Exploring archival records relating to the role of women in the early Inn and its attitude towards them, which ranged from begrudging tolerance to outright abhorrence.
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Shining a light on past methods of illumination at the Inn, reliance on natural light and dim, smoky candles giving way to oil and gas, and finally to the bright electric lighting of the present.
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple congratulates His Majesty King Charles III on the occasion of his Coronation. Since the Inn's inception, twenty-seven monarchs have been crowned. We look back at how these occasions have impacted and been celebrated by the Inn, and how law and justice have been woven into the symbolism and ritual at the heart of the Coronation ceremony.
The fundamentals of the modern Coronation stretch back over a thousand years to the Anglo-Saxon kings of England such as Aethelstan and Edgar, and the latter's Coronation in 973 is the first of which we have a detailed account. The essential elements of that ceremony survive today: the king was bestowed with regalia (including a crown and sceptre), swore an oath to maintain peace, administer justice and exercise equity and mercy, and was anointed with holy oil. This final aspect of the ritual can be traced back to the Old Testament, when kings such as Solomon - depicted in one of the Inn's best-known paintings - were anointed by priests and prophets.
'The Judgement of Solomon', Unknown Artist, c1600
In the centuries which followed, the Coronation gradually increased in grandeur. The law took on an increasingly important role - the Coronation oath included commitments to uphold pre-existing laws (specifically those of Edward the Confessor), and from 1308 onwards the King was bound by his oath 'to uphold the laws and rightful customs which the community of the realm shall have chosen'.
The Middle Temple came into being in the mid-14th century, and the first Coronation to have taken place after this was that of King Richard II. This was notable for being the first to include a state entry into London on the eve of the Coronation - recognising the increased importance of the support of the City and its institutions. The King processed west from the Tower, and eventually along Fleet Street, passing the top of Middle Temple Lane. Music was performed along the route, and the conduits ran with wine - the new residents of the Temple would doubtless have been eager spectators and participants in this event.
King Richard II, Unknown Artist, 1597-1618
NPG 4980(8) © National Portrait Gallery, London
These processions became a regular feature of Coronations for the next three centuries, rising to a height of pomp and pageantry under the Tudors. The Coronation of Henry VIII and Queen Catherine saw extravagant decoration along the processional route, and huge crowds turning out, no doubt including Middle Templars watching the King and Queen pass by the gatehouse. Decades later, the King was divorced and remarried to Anne Boleyn, who made her own Coronation procession through the City. In addition to the traditional music and fountains flowing with wine, elaborate structures were temporarily erected along the route, with classical and Biblical scenes recreated. On Fleet Street, the new Queen was greeted by a tower built atop the conduit, on the turrets of which stood the Virtues, promising not to abandon her, and at Temple Bar a choir sang.
Anne's daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, is perhaps the monarch traditionally most closely associated with the Middle Temple, her reign coinciding with the zenith of the Inn's flourishing and prestige, and her state entry was possibly the grandest in history. The Queen was carried on a litter decorated with cloth of gold, with Robert Dudley (whose armour is on display in the Prince's Room) riding beside her. The Inn was well-represented in the procession, with Anthony Browne, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Richard Weston, the Solicitor General, and Sir Edmund Saunders, the Lord Chief Justice, all riding alongside many other judges and barristers. These three had all been appointed under Elizabeth's sister Queen Mary I; within weeks all had been demoted by the new Queen.
The City had erected eleven triumphal arches along the route, with tableaux performed at each. The final such pageant was at Temple Bar, where, appropriately for the location, the Queen saw herself portrayed as the Biblical Judge Deborah. The urban elite lined the route to see their new Queen - no doubt many students, members and Benchers of the Inn were among them.
Queen Elizabeth I, Unknown Artist
The tradition of the state entry and procession began to decline under Elizabeth's successors. King James I and his son Charles saw their central relationship as monarch as one with God; their connection to their subjects was secondary, and such public appearances of correspondingly minimised importance. James' reluctant procession was delayed by plague; Charles dispensed with the tradition entirely. This attitude would, ultimately, contribute to the Civil Wars which resulted in Charles' toppling and execution, and the republican Commonwealth regime which followed.
