97-603: The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn , commonly known as Gray's Inn , is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wales , an individual must belong to one of these inns. Located at the intersection of High Holborn and Gray's Inn Road in Central London , the Inn
194-539: A call to the Bar , which lasted approximately 12 to 14 years. A student would first study at either Oxford or Cambridge University , or at one of the Inns of Chancery , which were dedicated legal training institutions. If he studied at Oxford or Cambridge he would spend three years working towards a degree, and be admitted to one of the Inns of Court after graduation. If he studied at one of
291-503: A "reading", or lecture, on a particular legal topic. Two readers would be elected annually by Pension to serve a one-year term. Initially (before the rise of the Benchers) the Readers were the governing body of Gray's Inn, and formed Pension. The earliest certain records of Readers are from the 16th century—although the Inn's records only start at 1569 William Dugdale (himself a member) published
388-813: A Preacher; Michael Doe , former Bishop of Swindon and more recently General Secretary of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel , was appointed in 2011. The East window is by George Ostrehan . Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales . There are four Inns of Court: Gray's Inn , Lincoln's Inn , Inner Temple and Middle Temple . All barristers must belong to one of them. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional accommodation. Each also has
485-597: A chapel. Members of the Bar from other Inns may use these facilities to some extent. During the 12th and early 13th centuries, the law was taught in the City of London , primarily by the clergy. Then two events happened which ended the Church's role in legal education: firstly, a papal bull that prohibited the clergy from teaching the common law , rather than canon law ; and secondly, a decree by Henry III of England on 2 December 1234 that no institutes of legal education could exist in
582-419: A church or chapel attached to it and is a self-contained precinct where barristers traditionally train and practise. However, growth in the legal profession , together with a desire to practise from more modern accommodations and buildings with lower rents, caused many barristers' chambers to move outside the precincts of the Inns of Court in the late 20th century. During the 12th and early 13th centuries, law
679-457: A complete suspension of legal education, and from November 1642 until July 1644 no Pension meetings were held. Only 43 students were admitted during the four years of the war, and none were called to the Bar. Meetings of Pension resumed after the Battle of Marston Moor but the education system remained dormant. Although Readers were appointed, none read, and no moots were held. In 1646, after the end of
776-463: A compulsory condition of licensure. Neither voluntary professional associations (including the American Inns of Court) nor mandatory bar associations typically have any role in training or licensing of law students that would be comparable to that function of the four English Inns of Court in selection and training of new barristers. While the American Inns of Court share a collegial relationship with
873-402: A further discussion in 1762 the Inns adopted a rule that any student with a Master of Arts or Bachelor of Laws degree from the universities of Oxford or Cambridge could be called to the Bar after three years as a student, and any other student could be called after five years. An attempt was made to increase the quality of legal education at Gray's Inn; in 1753 a barrister, Danby Pickering ,
970-460: A list in his Origines Juridiciales dating from 1514. S.E. Thorne published a list dating from 1430, but this is entirely conjectural and not based on any official records, only reports of "readings" that took place at Gray's Inn. By 1569 there had certainly been Readers for more than a century. The English Civil War marked the end of legal education at the Inns, and the class of Readers went into decline. The last Readers were appointed in 1677, and
1067-406: A local law school, and another may be associated with a specific field of legal practice. American Inns of Court do not possess any real property. They are groups of judges, practising attorneys, law professors and students who meet regularly (usually monthly) to discuss and debate issues relating to legal ethics and professionalism. American Inn of Court meetings typically consist of a shared meal and
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#17328632739681164-733: A movement to create Inns of Court in the United States, loosely modelled after the traditional English Inns. In 1985, he and others established the American Inns of Court Foundation to promote and formally charter local Inns of Court across the United States. Each local Inn is devoted to promoting professionalism, civility, ethics, and legal skills amongst the American bench and bar, in a collegial setting, through continuing education and mentoring. At present, each major American city has more than one Inn of Court; for example, one Inn may be affiliated with
