Editing Doctors' Commons (section)

==Disestablishment==
[[Image:Doctors Commons Plaque.jpg|thumb|This plaque on the [[Faraday Building]] on the north side of Queen Victoria Street marks the site of the now demolished Doctors' Commons.]]

In the nineteenth century, Doctors' Commons and its members were looked upon as old-fashioned and slightly ridiculous.<ref name=dcopperfield/> As anticipation of an impending abolition grew, a reluctance among the members to admit new fellows increased, for this would dilute the proceeds of any winding up of the society's property. Dr [[Thomas Hutchinson Tristram]] was the last to be admitted.{{sfn|Squibb|1977|pp=104-105}}

The [[Court of Probate Act 1857]] abolished the [[will (law)|testamentary]] jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts and gave common lawyers the right to practise in fields which before had been the exclusive domain of civilians (doctors and proctors), while offering in practice scant compensation of the reverse also being permitted.{{sfn|Squibb|1977|pp=104-105}} Critically, the Act also made it lawful for the Doctors' Commons, by a vote of the majority of its fellows, to dissolve itself and surrender its [[Royal Charter]], the proceeds of dissolution to be shared among the members.<ref>Court of Probate Act 1857, s.117</ref>

The [[Matrimonial Causes Act 1857]] created a new [[divorce]] court in which regular [[barrister]]s or doctors of Doctors' Commons could {{tooltip|appear|meaning give evidence}}.

The [[High Court of Admiralty Act 1859]] liberalised [[rights of audience]] in the [[Admiralty Court]]. What remained for Doctors' Commons was only the established church's [[Court of Arches]].{{sfn|Squibb|1977|pp=104-105}}

A motion to dissolve the society was entered on 13 January 1858, setting the path towards its final meeting: the end of [[Trinity Term]], 10 July 1865. The fellows, rather than surrender their offices and charter, resolved that its property was to be sold and no appointments to any vacant post could be made. {{sfn|Baker|1990|p=194}} The buildings of Doctors' Commons were sold in 1865 and demolished soon after. The site is now largely occupied by the [[Faraday Building]].<ref name=sb>Simon Bradley (ed.), Nikolaus Pevsner, ''London. 1. The City of London'' (London: Penguin Books, 1997) p. 343.</ref>

The Court of Arches gave right of audience to barristers in 1867.{{sfn|Squibb|1977|pp=104-105}}<ref>''Mouncey v. Robinson'' (1867) 37 L. J. Ecc. 8</ref>

The society perished with the death of its last fellow, Tristram, in 1912.