Lincolns Inn

The Gateway, Lincolns Inn

The Coat of Arms consists of azure seme de fer de Moline or; on a dexter canton of the second, a lion rampant purpure.—A blue field scattered over with gold mill rinds, in the left top corner a purple lion rampant on a gold square. For several years the Society used as their Coat of Arms a lion rampant purpure in a field or, the arms of Lacy, Earl of Lincoln. Sir Richard Holford, however, having, about the year 1699, discovered from an ancient manuscript in the Library of the Inn that in the year 1516 the proper  Coat of Arms of the Society was azure seine de fer Moline or, on a dex tercan ton or a lion rampant purpure, and having found from the books in the Heralds' Office that the latter was the proper Coat of Arms of Lincoln's Inn, it was ordered by the bench that in future that Coat should be used by the Society instead of the arms of Lacy. A certificate, "whereon the said Coat was handsomely depainted," was attested by Mr. Gregory King, Lancaster herald, and placed first in the Council Chamber, and afterwards in the Library. It was ordered that these Arms should be emblazoned on the east window of the chapel, and from that time they have been used in all matters concerning this house.

Cromwell is said to have had Chambers for some time over this gateway. In the second year of the reign of Philip and Mary, a walk under the trees in the Coney Garth was made for the convenience of the members. It is worthy of note that His Majesty King Charles II., accompanied by the Duke of York (afterwards King James II.) and attended by the Court, was entertained at a banquet in Lincoln's Inn Hall, 1st Jan., 1662, the merry monarch having come on that occasion to witness the Christmas revels, which in that year were celebrated with great brilliancy. On that occasion he was attended by his Royal Horse Guards. Nine years afterwards King Charles II. and the Duke of York again honoured the Society of Lincoln's Inn by partaking of a great banquet in the Hall. The Library of Lincoln's Inn was apparently begun in 1497, when one Sir John Nethersole, a member of the Society, made a bequest towards its establishment. The present Library building, like the fine Hall, is modern.

Site Copyright ickledirectory.co.uk. The text was first written in 1910 by an anonymous diarist.