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Barnard's Inn is a former
Inn of Chancery The Inns of Chancery or ''Hospida Cancellarie'' were a group of buildings and legal institutions in London initially attached to the Inns of Court and used as offices for the clerks of chancery, from which they drew their name. Existing from a ...
in
Holborn Holborn ( or ), an area in central London, covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part (St Andrew Holborn (parish), St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Wards of the City of London, Ward of Farringdon Without i ...
, London. It is now the home of
Gresham College Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in Central London, England that does not accept students or award degrees. It was founded in 1597 under the Will (law), will of Sir Thomas Gresham, ...
, an institution of higher learning established in 1597 that hosts public lectures. Over the centuries, it has served as a school for law students, a venue for qualified attorneys, and residential chambers. The Inn suffered damage during the
Gordon Riots The Gordon Riots of 1780 were several days' rioting in London motivated by anti-Catholic sentiment. They began with a large and orderly protest against the Papists Act 1778, which was intended to reduce official discrimination against British ...
in 1780, but was compensated. It was purchased by the Mercers' Company in the late 19th century and served as the Mercers' School premises until 1959. The buildings include a hall with 18th-century chambers and reception rooms, featuring notable architectural elements like 15th-century wooden bays, 16th-century linen fold wood panelling, and the only surviving crown posts in Greater London. Since 1991, the Inn has been home to Gresham College, hosting public lectures.


History

Barnard's Inn dates back at least to the mid-thirteenth century – it was recorded as part of the estate of Sir
Adam de Basing Adam de Basing (died 1266) was a 13th-century English politician and Mayor of London. The scion of a London political family, he was the son of alderman Peter Basing and grandson of an earlier mayor, Salomon de Basing.Fox, Christine M. (2014)"A ...
(Adam de Baysing), one time
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
. It passed on to John Mackworth, the
Dean of Lincoln Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean S ...
, who in turn passed it on to the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln on his death in 1451. Three years later, it was established as an
Inn of Chancery The Inns of Chancery or ''Hospida Cancellarie'' were a group of buildings and legal institutions in London initially attached to the Inns of Court and used as offices for the clerks of chancery, from which they drew their name. Existing from a ...
– these were schools for law students before they passed on to an Inn of Court. Barnard's Inn was one of two Inns of Chancery linked to
Gray's Inn 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 Wale ...
, the other being
Staple Inn Staple Inn is a part-Tudor period, Tudor building on the south side of High Holborn street in the City of London, London, England. Located near Chancery Lane tube station, it is used as the London venue for meetings of the Institute and Faculty ...
. Members of Gray's Inn were appointed readers to the Barnard or Staple Inn. For example, in the meeting of the Pension of Gray's Inn, 19 November 1617, it was stated: "Mr. William Denny chosen Reader of Barnard's Inn." Members of Barnard or Staple's Inn had to pay four pounds for being admitted to Gray's Inn. Hence, at the meeting of the Pension 15 May 1626 it was said that gentlemen coming from Barnard or Staple's Inn "and crave the benefit of the fine of 43 shillings and 4 pence upon their admittance shall be admitted of the third table and paye but 43 shillings and 4 pence in that respect, otherwise to paye foure poundes as others do notwithstanding they be of Barnards Inne or Staple Inne." Barnard's Inn was badly damaged during the
Gordon Riots The Gordon Riots of 1780 were several days' rioting in London motivated by anti-Catholic sentiment. They began with a large and orderly protest against the Papists Act 1778, which was intended to reduce official discrimination against British ...
in 1780. An adjacent distillery, owned by a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, Mr Langdale (who escaped), was set alight by rioters. The Hall and other buildings were damaged and one of the officers of the Inn witnessed a "sturdy fellow" pumping up
gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients. Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The modern gin was modified in Flanders and the Netherlands ...
from the cellar which he proceeded to sell at a
penny A penny is a coin (: pennies) or a unit of currency (: pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. At present, it is ...
a mug to the thirsty onlookers of the fire. The Inn received £3,200 in compensation for the damage. By the 17th century, qualified attorneys were allowed to practise from Inns of Chancery as well as Inns of Court. By 1830, it had effectively become a set of residential chambers. In 1888, the link to the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln was broken and soon it was purchased by the
Mercers' Company The Mercers' Company, or the Worshipful Company of Mercers, is a livery company of the City of London in the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, and ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. Mercer comes from the Latin for merch ...
, serving as premises for the
Mercers' School The Mercers' School was an independent school in the City of London, England, with a history going back at least to 1542, and perhaps much further. It was operated by the Worshipful Company of Mercers and was closed in 1959. History After the ...
until 1959. It has been used as a venue for lectures by
Gresham College Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in Central London, England that does not accept students or award degrees. It was founded in 1597 under the Will (law), will of Sir Thomas Gresham, ...
since 1991.


Buildings

The buildings consist of a Hall, with 18th-century chambers and reception room. The Hall has three wooden bays, and dates from the 15th Century with 16th-century linen fold wood panelling. The roof timbers include the only surviving
crown post A crown post is a term in traditional timber framing for a post in roof framing which stands on a '' tie beam'' or '' collar beam'' and supports a ''collar plate''.Alcock, N. W.. Recording timber-framed buildings: an illustrated glossary. Londo ...
s in Greater London. Some chalk-and-tile walling in the seminar room below dates back to
Roman London Londinium, also known as Roman London, was the capital of Roman Britain during most of the period of Roman rule. Most twenty-first century historians think that it was originally a settlement established shortly after the Claudian invasion of ...
. The Hall suffered from poor repair and two inadequate restorations in the 19th century. The
Mercers' Company The Mercers' Company, or the Worshipful Company of Mercers, is a livery company of the City of London in the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, and ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. Mercer comes from the Latin for merch ...
organised substantial repairs in 1932. The roof was removed, renovated and replaced and two fireplaces of Tudor design were installed. The windows were reglazed, releaded and reframed. The windows contain the armorial bearings of Principals of Barnard's Inn: * William Harvey (1545) * Gilbert Hide (1558) * Thomas Wilcox (1574) * George Copuldike (1594) * John Wicksteed (1594) * Pieter van de Putte (1666) * Silvester Petyt (1701) * William Betts (1704) * William Manlove (1710) * Matthew Lancaster (1716) * Dingley Askham (1722) * Wiseman Claycett (1728) The hall was renovated again in 1990, adding facilities for meetings and functions, ready to become the home of
Gresham College Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in Central London, England that does not accept students or award degrees. It was founded in 1597 under the Will (law), will of Sir Thomas Gresham, ...
.


Literary reference

The hero of
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
's novel ''
Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...
'', Pip, lodged in Barnard's Inn with Herbert Pocket for a number of years following his arrival in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, which would have been circa 1820.


See also

* List of demolished buildings and structures in London


References


External links


Description of Barnard's Inn Hall
from
Gresham College Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in Central London, England that does not accept students or award degrees. It was founded in 1597 under the Will (law), will of Sir Thomas Gresham, ...
{{Use dmy dates, date=March 2017 Legal buildings in London Cultural and educational buildings in London Inns of Chancery Buildings and structures in the City of London Gresham College Buildings and structures in Holborn Gray's Inn