Editing Middle Temple (section)

== History ==
[[File:Middle Temple by Thomas Shepherd c.1830.jpg|thumb|Part of Middle Temple, {{circa|1830}}, as drawn by Thomas Shepherd. The [[great hall]] is beneath the [[cupola]].]]
[[File:MiddleTempleLibrary-London-Railton-1892.jpg|thumb|Middle Temple Library, 1892, by Herbert Railton]]
During the 12th and early 13th centuries the law was taught, in the [[City of London]], primarily by the clergy. But a [[papal bull]] in 1218 prohibited the clergy from practicing in the secular courts (where the English [[common law]] system operated, as opposed to the Roman [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]] favoured by the Church). As a result, law began to be practised and taught by laymen instead of by clerics. To protect their schools from competition, first [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] and later [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] issued proclamations prohibiting the teaching of the civil law within the City of London.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bellot |first= Hugh H.L.|title=The Inner and Middle Temple: Legal, Literary and Historical Associations|url= https://archive.org/stream/innermiddletempl00bell |publisher=Methuen & Co|location=London|year=1902| page = 32}}</ref> The common law lawyers migrated to the hamlet of [[Holborn]], as it was easy to get to the law courts at [[Westminster Hall]] and was just outside the City.<ref>{{cite book|last1 = Watt|first1 =Francis | first2 = Dunbar Plunket | last2 = Barton | first3 = Charles | last3 = Benham |title=The Story of the Inns of Court|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|location= Boston|year=1928|oclc= 77565485}}</ref> They were based in [[guild]]s, which in time became the Inns of Court.<ref>Bellot, p. 36</ref>

The Middle Temple is the western part of "[[Temple, London|The Temple]]", which was the headquarters of the [[Knights Templar]] until they were dissolved in 1312. There have been lawyers in the Temple since 1320, when they were the tenants of the [[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Earl of Lancaster]], who had held the Temple since 1315.<ref>Bellot (1902), p. 20.</ref> The Temple later belonged to the [[Knights Hospitaller]]. In 1346 the knights again leased the premises to the lawyers – the eastern part (which became [[Inner Temple]]) to lawyers from [[Thavie's Inn]], an [[Inns of Chancery|Inn of Chancery]] in Holborn, and the western part to lawyers from St George's Inn.<ref>Bellot (1902), p. 22.</ref> The [[Saint George's Cross|Cross of St George]] is still part of the arms of Middle Temple today.

All of the Inn's records were burned during the [[Peasants' Revolt]] of 1381.<ref>Bellot, p. 118.</ref>

After [[Henry VIII]] seized the Temple from the Knights Hospitaller in 1540, each Inn continued to hold its share of the Temple as tenants of the Crown for £10 a year,<ref>Bellot (1902), pp. 19–25.</ref> until it was granted to them jointly in 1608 by [[James VI and I|James I]], to be held in perpetuity so long as they continue to provide education and accommodation to lawyers and students and maintain the Temple Church and its Master.<ref name="Royal">{{cite web|url= http://www.middletemple.org.uk/library-archive/archive-information-contacts/archive-month/june-2017-royalty-and-inn |title=June 2017: Royalty and the Inn |website= Middle Temple}}</ref> The [[Temple Church]], consecrated in 1185, still stands as a "[[Royal Peculiar]]" (extra-diocesan) church of the Inner and Middle Temples.<ref>[https://www.innertemplelibrary.org.uk/inner-temple/history/temple-church/ "Temple Church"] Inner Temple Library, retrieved 5 August 2018.</ref>

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Records of Fines Burnt, etc. Act 1679
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of England
| long_title            = An Act for reingrossing of the Records of Fines burnt or lost in the late Fire in the Temple.
| year                  = 1679
| citation              = [[31 Cha. 2]]. c. 3
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 27 May 1679
| commencement          = 6 March 1679
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 28 July 1863
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = [[Statute Law Revision Act 1863]]
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = Repealed
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.british-history.ac.uk/statutes-realm/vol5/pp938-939
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
Much of the Middle Temple was destroyed in a fire in January 1679, which caused more damage to the Inn than the [[Great Fire of London|Great Fire of 1666]].<ref>[https://www.middletemple.org.uk/june-2023-temple-fire-1679-–-narrow-escape-‘irreparable-loss’ "The Temple Fire of 1679"] at the Middle Temple website (retrieved 20 September 2024).</ref> The Thames being frozen over, beer from the Temple cellars was used to fight the fire, which was eventually only contained by blowing up some buildings with gunpowder. The Lord Mayor of London tried to exploit the occasion to assert his own jurisdiction over the Temple – which was independent of the City – and on being thwarted in this endeavour, he turned back a fire engine which was on its way to the fire from the City.<ref>Bellot (1902), pp. 324–25.</ref> Issues related to the destruction of records of the Office of the Chirographer of Fines of the [[Court of Common Pleas (England)|Court of Common Pleas]], held at Middle Temple, had to be resolved by an act of Parliament, the {{visible anchor|Records of Fires Burnt, etc. Act 1679}} ([[31 Cha. 2]]. c. 3)

The first woman to be admitted to any Inn was [[Helena Florence Normanton]], who joined Middle Temple as a student member on 24 December 1919.<ref>[https://www.middletemple.org.uk/archive/history/twentieth-century-destruction-and-renewal Middle Temple website]</ref> [[Olive Clapham]], who joined Middle Temple on 17 January 1920, became the first woman to pass the bar finals examinations in May 1921.<ref name="Law Gazette">{{cite web |last1=Derry |first1=Caroline |title=Olive Clapham – 'first woman barrister' |url=https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/women-in-the-law/olive-clapham-first-woman-barrister/5108399.article |website=Law Gazette |access-date=15 March 2024 |language=en |date=10 May 2021}}</ref>

The Temple was damaged extensively during [[the Blitz]] (1940–1944). The Library was destroyed, much of the Church was destroyed, the Master's House burned down, and the Hall was badly damaged. 112 chambers were destroyed, out of a pre-war total of 285 (39%).<ref>''Middle Temple Ordeal'' (1947), Middle Temple, pp. 40, 54</ref>

The Inns served as colleges for the education of lawyers until they stopped being responsible for [[legal education]] in 1852, although they continue to provide training in areas such as advocacy and ethics for students, [[Pupillage|pupil barristers]] and newly qualified barristers.  Most of the Inn is occupied by barristers' offices, known as [[barristers' chambers]]. One of the Middle Temple's main functions now is to provide education and support to new members of the profession. This is done through advocacy training, the provision of scholarships (over £1 million in 2011), subsidised accommodation both in the Temple and in Clapham,<ref>[http://www.middletemple.org.uk/Scholarships/Accommodation.html Middle Temple accommodation for students (accessed 26 April 2007)] {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080531164938/http://www.middletemple.org.uk/Scholarships/Accommodation.html |date=31 May 2008}}</ref> and by providing events where junior members may meet senior colleagues for help and advice.{{clear |left}}

In 2008 the 400th anniversary of the charter of James I was celebrated by [[Elizabeth II]] issuing new [[letters patent]] confirming the original grant.<ref name="Royal"/>