84 
INNS of 
Sir Nicholas Bacon and fir Francis Bacon were two of 
the mod eminent members of Gray’s Inn. See vol. ii. 
p. 605, 6. David Jenkins, the patriotic and honed WeHh 
judge, in the reign of Charles I. was a member of this fo- 
ciety. He had imprifoned and condemned feveral per¬ 
sons bearing arms againd the king, and courageoufly dif- 
*» owned the ufurped jurifdiftion of the commons, .when 
brought to their bar. “ Expelling daily to be hanged, 
he came to a refolution to fuffer with the Bible under one 
arm and Magna Charta under the other. His vindication 
of himfelf, and other occafional pieces of his writing, were 
printed in lamo. 1648, with his head, by Marfhal. He 
died in 1663, about 81 years of age.” Granger. 
Inns of Chancery belonging to Gray's Inn. 
Staple Inn is traditionally reported to have been 
called Staple Hall, and to have been anciently a fort of ex¬ 
change or meeting-place for the wool-merchants, or fta- 
plers. In the reign of Henry V. however, and probably 
before, it had become an inn of chancery, the fociety dill 
pofieffing a manufcript of the orders and conditutions 
made at that period. It was then held by leafe ; for the 
fird grant of the inheritance of it to the ancients of Gray’s 
Inn, from John Knighton and Alice his wife, daughter of 
John Chapwood, was by indenture of bargain and fale, 
dated 10 November, 20 Henry VIII. after which there 
were two other feoffments made. 
This inn dands on the fouth fide of Holborn, nearly op- 
pofite Gray’s-Inn Lane. It conlids of two large courts 
furrounded with buildings. Great part of the inner court 
was rebuilt in the early part of the lad century, and con¬ 
tains a fmall garden, pleafantly laid out. The outer court, 
adjoining Holborn, and particularly the dreet front, is of 
a much greater age. It extends a confiderable length, 
and has a very antique but decayed appearance. From 
the fafhion of the done-framed windows at the back of 
the building, it mud at lead be as old as the time of queen 
Elizabeth, and may poffibly have been built much earlier. 
The hall of this inn, which divides the two fquares, is 
a modern ere£tion, at lead it does not appear equally an¬ 
cient with fome of the other buildings. It contains, on 
the outfide, a clock and a fmall turret. The interior 
forms a large handfome room, and is neatly kept. In the 
windows are a few coats of arms of former members or 
benefa&ors. The hall likewife contains fome portraits 
of no particular intereft, and cads of the twelve Casfars 
on brackets. 
Bernard’s Inn is fituated at a fmall didance ead from 
Staple Inn, in the fame dreet, (Holborn.) It likewife con- 
lids of two courts furrounded by chambers, but inferior 
in fize. The buildings, however, are handfome and con¬ 
venient; the whole having been but lately rebuilt. The 
hall of this inn is a very fmall room; it contains a few 
portraits of eminent Jaw-charafters, and two buds ; the 
windows are likewife decorated with armorial bearings. 
In the fecond fquare is a fmall neat garden, railed round, 
and a thoroughfare to Fetter-lane. 
Bernard’s Inn was anciently called Mackworth Inn, 
and was" given by Thomas Atkins, citizen of London, 
one of the executors of John Mackworth, dean of Lin¬ 
coln, in 32 Henry VI. to the dean and chapter of Lincoln, 
and their fucceffors for ever, to find a chaplain to cele¬ 
brate divine fervice in the chapel of St. George, within 
the cathedral church of Lincoln, where the body of John 
Mackworth lies buried. It is called in the record the 
fecond inn of chancery belonging to the above dean and 
chapter, and was founded by inq.uilition in the Guildhall 
of London, before J. Norman, mayor, the king’s efchea- 
tor. There is additional evidence thatit was an inn of 
chancery about this time, from a circumftance mentioned 
in Stowe’s Annals: “ In the 33d of Henry VI.” lays he, 
“ a tumult betwixt the gentlemen of the innes of courts 
and chancery, and the citizens of London, hapning in 
Fleet-ftreet, in which fome mifchief was done; the princi- 
COURT. 
pals of Clifford’s Inne, Furnivall’s tnne, and Barnard’s 
Inne, were fent prifoners to Hartford-caftle.” 
