Heath refused the knighthood that was customary to the office. Cost may have been a factor in his refusal,R. W. Blencowe, Notes and Queries, 3rd series, 2, 1862, p. 11 but it was also in keeping with the reputation he acquired. He was "plain John Heath" - no-nonsense - in speech and in person. Heath possessed great legal and general knowledge, and he paid scrupulous attention to evidence and argument. Once he formed an opinion, he was not easily persuaded to depart from it.