The diarist and Middle Templar John Evelyn described the Restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660 as 'an event cosmic in its magnitude'. The state entry to the City was revived for his Coronation in 1661, and many Middle Templars rode in the mile and a half long procession, including the Lord Chancellor, Edward Hyde, and the Attorney General, Sir Geoffrey Palmer. Four great triumphal arches were constructed along the route, including one representing the 'Garden of Plenty' on Fleet Street. The Inn erected a scaffold at the top of Middle Temple Lane for spectators, and bonfires were lit by the gatehouse.
'The Garden of Plenty', plate from 'The Entertainment of his Most Excellent Majestie Charles II, in his Passage through the City of London to his Coronation', David Loggan, 1662
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
However, the revival was short-lived, and the Inn would not see another such procession pass by for centuries. Perhaps fearing a negative reception from the populace, Charles' Roman Catholic younger brother, King James II, did not make a state entry (a pity, as the Inn had just completed its new gatehouse) and nor did his successors, his daughter Mary II and her husband William III. Nonetheless, records indicate that the Inn had bonfires lit to mark both occasions, and some years into the reign of William & Mary a portrait of the new King in Coronation robes was commissioned.
William & Mary's Coronation oath made important changes to the passages relating to the law - the ancient commitment to upholding the laws of Edward the Confessor was replaced by an undertaking to govern according to the statutes, laws and customs of Parliament, reflecting the constitutional changes which had taken place over the past decades and which would set the framework for centuries to come.
King William III, Queen Anne and King George I, all in Coronation robes.
For the two centuries which follow, the Inn's records are largely silent on Coronations, although the accessions of Anne and George I were marked with new portaits of each monarch in Coronation robes, both of which hang today in Hall, and notable Middle Templars would have been involved in the Coronation ceremonies of the Hanoverian monarchs. When Queen Victoria was crowned in 1838, the Inn's lack of engagement with the occasion raised eyebrows - a couple of years later, one Bencher expressed his concern that the Inn would mark the Queen's upcoming wedding to Prince Albert 'in a manner which might mitigate its discredit following the Coronation of 1838'.
By the time Victoria's son came to the throne as King Edward VII in 1901, things had changed. The new King had been a Royal Bencher since 1861 and served as Treasurer in 1887. The Inn threw itself into plans for the Coronation, which eventually took place in August 1902, illuminating the garden and giving a dinner for overseas lawyers in London for the occasion. A Royal Procession to the City followed in October, and a stand was erected in the gatehouse, with tickets issued to Benchers by ballot and a luncheon provided in the Parliament Chamber. As a lasting monument, the Inn also commissioned a large silver-gilt cup, of Elizabethan design, showing the profile of the King and scenes from his Coronation, as well as a set of silver-gilt standing salts.
Silver commissioned to commemorate the Accession and Coronation of King Edward VII
This set the tone for subsequent Coronations - when Edward's son George V was crowned, the Inn held a Garden Party and once again provided seating for Benchers in the gatehouse to watch the procession. George's son, a Royal Bencher like his grandfather, succeeded his father to the throne in 1936 as Edward VIII, and the Inn was keen to mark it. He was invited in November of that year to attend a dinner or the Garden Party in the upcoming Coronation year, but this would not come to pass - he abdicated the throne just a fortnight later. The Inn immediately started planning for the Coronation of his younger brother, who ascended the throne as King George VI, once again arranging dinners and receptions for overseas delegates. The Temple Church choir attended the Coronation itself, and street decorations adorned buildings from Temple Bar to St Paul's, with banners and garlands hung across the street, all to a design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
Procession along Fleet Street following the Coronation of King George V, 1911
Seventy years ago this year, Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. A Loyal Address from the Inn was composed and delivered to the Queen, and a Coronation Grand Day took place, attended by the Queen Mother (since 1944 our Royal Bencher), the Prime Ministers of Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Malta, as well as other notable guests such as Clement Attlee and Lord Rothermere. For the Coronation itself, Fleet Street was richly decorated one again, this time being 'predominantly white with subsidiary colours of red and blue'. This was the first Coronation to be televised, and for the first time Middle Templars across the world could watch from their homes; no doubt many in London also flocked to the streets to watch the processions, as their predecessors had done for nearly six centuries.
