[permalink] [id link]
The Benchers and Readers did little to arrest the decline of the practice of lecturers and readings, first because many probably believed ( as the students did ) that books were an adequate substitute, and secondly because many were keen to avoid the work of preparing a reading, which cut into their time as practising barristers.
from
Wikipedia
Some Related Sentences
Benchers and Readers
William Holdsworth and the editor of the Black Books both concluded that Benchers were, from the earliest times, the governors of the Inn, unlike other Inns who started with Readers.
After the end of the Civil War, the old system was not restored ; Readers refused to read and both barristers and Benchers refused to follow the internal regulations.
Holdsworth put this down to three things — the introduction of printed books, the disinclination of students to attend moots and readings and the disinclination of the Benchers and Readers to enforce attendance.
At the time Gray's Inn was the odd one out amongst the Inns ; the others did not recognise Ancients as a degree of barrister and had Benchers roughly corresponding to the Readers used at Gray's Inn ( although the positions were not identical ).
Initially ( before the rise of the Benchers ) the Readers were the governing body of Gray's Inn, and formed Pension.
The last Readers were appointed in 1677, and the position of the Readers as heads of the Inn and members of Pension was taken by the Benchers.
This became more common, creating a two-rank system in which both Readers and Benchers were members of Pension.
However far more Readers were appointed than Benchers — 50 between 1600 and 1630 — and it appeared that Readers would remain the higher rank despite this change.
The class of Readers went into decline and Benchers were called as members of Pension instead.
Benchers and practice
The practice of using Governors died out in 1572, and from 1584 the term was applied to Benchers, with the power of a Governor and a new Bencher being synonymous.
The practice became more common during the 17th century — 11 people were made Benchers between 1600 and 1630 — and in 1614 one of the Benchers appointed was explicitly allowed to be a member of Pension.
Benchers and first
The increase of the size of the Inn led to a loss of its partially democratic nature, first in 1494 when it was decided that only Benchers and Governors should have a voice in calling people to the Bar, and by the end of the sixteenth century Benchers were almost entirely in control.
The first record of Benchers comes from 1478 when, John Glynne was expelled from the Society for using " presumptious and unsuitable words " in front of the governors and " other fellows of the Bench ", and a piece of legislation passed in 1489 was " ordained by the governors and other the worshipfuls of the Bench ".
In 1679 there was the first mass-call of Benchers ( 22 on one occasion, and 15 on another ), with the Benchers paying a fine of 100 marks because they refused to read, and modern Benchers pay a " fine " in a continuation of this tradition.
The collection grew larger over the years as individual Benchers such as Sir John Finch and Sir John Bankes left books or money to buy books in their wills, and the first Librarian was appointed in 1646 after members of the Inn had been found stealing books.
Benchers and because
An order was sent directly to the Benchers proclaiming that no " pson eyther convented or suspected for papistrye shulde be called eyther to the benche or to the barre ", and at the same time Benchers were selected specifically because of their Protestant beliefs, with popular and successful Catholics held back.
Benchers and many
For many years only Benchers were allowed to be buried in the Crypt, with the last one being interred on 15 May 1852.
Benchers and believed
In Lincoln's Inn, the idea of a Bencher was believed to have begun far earlier than elsewhere ; there are records of four Benchers being sworn in in 1440.
Benchers and students
At Christmas the students ruled the Inn for the day, appointing a Lord of Misrule called the Prince of Purpoole, and organising a masque entirely on their own, with the Benchers and other senior members away for the holiday.
In 1780 the Inn was involved in the case of R v the Benchers of Gray's Inn, a test of the role of the Inns of Court as the sole authority to call students to the Bar.
In the early 16th century, a railing divided the hall in the Inns of Court, with students occupying the body of the hall and readers or Benchers on the other side.
Benchers and were
His lectures were on the Statute of Uses, and his reputation was such that when he retired to his house after an outbreak of the plague, " nine Benchers, forty barristers, and others of the Inn accompanied him a considerable distance on his journey ".
By 1466 the Fellows were divided into Benchers, those at the Bar ( ad barram, also known as utter barristers or simply barristers ) and those not at the Bar ( extra barram ).
Simpson, writing at a later date, decided based on the Black Books that the Benchers were not the original governing body, and that the Inn was instead ruled by Governors ( or gubernatores ), sometimes called Rulers, who led the Inn.
By the late 15th century the ruling group were the Governors ( who were always Benchers ) with assistance and advice from the other " masters of the Bench ", and occasional votes from the entire Society.
The Benchers were still subordinate to the Governors, however ; a note from 1505 shows the admission of two Benchers " to aid and advice for the good governing of the Inn, but not to vote ".
The Benchers of the time were described as " opposed to all modern fashions, including new-fangled comforts ", with the Inn's buildings deteriorating.
Further delays were suffered thanks to the Temple's choice of architect, Hubert Worthington, who was so slow that the Benchers ended up replacing him with his junior associate, T. W.
In 1733 the requirements for a call to the Bar were significantly revised in a joint meeting between the Benchers of Inner Temple and Gray's Inn, revisions accepted by Lincoln's Inn and Middle Temple, although they were not represented.
Benchers and work
In 1587 four Benchers were ordered by the Pension to " consider what charge a brick wall in the fields will draw unto And where the said wall shalbe fittest to be builded ", and work on such a wall was completed in 1598, which helped keep out the citizens of London.
Benchers and which
Polson suggests that this was due to his knowledge of the law, which " excited the Benchers ".
Benchers and into
The remaining Serjeants were accepted into their former Inns of Court, where judicial Serjeants were made Benchers and normal Serjeants barristers.
Benchers and their
The Inn's membership had grown to the point where the Old Hall was too small for meetings, and so the Benchers decided to construct a new hall, also containing sizable rooms for their use, and a library.
Following a Scotsman's request to purchase the land, the Inner and Middle Temples appealed to James I, who granted the land to a group of noted lawyers and Benchers, including Sir Julius Caesar and Henry Montague, and to " their heirs and assignees for ever " on the condition that the Inner and Middle Temples each paid him £ 10 a year.
* The School Bench-School Benchers are selected by means of a poll of their peers and members of staff at the end of their Lower Sixth year.
Benchers and practising
Today there are approximately 200 governing Benchers ( barristers and members of the judiciary ) and honorary, academic and Royal Benchers appointed as well as those practising in other jurisdictions.
Benchers and barristers
There are approximately 190 Benchers at the moment, with the body consisting of those members of the Inn elected to high judicial office, those who have sat as Queen's Counsel for six or seven years and some of the more distinguished " junior " barristers ( those barristers who are not Queen's Counsel ).
The group proceeded from Whitehall on the King's barge, landed at the Temple and walked through the Temple Garden surrounded by all the Benchers, barristers and servants of the Temple, fifty of whom brought a lavish feast for the revellers.
Today there are over 300 Benchers in Gray's Inn, mostly senior barristers and members of the judiciary.
Benchers and .
During the 15th century the Inn was not a particularly prosperous one, and the Benchers, particularly John Fortescue, are credited with fixing this situation.
It is ruled by a governing council called " Parliament ", made up of the Masters of the Bench ( or " Benchers "), and led by the Treasurer, who is elected to serve a one-year term.
The Temple is governed by the Parliament, an executive council made up of the elected Benchers.
The last Governor was elected in 1566, and Benchers took over later that century.
Benchers, or Masters of the Bench, are elected members of the Parliament responsible for overseeing the estates, the Inn's finances and setting internal policy.
Nicholas Hare left three silver salt cellars for the use of the Benchers in 1597.
0.562 seconds.