Chancery Lane

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Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane, City of London.JPG
Length0.3 mi (0.48 km)
Location London, United Kingdom
Postal code WC2, EC4
Nearest Tube station Underground no-text.svg Chancery Lane
Coordinates 51°30′58″N0°06′44″W / 51.5162°N 0.1121°W / 51.5162; -0.1121 (approximate midpoint)
South end Fleet Street
To High Holborn
Other
Known for Legal profession

Chancery Lane is a one-way street that forms part of the western boundary of the City of London. The east side of the street is entirely within the City, [1] whilst the west side is in the City of Westminster south of Carey Street and the London Borough of Camden north of that street. [2] The route originated as a 'new lane' created by the Knights Templar from their original 'old Temple' on the site of the present Southampton Buildings on Holborn, in order to access to their newly acquired property to the south of Fleet Street (the present Temple) sometime before 1161. [3]

Contents

Chancery Lane, numbered the B400 in the British road numbering scheme, connects Fleet Street at its southern origin with High Holborn. It gives its name to Chancery Lane Underground station which lies at the junction of Holborn and Gray's Inn Road, a short distance from Chancery Lane's northern end.

Historically, the street was associated with the legal profession, an association which continues to the present day; however, consulting firms, ancillary businesses and the Maughan Library also occupy the street. Lincoln's Inn occupies most of the western side north of Carey Street. The side of the street that falls in the City of London is situated in the ward of Farringdon Without. [1] Local government boundaries were changed considerably in this area in 1994 – previously only a small part of the street, on its southern end, was within the City. [4]

History

The Maughan Library and its clock tower is situated on the eastern side of Chancery Lane, opposite The Law Society. Maughanclocktower.JPG
The Maughan Library and its clock tower is situated on the eastern side of Chancery Lane, opposite The Law Society.
18th century advertisement for tobacco in Chancery Lane. Rolls's Best Virginia tobacco advertisement.jpg
18th century advertisement for tobacco in Chancery Lane.
Chancery Lane is at the boundary of the City of London, the London Borough of Camden, and the City of Westminster, as visible in its different street signs Chancery Lane street signs, London.jpg
Chancery Lane is at the boundary of the City of London, the London Borough of Camden, and the City of Westminster, as visible in its different street signs

Chancery Lane takes its name from the historic High Court of Chancery, which started its association with the area when Robert de Chesney, the Bishop of Lincoln acquired the 'old Temple' in 1161.[ citation needed ] The road was originally known as New Street. It was renamed in 1377 to Chancellors Lane when King Edward II took over running of the Domus Conversorum (House of the Converts), a residence and chapel for Jews converted to Christianity, to use as the Keeper of the Rolls of Chancery. [5]

In later centuries the Court convened in Lincoln's Inn Old Hall and other buildings there for the Court's purposes, such as the important Six Clerks office. On the eastern side of the street, below Bream's Buildings and opposite the Law Society, was the original site of the Domus Conversorum founded by King Henry III in the 13th century.

In the 14th century it became the estate of the Master of the Rolls, which included an official residence (Rolls House, based on the Domus Conversorum and storage for court records). [5] [6] The site later became the Public Record Office (which has since become the National Archives), the present Grade II* listed, Gothic Revival building designed by Sir James Pennethorne was built in 1851. In 1907 it became the museum of the Public Record Office and throughout the latter half of the 20th century records gradually moved to a new site located in Kew. In 2001 it underwent renovation and became the Maughan Library, the largest academic library of King's College London.