1261-472: A particular inn because he or she knows someone already a member, or it has a student association at their university. The inns' disciplinary functions are carried out by a joint Council of the Inns of Court, which administers the disciplinary tribunals. Barristers are prosecuted by the Bar Standards Board . The four inns are located near one another in central London, near the western boundary of
1358-460: A programme presented by one of the Inn's pupillage teams. The U.S. does not require attorneys to be members of an Inn of Court, and many of the equivalent functions are performed by state bar associations . Some states require attorneys to belong to the official bar association, e.g., the State Bar of Michigan, while other states, such as Illinois, do not make membership of an official bar association
1455-502: A result, the domestic Tudor style architecture which had dominated much of the Inn was replaced with more modern styles. Records show that prior to the rebuilding in 1687, the Inn had been "so incommodious" that the "ancients" were forced to work two to a chamber. More of the Inn was rebuilt during that period, and between 1669 and 1774 all of the Inn apart from parts of the Hall and Chapel had been rebuilt. More buildings were constructed during
1552-569: A small class of senior barristers called serjeants-at-law , who were selected from the members of the other four inns and had exclusive rights of audience in certain Courts. Their pre-eminence was affected by the new rank of King's Counsel , which was granted to barristers who were not serjeants. The serjeant's privileges were withdrawn by the government in the 19th century, no more serjeants were appointed, and they eventually died out. The area now known as Serjeants' Inn, one of two sites formerly occupied by
1649-572: Is a professional body and provides office and some residential accommodation for barristers. It is ruled by a governing council called "Pension", made up of the Masters of the Bench (or " benchers ") and led by the Treasurer , who is elected to serve a one-year term. The Inn is known for its gardens (the "Walks"), which have existed since at least 1597. Gray's Inn does not claim a specific foundation date; none of
1746-409: Is similar to that of an Oxbridge college. The chambers were originally used as residences as well as business premises by many of the barristers, but today they serve as offices with only a small number of apartments. Another important inn, Serjeants' Inn , was dissolved in 1877 and its assets were, controversially, distributed amongst the existing members. The membership of the Inn had consisted of
1843-625: The Archbishop of Canterbury ), the list could not compare to that of the Elizabethan period. Following the English Restoration , admissions fell to an average of 57 a year. The fortunes of Gray's Inn continued to decline after the English Restoration , and by 1719 only 22 students were joining the Inn a year. This fall in numbers was partly because the landed gentry were no longer sending sons who had no intention of becoming barristers to study at
1940-522: The Bar Professional Training Course , but do provide supplementary education during the 'Bar School' year, pupillage and the early years of practice. All prospective Bar School students must be a member of one of the four Inns, and must attend ten (formerly twelve) 'qualifying sessions' before being eligible to qualify as a barrister. Qualifying sessions traditionally comprise formal dinners followed by law-related talks, but increasingly
2037-530: The City of London . Nearby are the Royal Courts of Justice , which were moved for convenience from Westminster Hall to the legal quarter of London in 1882. Middle Temple and Inner Temple are liberties of the City of London, which means they are within the historic boundaries of the City but are not subject to its jurisdiction. They operate as their own local authorities. These two Inns neighbour each other and occupy
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#17328632739682134-465: The Coats of Arms of those members who became Treasurers. The Benchers' table is also said to have been a gift from Elizabeth, and as a result the only public toast in the Inn until the late 19th century was "to the glorious, pious and immortal memory of Queen Elizabeth". The walls of the Hall are decorated with paintings of noted patrons or members of the Inn, including Nicholas Bacon and Elizabeth I. During
2231-502: The English Restoration , which saw the end of the then-traditional method of legal education. Now more prosperous, Gray's Inn is today the smallest of the Inns of Court. Gray's Inn and the other three Inns of Court remain the only bodies legally allowed to call a barrister to the Bar, allowing him or her to practise in England and Wales. Although the Inn was previously a disciplinary and teaching body, these functions are now shared between
2328-602: The Second World War the Hall was one of those buildings badly damaged during the Blitz . The Treasurers' Arms and paintings had been moved to a place of safety and were not damaged; during the rebuilding after the War they were put back in the Hall, where they remain. The rebuilt hall was designed by Edward Maufe, and was formally opened in 1951 by the Duke of Gloucester . The Chapel existed in
2425-459: The University of Liverpool but was not called, going on to qualify as a medical doctor instead. Edith Hesling (1899–1971) was admitted on 4 October 1920 while studying for a law degree at the University of Manchester . On 13 June 1923 she became the first woman called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn. (Mary) Robina Stevens (1903–51) was admitted on 8 October 1920 whilst studying at London University . She