The government of Barnard’s Inn was veiled in a prin¬ 
cipal and twelve ancients, befides the gentlemen of the 
houfe, who were obliged .to be in commons a fortnight 
two terms, and ten days the other terms, for which they 
paid five fliillings per week if abfent. Their drefs in com¬ 
mons was like the reft of the inns, confiding of long robes 
and knit caps. Mootings were difcontinued among them 
for fome time before they were left off by the other inns. 
The armorial enfigns of this inn are, Party per pale in¬ 
dented ermin, and fable a chevron frettee or and gules. 
SERJEANTS’ INNS. 
Befides the inns of court and chancery, there have been 
from very remote antiquity other inns, or hojlels as they 
were called, appropriated to the ufe of the judges of the 
king’s bench, common pleas, barons of the exchequer, 
and ferjeants at law. Two of thefe are ftill remaining; 
the one fituate in Chancery-lane, the other in Fleet-ftreet. 
A third Serjeants’ Inn flood in Holborn, called Scroop’s 
Inn, which has been long deftroyed. Of thefe, as a fort 
of appendages to the other inns, a few brief notices are 
neceffary. 
Serjeants’ Inn, Chancery-lane. This inn confifts of 
two fmall courts, furrounded by the judges’ chambers, 
which are fpacious and handfome rooms. The principal 
entrance is from Chancery-lane, and fronts the hall; the 
fecond court communicates with Clifford’s Inn, by means 
of a fmall paffage. The whole of the buildings are mo¬ 
dern, the work of the laft century. 
The afcent to the hall is by a very handfome flight of 
ftone Heps and baluftrade. It is built of brick, with 
ftone cornices, and ornamented in front with a handfome 
pediment, furmounted by a turret and clock. The infide 
is not large, but forms a well-proportioned apartment; 
and the windows, like thofe of molt of the other halls, 
are decorated with armorial bearings in ftained glafs. The 
chapel is a fmall neat edifice, with feats for the judges ; 
but is no ways remarkable. 
This inn did not attain its prefent appellation of Ser¬ 
jeants’ Inn till about the year 1484; previous to which 
it was called “Faryngdon’s Inn, in Chancellor’s Lane;’* 
and ftill earlier, viz. in the 17th of Rich. If. it was men¬ 
tioned by the name of “ Tenementum domini Jolt. Skarlc." 
It was at this period let by the bifhop of Ely’s appoint¬ 
ment, whofe eftate it was, to one of the clerks of the 
chancery, as appears by the bailiff’s account to the then 
bifhop. 
It is probable that the ferjeants at law had lodgings 
here at this time ; for within three years afterwards, viz. 
in 1414, the bifhop’s bailiff accounts for the repair of 
Afkham’s chamber, by which it feems that the lodgings 
were let apart; foon after, however, the whole houle was 
entirely demifed to the judges and others learned in the 
law ; for in 1416 there is accounted to the bifhop vil. xiiir. 
iiiid pro Faryndon's Inn in Chancellor's-lane dimijfo Rogero Hor¬ 
ton et Willielmo Cheney jujiiciariis, et Waltero AJkham apprentijio 
legis. It feems that the judges and ferjeants were not 
conftant tenants to the bifhop in thofe days for this houfe; 
for in 1425, thefe are the words of the accompt; Hofpi- 
ciuni in Chanccllers-lane Jletit inoccupatum per toturn annum circa 
reparationem ejufque , et contra annumfequentem dimittitur J. Mar¬ 
tin, et Jacobo Strangwiz, et T. Rolf, jujiiciariis, ad v. lib. and 
then loon after (viz. 1730) it had the name of Hofpicium 
■ JuJliciariorum. 
Anno 1440 it was again demifed to Joh. Hody et aliis fer- 
vientibus legis, for the rent of v/. per ann. In 1474 it was 
let to fir Robert Danby, knight, then chief juftiee of the 
court of common pleas, and other the judges of that time, 
at iiii/. per ann. And two years after, in 1476, to fir 
Thomas Grey, knight, at the like rent of iiii/. per ann. 
which rent from him thefaid fir Thomas Grey is accounted 
for from that time till the year 1481 inclufive. And in 
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