UNION OF THE SERJEANTS OF THE INN IN FLEET STREET WITH THE SERJEANTS IN CHANCERY LANE.

April 23, 1733.

1733. Oct. 31. *Sir Philip Yorke, lord Hardwicke. | 1759. Feb. 6. William Whitaker. 1736. June 4. *Thomas Parker: afterwards sir

*Thomas Burnet: afterwards sir 1762. Jan. 23. *Sir Charles Pratt, attorney-gen

*John Bayley: afterwards sir
John.

July 2. Alan Chambre: afterwards sir 1827. June 25. Thomas Andrews.

Alan.

16. Sir John Scott, created lord El-
don; afterwards lord chancellor.

1800. Jan. 24. *William Draper Best: afterwards

sir William.

June 16. *Robert Graham: afterwards sir

Robert.

Arthur Onslow.

*Sir Edward Law, knt., attorney.
general; afterwards lord Ellen-
borough.

1804. Apr. 24. *James Mansfield: afterwards sir

James.

1805. Feb. 4. *Sir Thomas Manners Sutton,

Henry Storks.

Ebenezer Ludlow.

Henry Alworth Merewether.
William Oldnall Russell.

Edward Hobson Vitruvius Lawes.
David-Francis Jones: afterwards
Atcherley.

27. John Scriven.

Henry-John Stephen.

Charles Carpenter Bompas.

1828. Nov. 18. James Parke: afterwards sir

James.

1829. Feb. 4. Edward Goulburn.

June 5. *Sir Nicolas Conyngham Tin-
dal, knt.

Nov. 16. *William Bolland: afterwards sir
William.

knt., afterwards lord Manners, 1830. Nov. 11. *William-Elias Taunton: after-
and lord chancellor of Ireland.

1807. May 28. *George Wood: afterwards sir

KING'S (NOW QUEEN'S) COUNSEL.

A KING'S (now QUEEN'S) COUNSEL is a barrister usually supposed to be in the service of the Crown. He is appointed by the Crown, and sits within the Bar, wearing a robe of silk. He enjoys precedence and pre-audience over members of the Bar who do not hold this office, and his fees are generally of higher amount. The rank is rarely conferred upon Barristers of less than ten or twelve years' standing, though lord Erskine was honoured with the distinction when he had been only five years at the Bar; and many eminent lawyers have been obliged to wait for it as long as eighteen and twenty years. In some few instances, the honour has been withheld upon political grounds; a Barrister, confessedly entitled by his professional eminence to the emolument and distinction which the office confers, has had his claims postponed on the ground of his opposition to the minister of the day. This occurrence is rare, however, and shows that the official character of a Queen's Counsel is almost nominal, and in reality consists in its being a professional advancement. Beatson. Dod.

PATENTS OF PRECEDENCE.

LETTERS-PATENT OF PRECEDENCE are usually granted to such barristers (either King's, now Queen's, Counsel or Serjeants) as the Crown thinks proper to honour with that mark of distinction, whereby they are entitled to such rank and pre-audience as are assigned in their respective patents; sometimes next after the King's AttorneyGeneral, but usually after His Majesty's Counsel then being. They rank and sit with the King's Counsel within the bar of the respective courts, but receive no salaries, and are not sworn; and therefore are at liberty to be retained against the Crown. — Blackstone.

It is a very

Throughout the numerous lists of Judicial personages, but one instance of suicide occurs. remarkable one, and is mentioned by lord Campbell. "Chief Justice Hankford (temp. Henry V.) notwithstanding his high position, became tired of life, and wished to shuffle off this mortal coil, but was afraid to commit suicide at a time when a verdict of felo de se always followed such an act, and the body of the delinquent was buried in cross roads with a stake thrust through it. By a novel expedient he hoped the forfeiture of his goods would be saved, and that his family would escape the anguish and shame arising from the belief that he had fallen by his own hand. Several of his deer having been stolen, he gave orders to his keepers to shoot any person they met with in or near the park at night who would not immediately stand when challenged. He then on a dark night threw himself in the keepers' way, and not answering when challenged, was shot dead upon the spot. The stump of an old oak under which he is said to have fallen, is still called Hankford's Oak.'" -Lord Campbell's Chief Justices of England.

252

THE ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS.

ECCLESIASTICAL Courts appear to have been instituted under the Anglo-Saxon government; but they became subject to more strict regulations, and their jurisdiction became more distinct and precise after the elevation of the first William to the English throne. Every prelate then had a regular court, in which he or his chancellor took cognizance of acts of impiety and breaches of morality, and decided religious, matrimonal, and testamentary causes. The highest court of this kind was the Court of Arches, so called from Bow church, in which it was holden. The judge was styled Principal Official to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and was not always the same person with the Dean of the Arches, who was, properly, the vicar or deputy of the former. The advocates and procurators belonging to this court were appointed by the primate, and the proceedings were regulated by the civil and canon laws.

For a long course of years the individuals of this profession, not forming a distinct society, were mingled with the mass of the people. But about the beginning of the reign of the eighth Henry, Dr. Richard Bodewell, dean of the arches, and other civilians and canonists who had been admitted to the privilege of pleading in the court, formed a plan of association, and agreed to dwell in contiguous houses and enjoy a community of board. The respectability of this society induced many dignitaries of the church and laymen of distinction to enrol themselves among its members, and on the payment of a small annual sum they had the privilege of college commons. The dean, by virtue of his office, became the president of the society, which was by him denominated the "College of Doctors and Advocates of the Court of Arches." 1

For more than fifty years after this voluntary incorporation we find no record of the particular spot which the members occupied; but in February, 1568, Dr. Henry Hervie, dean of the arches and master of Trinity Hall (a seminary founded at Cambridge chiefly for the study of the civil and canon laws) procured from the dean and chapter of the diocese of London a lease of Montjoy House and other buildings in the parish of St. Bene't, Paul's Wharf, for the accommodation of the society.2 The court over which he presided, the prerogative court of Canterbury, that of the bishop of London, and also the court of admiralty (except for criminal cases) were thenceforward holden in the buildings thus assigned, and the whole place, for an obvious reason, received the appellation of "DOCTORS' COMMONS."

For upwards of two centuries the united advocates continued to hold their lease from the master and fellows of Trinity Hall. The latter then relinquished the connexion by a surrender of their lease to the dean and canons of St. Paul's, with whom the college of doctors, enriched by a royal grant of 3000l. out of the droits of admiralty, entered into an agreement to purchase the estate in perpetuity.

When episcopal jurisdiction was suppressed by parliamentarian usurpers, the spiritual courts felt a rude shock, and the loyal advocates were discountenanced and harassed; but the society still existed, though various intruders were commissioned by the ruling powers to act as judges. The return of Charles II., however, re-established the former society in its integrity.

As the great fire in 1666 extended its ravages to the habitations of the civilians, they held their courts at Exeter House, in the Strand, until 1672, when they returned to Doctors' Commons, their collegiate mansion being then completely rebuilt. The society was incorporated by charter in June, 1768, and styled "The College of

At this time all the advocates were not doctors.-Coote's English Civilians.

2 In imitation of collegiate manners, it was provided, that though married doctors might be indulged with the liberty of residing in the chambers or tenements of the college, none of their wives should reside or abide there. Idem.