2522-480: The call to the Bar was introduced. Gray's Inn itself suffered more than most; as in the 18th century, the fortunes of its members declined, and many barristers who had been called to the Bar at the Inn transferred to others. Gray's Inn was the smallest of the Inns during the early 20th century, and was noted for its connection to the Northern Circuit . During a 1918 Allied World War I conference it would be
2619-535: The legal terms . Prior to the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, this training lasted at least seven years; subsequently, the Inns focused their residency requirements on dining together in the company of experienced barristers, to enable learning through contact and networking with experts. In the mid-18th century the common law was first recognised as a subject for study in the universities, and by 1872 bar examinations became compulsory for entry into
2716-482: The "back field" was walled off, but little more was done until 1608, when under the supervision of Francis Bacon , the Treasurer, more construction work was undertaken, particularly in walling off and improving the gardens and walks. In 1629 it was ordered that an architect supervise any construction and ensure that the new buildings were architecturally similar to the old ones, and the strict enforcement of this rule during
2813-460: The 16th century when the Readers, for unknown reasons, decided that some barristers who were not Readers should be afforded the same rights and privileges as those who were, although without a voice in Pension. This was a rare practice and occurred a total of seven times within the 16th century, the first being Robert Flynt in 1549. The next was Nicholas Bacon in 1550, then Edward Stanhope in 1580, who
2910-496: The 18th and 19th centuries. In 1941 the Inn suffered under The Blitz , which damaged or destroyed much of the Inn, necessitating the repair of many buildings and the construction of more. Today many buildings are let as professional offices for barristers and solicitors with between 265,000 sq ft (24,600 m) and 275,000 sq ft (25,500 m) of office space available. There are also approximately 60 residential apartments, rented out to barristers who are members of
3007-570: The 18th century is given as a reason for the uniformity of the buildings at Gray's Inn. During the late 17th century many buildings were demolished, either because of poor repair or to standardise and modernise the buildings at the Inn. Many more were built over the open land surrounding the Inn, although this was controversial at the time; in November 1672 the Privy Council and Charles II himself were petitioned to order that nothing should be built on
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3104-423: The Bar and were allowed to practise and Readers were those who had been called to the Bar, were allowed to practise and now played a part in educating law students at the Inns of Chancery and at Gray's Inn itself. At the time Gray's Inn was the odd one out amongst the Inns; the others did not recognise Ancients as a degree of barrister and had Benchers roughly corresponding to the Readers used at Gray's Inn (although
3201-459: The Bar were expected to play a part in teaching students, resulting in skilled and knowledgeable graduates from the Inn. Many noted barristers, judges and politicians were members of the Inn during this period, including Gilbert Gerard , Master of the Rolls , Edmund Pelham , Lord Chief Justice of Ireland , and Francis Bacon , who served as Treasurer for eight years, supervising significant changes to
3298-510: The Bar, and refused to order the Inns to call Hart. During the 19th century, the Inns began to stagnate; little had been changed since the 17th century in terms of legal education or practice, except that students were no longer bound to take the Anglican sacrament before their call to the Bar . In 1852 the Council of Legal Education was established by the Inns, and in 1872 a formal examination for
3395-562: The Benchers and other notables would originally have sat. The hall also contains a large carved screen at one end covering the entrance to the Vestibule . Legend says that the screen was given to the Inn by Elizabeth I while she was the Inn's patron, and is carved out of the wood of a Spanish galleon captured from the Spanish Armada . The Hall was lit with the aid of massive windows filled with
3492-509: The Benchers paying a fine of 100 marks because they refused to read, and modern Benchers pay a "fine" in a continuation of this tradition. Noted Benchers of Gray's Inn include Lord Birkenhead and Francis Bacon . Honorary Benchers can also be appointed, although they have no role in Pension, such as Lord Denning , who was appointed in 1979, and Winston Churchill . Today there are over 300 Benchers in Gray's Inn, mostly senior barristers and members of
3589-399: The City of London. The common law began to be practised and taught by laymen instead of clerics, and these lawyers migrated to the hamlet of Holborn , just outside the city and near to the law courts at Westminster Hall . The early records of all four Inns of Court have been lost, and it is not known precisely when each was founded. The records of Gray's Inn itself are lost until 1569, and
