales Murray, William British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761 Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain British legal writers Burials at Westminster Abbey Younger sons of viscounts