Forms: 4–6 iurrour(e, 4–7 iurour, (4 ? ieror, 4–5 iuroure, -owre, 5 iorour, -owre, iorrour, 6 iourer, iewror), 6–7 iuror, (7 iurer, jurer), 7– juror. [a. AF. jurour = OF. jureor (later jureur, 12th c.) = Pr. jurador, It. giuratore:—L. jurātōr-em, agent-n. from jūrāre to swear. The L. jūrātor and AF. jurour occur in Eng. records long before the vernacular word.]
1. One of a company of men sworn to deliver a verdict on a matter officially referred to them; a member of a jury; a juryman.
The word has the same historical development as is seen in JURY, but has now a wider range of application than juryman, being freely used historically of members of the ancient inquests out of which the jury system arose, as well as of members of a jury chosen to adjudicate between competitors, and award prizes, to whom ‘juryman’ is seldom applied.
[1188. Glanvill, II. xvii. Aut bene notum est ius ipsum ipsis iuratoribus omnibus aut quidam sciunt … aut omnes ignorant.
1290. Rolls Parlt., I. 19/2. In cujus rei testimonium predicti Juratores Sigilla sua apposuerunt. Et dicunt … quod dampna illa se extendunt ad Viginti Libras.
1292. Britton, I. i. § 11. Et volums qe … nos Justices … ne pasent mie les pointz de nos brefs, ne des presentementz de jurours. Ibid., I. v. § 8. Cum … les jurours soint venuz en court, si porunt il estre chalengez.]
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VII. 44. Ac many a iustice an[d] iuroure wolde for Iohan do more.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 183. Ȝit iurrouris in questis wolen forsweren hem wittyngly for here dyner and a noble.
c. 1400[?]. Lydg., Æsop’s Fab., iii. 133. Al suche raveyne … Beganne at false jurrours and at false witnesse.
1530–1. Act 22 Hen. VIII., c. 14. It shall be forthwith tried … by the same iurours of the same countie.
1579. Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 389. We haue excepted against many of the Iewrors.
1602. T. Fitzherbert, Apol., 12. Our Iurers are not to Iudge de Iure, but de facto, not of matter of Lawes, or right it self, but of matter of fact only.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., V. iii. 60. I shall both finde your Lordship, Iudge and Iuror, You are so mercifull.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. x. 140. The false verdict of jurors, whether occasioned by embracery or not, was antiently considered as criminal.
1821. J. Q. Adams, in C. Davies, Metric Syst., III. (1871), 126. The attorney-general … agreed to withdraw a juror and advised to leave the remedy to parliament.
1877. Ld. Cairns, in Law Rep. 3 App. Cases 197. The judge has a certain duty to discharge, and the jurors have another and a different duty.
b. With qualification, as grand juror, common or petty juror, special juror. (Cf. JURY sb. 2.)
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. ii. 96. You are Grand Iurers, are ye? Wee’l iure ye ifaith.
1681. Lond. Gaz., No. 1667/3. The humble and joynt Addresse of … the Grand Jurors of Your Majesties County of Montgomery.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. Jury i, The Jurors contained in the panel are either special or common Jurors.
1823. J. F. Cooper, Pioneers, xxxiii. (1869), 141/2. On his way to hear and to decide the disputes of his neighbours, as a petit juror.
1883. Wharton’s Law Lex. (ed. 7), s.v. Jury, There is no remuneration for common jurors…. Special jurors get a guinea a cause by s. 34 of 6 Geo. IV. c. 50.
1891. Law Times, XCI. 205/2. The functions of a grand juror are too often those of the fifth wheel in the coach.
† 2. (From the corrupt conduct formerly attributed to jurors.) One who brings false witness or a false presentment (against the innocent, or in favor of the guilty); a slanderer, backbiter; an oppressor; a covetous man. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 63. Þei … hiren also iurrouris & oþere gentil men of contre to forswere hem wyttyngly on þe bok. Ibid. (c. 1380), Sel. Wks., III. 394. If þer be any cursid jurour extorsioner or avoutrer, he wil not be schryven at his owne curat, bot go to a flatryng frere, þat wil asoyle hym falsely for a litel money by ȝeere.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., II. lii. 372 (Add. MS.). Bi the foxe are vndirstondyn vokettes … courteers, Iurrours, and wily men.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 151 b. Sclaunderers, lyers, and iurours of the syse.
1538. Bale, Johan Baptiste, 85, in Harl. Misc., I. 104. The covetouse iourer shall now be lyberall. Ibid. (1550), Image Both Ch. (Rev. xiv. 18) Sodainly as a snare shall that terrible day light vpon them vnbewares, as did death on the couetous iourer.
3. One of a body of persons appointed to award prizes in a competition.
1851. Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 34. If exhibitors accepted the office of jurors, they ceased to be competitors for prizes in the class to which they were appointed.
4. One who takes or has taken an oath; one who swears allegiance to some body or cause. (Cf. NON-JUROR.)
c. 1592. Marlowe, Massacre Paris, II. vi. (1600), C iv b. I am a iuror in the holy league.
1623. Cockeram, Iuror, a swearer.
c. 1700. Ken, in Anderdon, Life, xxiv. (1854), 691. [Frampton had] never interrupted communion with the Jurors, [and would concur in anything which tended to peace].
1881. Agnew, Theol. Consol., 287. The Presbyterian ministers who were jurors, were regarded as lukewarm servants of their church and country.
b. A profane swearer. nonce-word.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, I. xvii. The Parisians … are by nature both good Jurers and good Jurists, and somewhat overweening.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 137, ¶ 3. (Were there no Crime in it) nothing could be more diverting than the Impertinence of the High Juror.