3686-544: The English Inns, there is no formal or legal relationship. A Declaration of Friendship was signed by the English and American Inns of Court, establishing visitation procedures under which American Inn members can acquire a letter of introduction that will officially introduce them to the Inns in England and Ireland, with reciprocal procedures available for English and Irish barristers. An annual six-week exchange program, known as
3783-581: The Inn at least once, as his patron, Lord Southampton , was a member. For the Christmas of 1594, his play The Comedy of Errors was performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men before a riotous assembly of notables in such disorder that the affair became known as the Night of Errors and a mock trial was held to arraign the culprit. Central to Gray's was the system shared across the Inns of Court of progress towards
3880-490: The Inn began hiring full-time preachers to staff the Chapel—the first, John Cherke, was appointed in 1576. A radical Puritan in a time of religious conflict, Cherke held his post for only a short time before being replaced by a Thomas Crooke in 1580. After Crooke's death in 1598 Roger Fenton served as preacher, until his replacement by Richard Sibbes , later Master of Catherine Hall, Cambridge , in 1616. Gray's Inn still employs
3977-499: The Inn counted as members five dukes , three marquises , twenty-nine earls , five viscounts and thirty-nine barons , and during that period "none can exhibit a more illustrious list of great men". Many academics, including William Holdsworth , a man considered to be one of the best legal academics in history, maintain that this period saw a decline in the standard of teaching at all the Inns. From 1640 onwards no readings were held, and barristers such as Sir Edward Coke remarked at
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4074-483: The Inn was involved in the case of R v the Benchers of Gray's Inn , a test of the role of the Inns of Court as the sole authority to call students to the Bar. The case was brought to the Court of King's Bench by William Hart, a student at the Inn, who asked the court (under Lord Mansfield ) to order the Inn to call him to the Bar. Mansfield ruled that the Inns of Court were indeed the only organisations able to call students to
4171-584: The Inn. In 1615, 13 students joined the Inn for every student called to the Bar, but by 1713 the ratio had become 2.3 new members to every 1 call. Over a 50-year period, the Civil War and high taxation under William III economically crippled many members of the gentry, meaning that they could not afford to allow their sons to study at the Inns. David Lemmings considers it to have been more serious than that, for two reasons; firstly, Inner Temple and Middle Temple had actually shown an increase in membership following
4268-453: The Inn. The Inn also contains the Inns of Court School of Law , a joint educational venture between all four Inns of Court where the vocational training for barristers and solicitors is undertaken. The current Inn layout consists of two squares—South Square and Gray's Inn Square—with the remaining buildings arranged around the Walks. The Hall was part of the original Manor of Portpoole, although it
4365-646: The Inner Temple); Strand Inn and New Inn (attached to the Middle Temple); Furnival's Inn and Thavie's Inn (attached to Lincoln's Inn); and Staple Inn and Barnard's Inn (attached to Gray's Inn). There is also an Inn of Court of Northern Ireland . In the Republic of Ireland , there is only one Inn of Court, the Honorable Society of King's Inns . From the late 1970s, U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger led
4462-445: The Inns of Chancery he would do so for one year before seeking admission to the Inn of Court to which his Inn of Chancery was tied—in the case of Gray's Inn, the attached Inns of Chancery were Staple Inn and Barnard's Inn . The student was then considered an "inner barrister", and would study in private, take part in the moots and listen to the readings and other lectures. After serving from six to nine years as an "inner barrister,"
4559-402: The Inns of Court claims to be any older than the others. Law clerks and their apprentices have been established on the present site since at latest 1370, with records dating from 1381. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Inn grew in size, peaking during the reign of Elizabeth I . The Inn was home to many important barristers and politicians, including Francis Bacon . Queen Elizabeth herself
4656-534: The Inns of Court have rallied to the defence of the realm during times of crisis. That tradition continues to the present, in that 10 Stone Buildings in Lincoln's Inn has been the permanent home of the Inns of Court & City Yeomanry since the building was freed up by the abolition of the Clerks of Chancery in 1842. Each of the four Inns of Court has three ordinary grades of membership: students, barristers, and masters of
4753-434: The Inns of Court include Gorboduc , Gismund of Salerne (1561), and The Misfortunes of Arthur (1588). An example of a famous masque put on by the Inns was James Shirley ’s The Triumph of Peace (1634). Shakespeare ’s The Comedy of Errors ( c. 1594 ) and Twelfth Night ( c. 1602 ) were also performed at the Inns, although written for commercial theatre. Since at least 1584, members of
