Lincoln’s Inn takes its name from Henry de Lacy, earl of Lincoln, who died in 1310/11. The site comprised the episcopal palace of Ralph Nevill, bishop of Chichester and chancellor of England (d. 1244); and buildings from a defunct Blackfriars’ monastery in Holborn. Lincoln’s Inn acquired absolute ownership of its land from the see of Chichester in 1580.

The site is bounded on the east by Chancery Lane, on the south by Carey Street and the Royal Courts of Justice, on the west by Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and on the north by High Holborn. Physically Lincoln’s Inn comprises law chambers, which traditionally doubled as residential facilities, an old hall, a new hall, a chapel, a library, and gardens. Except for its old hall (see p xlii), and its chapel which was designed by Inigo Jones, Lincoln’s Inn today is essentially Victorian in its architecture.

The governing body of Lincoln’s Inn is called the council. Orders of council are preserved in a sequence of ‘Black Books’: beginning in 1422 the series is the oldest and most complete of any of the Inns of Court. Archival documents, maintained under the care of an archivist, are produced and read in the library.

Lincoln's Inn Black Books

All eight volumes described below were rebound in 1965 in black morocco, giving them a uniform appearance despite notable differences in size (from 210mm x 135mm to 310mm x 205mm). Foliation is sometimes nightmarish, as for example in A1a7 (Black Book 7), due to successive inconsistencies, errors, corrections, and rationalizations. A set of microfilms is preserved in the Public Record Office (TNA: PRO 30/77): the eight volumes referenced here occupy the first five reels.

The standard essential publication is William Paley Baildon (ed), The Records of the Honorable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. The Black Books, 4 vols (London, 1897). 58

Access Black Book 1 records by year: 1430-1, 1444-5, 1445-6 1447-8, 1449-50, 1450-1, 1451-2, 1452-3, 1453-4, 1454-5, 1455-6, 1456-7, 1457-8, 1458-9, 1459-60, 1460-1, 1461-2, 1462-3, 1463-4, 1464-5, 1465-6, 1466-7, 1467-8, 1468-9, 1469-70, 1470-1, 1471-2

Access Black Book 2, Part 1 records by year: 1472-3, 1473-4, 1474-5, 1475-6, 1476-7, 1477-8, 1478-9, 1479-80, 1480-1, 1481-2, 1482-3, 1483-4, 1484-5, 1485-6, 1486-7

Access Black Book 2, Part 2 records by year: 1486-7, 1487-8, 1488-9, 1489-90, 1490-1, 1491-2, 1492-3, 1493-4, 1494-5, 1495-6, 1496-7, 1497-8, 1498-9, 1499-1500, 1500-1, 1501-2, 1502-3, 1503-4, 1504-5, 1505-6

Access Black Book 3 records by year: 1505-6, 1506-7, 1507-8, 1508-9, 1509-10, 1510-11, 1511-12, 1512-13, 1513-14, 1514-15, 1515-16, 1516-17, 1517-18, 1518-19, 1519-20, 1520-1, 1521-2, 1522-3, 1523-4, 1524-5, 1525-6, 1526-7, 1527-8, 1528-9, 1529-30

Access Black Book 4 records by year: 1529-30, 1530-1, 1531-2, 1532-3, 1533-4, 1534-5, 1535-6, 1536-7, 1537-8, 1538-9, 1539-40, 1540-1, 1541-2, 1542-3, 1543-4, 1544-5, 1545-6, 1546-7, 1547-8, 1548-9, 1549-50, 1550-1, 1551-2, 1552-3, 1553-4, 1554-5, 1555-6, 1556-7, 1557-8, 1558-9, 1559-60, 1560-1 

Access Black Book 5 records by year: 1561-2, 1562-3, 1563-4, 1564-5, 1565-6, 1566-7, 1567-8, 1569-70, 1570-1, 1571-2, 1572-3, 1573-4, 1574-5, 1575-6, 1576-7, 1577-8, 1578-9, 1579-80, 1580-1, 1581-2, 1582-3, 1583-4, 1584-5, 1585-6, 1586-7, 1587-8, 1588-9, 1589-90, 1590-1, 1591-2, 1592-3, 1593-4, 1494-5

Access Black Book 6 records by year: 1593-4, 1594-5, 1595-6, 1596-7, 1597-8, 1598-9, 1599-1600, 1600-1, 1601-2, 1602-3, 1603-4, 1604-5, 1605-6, 1606-7, 1607-8, 1608-9, 1609-10, 1610-11, 1611-12, 1612-13, 1613-14, 1614-15, 1615-16, 1616-17, 1617-18

Access Black Book 7 records by year: 1622-23, 1623-4, 1624-5, 1625-6, 1626-7, 1627-8, 1628-9, 1629-30, 1631-2, 1632-3, 1633-4, 1634-5, 1635-6

Access Black Book 8 records by year: 1636-7, 1638-9, 1640-1, 1641-2

Access the collected Lincoln's Inn records.