Menu for the Coronation Grand Day in the Presence of the Queen Mother, 1953
This year, we see the twenty-eighth Coronation of a monarch to take place since the inception of the Middle Temple. Over the centuries since, the Inn has changed and evolved with the times, just as the Coronation ceremony, and the pomp and pageantry which surround it, have developed to reflect the prevailing historical winds. Despite this, at the heart of the ritual remain the central elements whose origins can be traced back more than a millennium, and the Inn looks forward to celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III on 6 May as we reflect upon this rich history.
Uncovering some of the more unusual and unexpected material which has come into the archive's custody by gift, donation or serendipitous accident.
Black History Month is an annual celebration of Black people throughout history which is celebrated across the world. It aims to highlight and celebrate the stories of prominent Black people across the globe, especially those who may have been excluded from the mainstream historical narrative.
Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in October 1987, it was founded by Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo and has now become a permanent fixture in the UK calendar that is celebrated annually.
Middle Temple first supported the vision of having a Black History Month Qualifying Session in 2018 and it has since become an annual event.
On Monday 17 October 2022, MTYBA and MTSAheld a panel event featuring:
- Laurie-Anne Power KC from 25 Bedford Row Chambers
- Bibi Badejo from 4 Brick Court Chambers
- Stephen Lue from Garden Court Chambers
- Natasha Shotunde from Garden Court Chambers
- Patrice Blackstock - Middle Temple Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
Image: Bibi Badejo, Laurie-Anne Power KC, Stephen Lue and Patrice Blackstock
This was truly a celebration of Black excellence, achievement and talent in all industries, not just the legal arena, with uplifting soulful music provided by singer Ruth-Ellen and pianist Elliott Adgomar. The event was organised and hosted by MTYBA Vice President, Emma Hughes and MTSA Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Leah Arthur.
Image: Singer, Ruth-Ellen
Photographer Samuel Akinwumi of Simple Sam Photography took stunning photographs and captured the essence of the event. The Hall was filled with the scent of traditional West African cuisine, from moinmoin to jollof rice, stewed beef and more provided by the phenomenal Angel Catering and Events company.
Speakers shared their battles with imposter syndrome, self-doubt and spoke about the discrimination they faced because of their race or sexuality, and the deep-rooted problems of systematic racism within the UK and abroad. The rate of school exclusions amongst Black Caribbean pupils in English schools are up to six times higher than their white peers i . This highlights the importance of speaking to young people, visiting schools and opening their minds to the prospect of a legal career. Black and Asian barristers are also underrepresented in taking silk. It is reported that in 2021, there were just 5 Black British female barristers in the King’s Counsel and 17 male Black British KCs in England and Wales. This compares to 1,303 White male and 286 White female KCs ii.
Stephen Lue recited a profound autobiographical poem which noticeably resonated with the audience. He courageously shared the pain of loss and the battle against homophobia. Lue also highlighted the development of AI tech and the way in which the technology, due to the way it is programmed, can disproportionately affect those who are Black or from ethnic minorities. Natasha Shotunde spoke about the competitive nature of the Bar, as well as the negative impact pupillage rejections had on her self-esteem and that of her peers. She emphasised the need to have resilience and a support network to encourage you to keep going and embrace the journey.
Natasha Shotunde
It was wonderful to have chambers colleagues, Jayne Harrill (Head of Four Brick Court Chambers), James Norman and Ummar Farooq Ahmad attend in support of the event and panellist Bibi Badejo. Bibi spoke about her own challenges in perfecting her craft and creating an excellent advocacy course for practitioners which enhances advocates’ delivery, style and content. This course is kindly provided to 4BC pupils but is also generously being delivered to candidates from the charity Bridging the Bar, which supports candidates from statistically underrepresented backgrounds.
It was truly a remarkable night with Jessica Inaba, the first ever Black blind barrister to be Called to the Bar in attendance! Jess explained her challenges in obtaining appropriate resources and textbooks in braille and highlighted the need for perseverance in the face of adversity.