4850-452: The Inns which they joined as students and belonged to as barristers. This has had the effect of making the majority of the Masters of the Bench senior judges, either because they become benchers when appointed as judges, or because they become judges after being appointed as benchers. There were also several Inns of Chancery . These are not Inns of Court but are associated to them: Clement's Inn , Clifford's Inn and Lyon's Inn (attached to
4947-483: The Londoners for £50 , and won by the former", giving the precise location as "a field near the lower end of Gray's Inn Lane, London ". In 1733 the requirements for a call to the Bar were significantly revised in a joint meeting between the Benchers of Inner Temple and Gray's Inn, revisions accepted by Lincoln's Inn and Middle Temple, although they were not represented. It is not recorded what these changes were, but after
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#17328632739685044-656: The Monasteries and passed ownership of the Inn to the Crown. During the reign of Elizabeth I , Gray's Inn rose in prominence, and the Elizabethan era is considered the "golden age" of the Inn, with Elizabeth serving as the Patron Lady. This can be traced to the actions of Nicholas Bacon , William Cecil and Gilbert Gerard , all prominent members of the Inn and confidantes of Elizabeth. Cecil and Bacon in particular took pains to find
5141-439: The Readers would be allowed to speak. Pension at Gray's Inn is made up of the Masters of the Bench, and the Inn as a whole is headed by the Treasurer, a senior Bencher. The Treasurer has always been elected, and since 1744 the office has rotated between individuals, with a term of one year. A Reader was a person literally elected to read—he would be elected to the Pension (council) of Gray's Inn, and would take his place by giving
5238-550: The Restoration, and secondly because Gray's Inn had previously had far more "common" members than the other Inns. The decrease in the number of gentry at the Inn could therefore not completely explain the large drop in members. Gray's Inn was the venue for an early cricket match in July 1730 between London and Kent . The original source reports "a cricket-match between the Kentish men and
5335-562: The Serjeants (the other being in Chancery Lane), was purchased by the Inner Temple in 2002. It was formerly the custom for senior judges to join Serjeants' Inn, thereby leaving the Inn in which they had practised as barristers. This meant that the Masters of the Bench of the four barristers' Inns of Court were mostly themselves barristers. Since there is now no Serjeants' Inn, judges remain in
5432-399: The bench or " benchers ". The benchers constitute the governing body for each Inn and appoint new members from among existing barrister members. As a rule, any barrister member of the inn is eligible for appointment. In practice, appointments are made of senior members of the Bar, usually KCs , or High Court judges or those who carry out work on behalf of the Inn, be it on committees or through
5529-457: The centuries, the four Inns of Court became where barristers were trained, while the more numerous Inns of Chancery – which were initially affiliated to the Inns of Court – became associated with the training of solicitors in the Elizabethan era . The four Inns of Court are: Lawyers have lived and worked in the Temple since 1320. In 1337 the premises were divided into the Inner Temple, where
5626-646: The core of the Temple area. The closest Tube station is Temple . Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn are in the London Borough of Camden (formerly in the Borough of Holborn ) near the boundary with the City of London. They do not have the status of a local authority. The nearest Tube station is Chancery Lane . Each Inn is a substantial complex with a great hall , chapel, libraries, sets of chambers for many hundreds of barristers, and gardens, and covers several acres. The layout
5723-469: The decline of the practice of lecturers and readings, first because many probably believed (as the students did) that books were an adequate substitute, and secondly because many were keen to avoid the work of preparing a reading, which cut into their time as practising barristers. These problems were endemic to all the Inns, not just Gray's Inn. The outbreak of the First English Civil War led to
5820-548: The facilities of the Inn and the first proper construction of the gardens and walks for which the Inn is noted. At the start of the Caroline era , when Charles I came to the throne, the Inn continued to prosper. Over 100 students were admitted to the Inn each year, and except during the plague of 1636 the legal education of students continued. Masques continued to be held, including one in 1634 organised by all four Inns that cost £21,000—approximately £4,440,000 in 2024 terms. Before 1685
5917-454: The following decades, and by 1586 the Pension had added another two wings around the central court . Around these were several sets of barristers' chambers erected by members of the Inn under a leasehold agreement whereby ownership of the buildings would revert to the Inn at the end of the lease. As the Inn grew it became necessary (for safety purposes) to wall off the land owned by the Inn, which had previously been open to everyone. In 1591