The Patent Office was originally situated off Southampton Buildings and some of the minor side streets also are named after their associations with now defunct legal practices, such as Rolls Buildings and Cursitor Alley. Just to the south of the Maughan Library is the site of the former Serjeant's Inn. [7]

Notable buildings

The principal building of The Law Society, the professional body for solicitors in England and Wales, is at No. 113. Ede and Ravenscroft, the oldest tailors in London, have their main (and historic) outlet and offices at No. 93, which is also their outlet for legal dress. The London Silver Vaults are located at the northern end of Chancery Lane. [5]

Related Research Articles

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The City of London, widely referred to simply as the City, is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the ancient centre, and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London and one of the leading financial centres of the world. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the modern area referred to as London has since grown far beyond the City of London boundary. The City is now only a small part of the metropolis of Greater London, though it remains a notable part of central London. Administratively, the City of London is not one of the London boroughs, a status reserved for the other 32 districts. It is also a separate ceremonial county, being an enclave surrounded by Greater London, and is the smallest ceremonial county in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holborn</span> Human settlement in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Temple</span> Barristers professional association

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln's Inn</span> One of the four Inns of Court in London, England

The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. Lincoln's Inn, along with the three other Inns of Court, is recognised as being one of the world's most prestigious professional bodies of judges and lawyers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleet Street</span> Street in London, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holborn Viaduct</span> Road bridge in London

Holborn Viaduct is a road bridge in London and the name of the street which crosses it. It links Holborn, via Holborn Circus, with Newgate Street, in the City of London, England financial district, passing over Farringdon Street and the subterranean River Fleet. The viaduct spans the steep-sided Holborn Hill and the River Fleet valley at a length of 1,400 feet (430 m) and 80 feet (24 m) wide. City surveyor William Haywood was the architect and the engineer was Rowland Mason Ordish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple, London</span> One of the main legal districts in London, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staple Inn</span> Tudor building in London, England

Staple Inn is a part-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 of Actuaries, and is the last surviving Inn of Chancery. It was designated a Grade I listed building in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farringdon Without</span> Ward of the City of London

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maughan Library</span> Main academic and research library of Kings College London

The Maughan Library is the main university research library of King's College London, forming part of the Strand Campus. A 19th-century neo-Gothic building located on Chancery Lane in the City of London, it was formerly the home to the headquarters of the Public Record Office, known as the "strong-box of the Empire", and was acquired by the university in 2001. Following a £35m renovation designed by Gaunt Francis Architects, the Maughan is the largest new university library in the United Kingdom since World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fetter Lane</span> Human settlement in England

Fetter Lane is a street in the ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London, England. It forms part of the A4 road and runs between Fleet Street at its southern end and Holborn.

Thavie's Inn was a former Inn of Chancery, associated with Lincoln's Inn, established at Holborn, near the site of the present side street and office block still known as Thavies Inn Buildings. Thavie's Inn is one of the earliest Inns of Chancery on record, both by date of establishment and dissolution. It remains a well-known City of London landmark, where Lloyd's Bank is situated, on the opposite side of Holborn Circus from Ely Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holborn and Covent Garden (ward)</span> Electoral ward in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone Buildings</span>

Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn were constructed from 1774 to 1780. The architect was Sir Robert Taylor. Stone Buildings is a Grade I listed building. Stone Buildings appear in Anthony Trollope's novel The Prime Minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon boundary mark</span> Type of sculpture marking boundaries of the City of London

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This is a list of the etymology of street names in the London district of Holborn. Holborn has no formally defined boundaries - those utilised here are: Theobald’s Road to the north, Gray's Inn Road and the City of London boundary to the east, Victoria Embankment/the Thames to the south, and Lancaster Place, the north-west curve of the Aldwych semi-circle, Kingsway/Southampton Row to the west.

The New Inn was one of the Inns of Chancery or Hospida Cancellarie. It existed from the late 15th century until 1902 and was located near Aldwych in London.

References

  1. 1 2 City of London Corporation Interactive maps (Electoral services: Ward boundaries) (accessed 19 March 2024)
  2. Ordnance Survey Election Maps (accessed 19 March 2024)
  3. "The Map of Early Modern London : Chancery Lane". James Campbell. Archived from the original on 1 August 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  4. legislation.gov.uk The City and London Borough Boundaries Order 1993
  5. 1 2 3 Weinreb et al. 2008, p. 146.
  6. "Hospitals: Domus conversorum – British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk.
  7. The Wards of Farringdon: Chancery Lane Tony Sharp 2000

Further reading