Jessikah Inaba
A number of the panel sit on the Bar Council Race Working Group (BCRWG). Attendees were referred to the Bar Council Race Report 2021, produced by the BCRWG. The BCRWG was commissioned to produce a set of recommendations for Bar Council and Bar-based stakeholders to consider, in order to tackle race inequality at the Bar and provide insight into the issues of retention and career progression.
The panel are also involved in pioneering organisations and work that enhances diversity and equality at the Bar, builds up practitioners’ and students’ advocacy skills and legal knowledge. Laurie-Anne Power KC is part of Women in Criminal Law; Bibi Badejo founded The Advocacy Podcast: with over 90,000 views the podcast has featured a wealth of barristers, including Jerry Blackwell and Steve Schleicher, who reflected on the techniques they used to successfully prosecute in State of Minnesota v Derek Chauvin. Professor Leslie Thomas KC has also featured on the podcast, speaking about case preparation and strategy, as well as Professor Jo Delahunty KC who discussed winning an unwinnable case. Both Jo and Leslie are champions of Bridging the Bar, have done considerable work regarding diversity, and delivered lectures at Gresham College, which give immense insight into family and criminal law.
Stephen Lue, Patrice Blackstock and Natasha Shotunde
Stephen Lue is involved in the Bar Lesbian and Gay Group (BLAGG) and the Middle Temple LGBTQ+ Forum and Natasha Shotunde founded the Black Barristers Network. Patrice Blackstock, with the assistance of Middle Temple Archivist Barnaby Bryan and Master Elaine Banton, produced a BHM timeline celebrating Black Middle Templars both past and present. From Edward Cragg Haynes, the earliest known Black Middle Templar, admitted as a student in 1842, Thomas Moore Chester admitted to the inn in 1867 and Stella Thomas in 1929, to members of the present day; Baroness Scotland, Sir Trevor Carmichael KC and Leslie Thomas KC, to name a few. Click here to view the Black History Month timeline on the Middle Temple website.
A hugely powerful moment during the evening was when Laurie-Anne Power KC, who does outreach work in schools, invited Michelle Brown, Middle Temple Queen Mother Scholar and her daughter on stage and got her to proclaim “When I leave school I want to be a lawyer, study law, work hard and make mummy proud!” There was such power in giving her ownership of the moment, a platform on stage and allowing her to publicly speak of her desire to become a barrister in the future! Especially in an environment where she could see the reality of that hope manifested in a room filled with exceptionally talented Black barristers in a range of practice areas and seniority. Michelle also asked how to handle situations where you are asked to represent clients who do not wish to be represented by you because of your race. The speakers also spoke about the need for visibility and referred to the Middle Temple exhibition of portraits featuring members from diverse backgrounds in 2020-21.
A very special thanks to Benjamin Hammersley, MTYBA North Eastern Circuit Representative and MTSA incoming D&I Officer and Wajma Zazai for hosting the online Zoom platform. Thanks is also extended to MTYBA colleagues Merlene George, Hayley Blundell, Phyllida Spackman, and Daniel Holt; MTSA colleagues Anjali Keeping, Edmund Mawoko and of course, the wonderful Middle Temple staff; Sally Yorke, Alex Baguley, Oliver Muncey and Richard Frost for their assistance.
Please note the event is recorded and will be available on the Middle Temple and MTYBA websites so please tune in.
Looking at the introduction to the Middle Temple of the exotic drink known as coffee, and the coffee houses that served as important social focal points for the membership in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Tracing the Inn's relationship with the United States, looking at the role played by Middle Templars in colonising America and then fighting for (and against) its independence, twentieth century expressions of friendship and hospitality, and the first female Honorary Bencher.
The Bar in England and Wales is divided into six regions, which are more commonly known as ‘Circuits’. The Circuits provide important sources of support, advice and representation for barristers practising in those areas.
Exploring the history of the post as reflected in the Inn's archive and illuminating the rich global network of correspondence which converged on the Middle Temple, by way of blundering postmen and episcopal epistles.
The Middle Temple Archive is responsible for the records and archives created by the Inn, and its function is to acquire, preserve and make available those records to the Inn, its members and staff. We aim to provide members of the Middle Temple with a direct and tangible connection with and understanding of the rich and diverse history, heritage and culture of their Inn of Court.