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#17328632739686014-460: The four Inns, with the Bar Standards Board (a division of the General Council of the Bar ) acting as a disciplinary body and the Inns of Court and Bar Educational Trust providing education. The Inn remains a collegiate self-governing, unincorporated association of its members, providing within its precincts library, dining, residential and office accommodation ( barristers' chambers ), along with
6111-426: The higher rank despite this change. The outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642 marked the end of legal education at the Inns, although Parliament attempted to persuade Readers to continue by threatening them with fines. The class of Readers went into decline and Benchers were called as members of Pension instead. In 1679 there was the first mass-call of Benchers (22 on one occasion, and 15 on another), with
6208-453: The inns offer training weekends that may count for several sessions' worth of attendance. The Inns still retain the sole right to call qualified students to the bar, which is associated with a graduation ceremony ('Call Day'). Prospective students may choose which Inn to apply to for membership, but can only apply to one Inn for scholarships. It makes no long-term difference which Inn a barrister joins; an applicant might, for example, choose
6305-399: The intent of giving them a wider perspective and education than the other Inns would offer. Gray's Inn's internal records date from 1569, at which point there were four types of member; those who had not yet been called to the Bar , Utter Barristers, Ancients and Readers. Utter Barristers were those who had been called to the Bar but were still studying, Ancients were those who were called to
6402-448: The judiciary. Gray's Inn does not possess a coat of arms per se but instead uses a heraldic badge , which is often displayed on a shield. It is blazoned either " Azure an Indian Griffin proper segreant " or, more currently, " Sable a griffin segreant or ", i.e., a gold griffin on a black background. The Inn originally used a variant of the coat of arms of the Grey family, but this
6499-420: The law, without fear or favour rules men's causes aright'. The seal of Gray's Inn consists of the badge encircled by the motto. The Inn is located at the intersection of High Holborn and Gray's Inn Road . It started as a single manor house with a hall and chapel, although an additional wing had been added by the date of the "Woodcut" map of London , drawn probably in the early 1560s. Expansion continued over
6596-554: The lawyers resided, and Middle Temple, which was also occupied by lawyers by 1346. Lincoln's Inn, the largest, is able to trace its official records to 1422. The records of Gray's Inn begin in 1569, but teaching is thought to have begun there in the late-fourteenth century. In 1620 a meeting of senior judges decided that all four Inns would be equal in order of precedence . In the 16th century and earlier, students or apprentices learned their craft primarily by attending court sessions and by sharing both accommodation and education during
6693-505: The most promising young men and get them to join the Inn. In 1574 it was the largest of all the Inns of Court by number, with 120 barristers , and by 1619 it had a membership of more than 200 barristers. Gray's Inn, as well as the other Inns of Court, became noted for the parties and festivals it hosted. Students performed masques and plays in court weddings, in front of Queen Elizabeth herself, and hosted regular festivals and banquets at Candlemas , All Hallows Eve and Easter. At Christmas
6790-574: The open land, and a similar request was sent to the Lord Chancellor in May 1673. From 1672 to 1674 additional buildings were constructed in the Red Lyon Fields by Nicholas Barebone , and members of the Inn attempted to sue him to prevent this. After the lawsuits failed members of the Inn were seen to fight with Barebones' workmen, "wherein several were shrewdly hurt". In February 1679 a fire broke out on
6887-413: The original manor house used by the Inn, and dates from 1315. In 1625 it was enlarged under the supervision of Eubule Thelwall , but by 1698 it was "very ruinous", and had to be rebuilt. Little is known of the changes, except that the barristers' chambers above the chapel were removed. The building was again rebuilt in 1893, and remained that way until its destruction during The Blitz in 1941. The chapel
6984-520: The position of the Readers as heads of the Inn and members of Pension was taken by the Benchers. A Bencher, Benchsitter or (formally) Master of the Bench, is a member of Pension, the governing body of the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn. The term originally referred to one who sat on the benches in the main hall of the Inn which were used for dining and during moots, and the term originally had no significance. The position of Bencher developed during
7081-634: The positions were not identical). The Inn is run by Pension, its ultimate governing body. The name is peculiar to Gray's Inn—at Lincoln's Inn the governing body is called the council, and at the Inner and Middle Temples it is called the Parliament. The name was used for the governing bodies of three of the Inns of Chancery— Barnard's Inn , Clement's Inn and New Inn . In Gray's Inn the Readers, when they existed, were required to attend Pension meetings, and other barristers were at one point welcome to, although only
