PLOWDEN (Edmund), serjeant at law, was the
son of Humphrey Plowden, of Plowden in Shropshire,
of an ancient and genteel family. He was first a stu-
dent of the university of Cambridge, where he spent
three years in the study of philosophy and medicine.
He then removed to Oxford, where, having continued
his former studies about four years more, in 1552 he
was admitted to the practice of physic and surgery:
but probably finding the practice of the art of healing
less agreeable than the study, he entered himself of the
Middle Temple, and began to read law. Wood says,
that in 1557 he was summer-reader to that society, and
Lent-reader three years after, being then serjeant, and
oracle of the law. He died in the year 1584, aged 67;
and was buried in the Temple church, near the north
wall, at the east end of the choir. He married the
daughter of William Sheldon of Boley in Worcester-
shire; by whom he had a son, who died soon after his
father. He wrote, 1. Commentaries or Reports of
divers Cases, &c. in the reigns of king Ed. VI. queen
Mary, and queen Elizabeth; Lond. 1571, 78, 99,
1613, &c. Written in the old Norman language.
2. Queries, or a Moot-book of cases, &c. translated,
methodized, and enlarged, by H. B. of Lincoln's-inn;
Lond. 1662, 8vo.