7178-519: The precise date of founding cannot therefore be verified. Lincoln's Inn has the earliest surviving records. Gray's Inn dates from at least 1370, and takes its name from the 1st Baron Grey de Wilton , as the Inn was originally Lord Grey's family townhouse (or inn) within the Manor of Portpoole. A lease was taken for various parts of the inn by practising lawyers as both residential and working accommodation, and their apprentices were housed with them. From this
7275-642: The profession of law. The Inns played an important role in the history of the English Renaissance theatre . Notable literary figures and playwrights who resided in the Inns of Court included John Donne (1572-1631), Francis Beaumont (1584-1616), John Marston (1576-1634), Thomas Lodge ( c. 1558 -1625), Thomas Campion (1567-1620), Abraham Fraunce ( c. 1559- c. 1593), Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586), Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), and George Gascoigne ( c. 1535 -1577). Plays written and performed in
7372-402: The property solely to Bryan. Bryan acted as either a feoffee or an owner representing the governing body of the Inn (there are some records suggesting he may have been a Bencher at this point) but in 1493 he transferred the ownership by charter to a group including Sir Robert Brudenell and Thomas Wodeward, reverting the ownership of the Inn partially back to the Grey family. In 1506 the Inn
7469-425: The reign of James I (1603–1625) and the beginning of that of Charles I , when over 100 students per year were recorded as joining. The outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642 during the reign of Charles I disrupted the systems of legal education and governance at the Inns of Court, shutting down all calls to the bar and new admissions, and Gray's Inn never fully recovered. Fortunes continued to decline after
7566-638: The site where Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill , the future leaders of the Western Allies in World War II , would first meet. Following the passage of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act in December 1919, women could be admitted to the Inns of Court. The first three women were admitted in 1920. Mary Selina Share Jones (1874–1954) was admitted on 27 Jan 1920 following a law degree from
7663-544: The student was called to the Bar, assuming he had fulfilled the requirements of having argued twice at moots in one of the Inns of Chancery, twice in the Hall of his Inn of Court and twice in the Inn Library. The new "utter barrister" was then expected to supervise bolts ("arguments" over a single point of law between students and barristers) and moots at his Inn of Court, attend lectures at the Inns of Court and Chancery and teach students. After five years as an "utter" barrister he
7760-412: The students denied themselves the opportunity to query what they had learnt or discuss it in greater detail. Eventually, as students now had a way to learn without attending lectures, they began to excuse themselves from lectures, meetings and moots altogether; in the early 17th century they developed a way of deputising other students to do their moots for them. The Benchers and Readers did little to arrest
7857-491: The students ruled the Inn for the day, appointing a Lord of Misrule called the Prince of Purpoole , and organising a masque entirely on their own, with the Benchers and other senior members away for the holiday. The Gray's Inn masque in 1588 with its centrepiece, The Misfortunes of Arthur by Thomas Hughes , is considered by A.W. Ward to be the most impressive masque thrown at any of the Inns. William Shakespeare performed at
7954-401: The teaching of the civil law within the City of London. The common-law lawyers worked in guilds of law, modelled on trade guilds , which in time became the Inns of Court. In the earliest centuries of their existence, beginning with the 14th century, the Inns were any of a sizeable number of buildings or precincts where lawyers traditionally lodged, trained and carried on their profession. Over
8051-453: The time that the quality of education at the Inns of Court had decreased. Holdsworth put this down to three things—the introduction of printed books, the disinclination of students to attend moots and readings and the disinclination of the Benchers and Readers to enforce attendance. With the introduction of printing, written legal texts became more available, reducing the need for students to attend readings and lectures. However, this meant that
8148-444: The tradition of dining in "commons", probably by using the inn's main hall, followed as the most convenient arrangement for the members. Outside records from 1437 show that Gray's Inn was occupied by socii , or members of a society, at that date. In 1456 the 7th Baron Grey de Wilton , the owner of the Manor itself, sold the land to a group including Thomas Bryan . A few months later, the other members signed deeds of release, granting
8245-420: The training of students and other junior members. The senior bencher of each Inn is the Treasurer, a position which is held for one year only. Each Inn usually also has at least one royal bencher. They may also appoint honorary benchers, from academics, the world of politics and overseas judiciary. The Inns of Court no longer provide all the education and training needed by prospective barristers, who must pass
8342-525: The war, there was an attempt to restore the old system of readings and moots, and in 1647 an order was made that students were required to moot at least once a day. This failed to work, with Readers refusing to read, and the old system of legal education completely died out. The Caroline period saw a decline in prosperity for Gray's Inn. Although there were many notable members of the Inn, both legal ( Sir Dudley Digges , Thomas Bedingfield and Francis Bacon , for example) and non-legal (including William Juxon ,
8439-576: The west side of Coney Court, necessitating the rebuilding of the entire row. Another fire broke out in January 1684 in Coney Court, destroying several buildings including the Library. A third fire in 1687 destroyed a large part of Holborn Court, and when the buildings were rebuilt after these fires they were constructed of brick to be more resistant to fire than the wood and plaster previously used in construction. As
8536-415: Was a patron. As a result of the efforts of prominent members such as William Cecil and Gilbert Gerard , Gray's Inn became the largest of the four Inns by number, with over 200 barristers recorded as members. During this period, the Inn mounted masques and revels. William Shakespeare 's The Comedy of Errors is believed first to have been performed in Gray's Inn Hall. The Inn continued to prosper during
8633-561: Was afforded the privilege because, although a skilled attorney, an illness meant he could never fulfil the duties of a Reader. The practice became more common during the 17th century—11 people were made Benchers between 1600 and 1630—and in 1614 one of the Benchers appointed was explicitly allowed to be a member of Pension. This became more common, creating a two-rank system in which both Readers and Benchers were members of Pension. However far more Readers were appointed than Benchers—50 between 1600 and 1630—and it appeared that Readers would remain
8730-430: Was allowed to practice in court—after 10 years he was made an Ancient. The period saw the establishment of a regular system of legal education. In the early days of the Inn, the quality of legal education had been poor—readings were given infrequently, and the standards for call to the Bar were weak and varied. During the Elizabethan age readings were given regularly, moots took place daily and barristers who were called to
8827-400: Was called on 28 January 1924. During World War II the Inn was badly damaged during the Blitz in 1941, with the Hall, the chapel, the Library and many other buildings hit and almost destroyed. The rebuilding of much of the Inn took until 1960 by the architect Sir Edward Maufe . In 2008 Gray's Inn became the first Inn to appoint "fellows"—elected businesspeople, legal academics and others—with
8924-497: Was changed to the griffin at some time around the 1590s. There is no record of why this was done, but it is possible that the new emblem was adapted from the arms of the Treasurer Richard Aungier (d. 1597). The Inn's motto, the date of adoption of which is unknown, is Integra Lex Aequi Custos Rectique Magistra Non Habet Affectus Sed Causas Gubernat , which is Latin for 'Impartial justice, guardian of equity, mistress of
9021-529: Was employed to lecture there, although this agreement ended in 1761 when he was called to the Bar. The 18th century was not a particularly prosperous time for the Inn or its members, and few notable barristers were members during this period. Some noted members include Sir Thomas Clarke , the Master of the Rolls , Sir James Eyre , Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and Samuel Romilly , a noted law reformer. In 1780
9118-474: Was finally rebuilt in 1960, and the original stained glass windows (which had been removed and taken to a safe location) were restored. The rebuilt Chapel contains "simple furnishings" made of Canadian maple donated by the Canadian Bar Association . The Inn has had a Chaplain since at least 1400, where a court case is recorded as being brought by the "Chaplain of Greyes Inn". During the 16th century
9215-409: Was significantly rebuilt during the reign of Mary I , and again during the reign of Elizabeth, with the rebuilding being finished on 10 November 1559. The rebuilt Hall measured 70 ft (21 m) in length, 35 ft (11 m) in width and 47 ft (14 m) in height, and remains about the same size today. It has a hammerbeam roof and a raised dais at one end with a grand table on it, where
9312-619: Was sold by the Grey family to Hugh Denys and a group of his feoffees including Roger Lupton . This was not a purchase on behalf of the society and after a five-year delay, it was transferred under the will of Denys in 1516 to the Carthusian House of Jesus of Bethlehem ( Sheen Priory ), which remained the Society's landlord until 1539, when the Second Act of Dissolution led to the Dissolution of
9409-634: Was taught in the City of London , primarily by the clergy. But a papal bull in 1218 prohibited the clergy from practising in the secular courts (where the English common law system operated, as opposed to the Roman civil law functioning in the Church 's ecclesiastical courts ). As a result, law began to be practised and taught by laymen instead of by clerics. To protect their schools from competition, first Henry II ( r. 1154–1189 ) and later Henry III ( r. 1216–1272 ) issued proclamations prohibiting
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