An introduction to: 113 Chancery Lane The London office of the Law Society, 1825 to today

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1 An introduction to: 113 Chancery Lane The London office of the Law Society, 1825 to today

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3 Contents Introduction 4 Lobby 6 Reading Room 8 Lloyd George Room 10 Council Chamber Restaurant and Six Clerks Office 11 Grand staircase 11 Common Room 12 Library 13 3

4 Introduction The Law Society is the independent professional body for solicitors, representing, promoting and supporting over 180,000 members in England and Wales. The Society was founded in 1825 and was granted its Royal Charter in You can see a replica of the charter in the front lobby. A prospectus to raise money to found the Law Society was first published in 1823 by a group of prominent solicitors, led by Bryan Holme. The committee proposed a London Law Institution with a large room or hall similar to the Lloyds Coffee House. The next priority was a library, then a clubhouse for dinners and refreshments and finally meeting rooms. By June 1825 the word London had been dropped from the proposed name with the intention the Law Institution would represent the whole of the United Kingdom. This never progressed and the full title is now the Law Society of England and Wales. The committee raised money through the sale of shares worth 25. When 25,000 was raised they looked for a site near Temple where barristers worked. At the time, apart from the tranquil oasis of the Inns of Court, the area was a thriving mass of brothels and taverns. Here villains could escape the attention of the City militia by crossing into un-policed Westminster at Temple Bar. It took over 75 years to acquire the site for the Law Society. By 1828, only part of the site had been purchased for 13,000. 4

5 The Law Society was first opened to its members in 1832 and is now a Grade II* listed building. Categories of listed buildings Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, only 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I. Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest; 5.8% of listed buildings are Grade II*. Grade II buildings are of special interest; 91.7% of all listed buildings are in this class and it is the most likely grade of listing for a home owner. Source: Historic England, 5

6 At the front of 113 Chancery Lane, you can find golden lions sitting on top of the railings. These lions were designed by Alfred Stevens and are identical to those found guarding the Duke of Wellington s tomb in St Paul s Cathedral. The Law Society rescued their lions from the British Museum. To appoint the architect for the Law Society, the committee placed an advert inviting designs. Among the shortlist was John Shaw, the architect of Christ s Hospital and St Dunstan-in-the-West in Fleet Street, and Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament. Lewis Vulliamy was appointed architect. The Vulliamy family was of Swiss origin; Lewis s father was a clockmaker and his younger brother Benjamin was a notable clockmaker and engineer. There are six Vulliamy clocks within the Law Society. Lobby Since 2015, the lobby of 113 Chancery Lane has hosted displays promoting the Law Society s work. The current display promotes the social mobility ambassadors project. It was set up to promote solicitor role models from non-traditional backgrounds, who faced and overcame socioeconomic challenges in pursuing their legal education and careers. The Law Society hopes to demonstrate that regardless of social background, the legal profession welcomes talent, tenacity and a strong work ethic. Portraits of the ambassadors, and information showcasing their achievements and celebrating their success, are displayed. Interviews with our ambassadors can be found in the project booklets in reception. 6

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8 Reading Room The Reading Room was originally furnished with large tables which can now be found in the library. The tables would have been covered with copies of various newspapers of the day. The portrait in the right hand corner is of Robert Maugham. He was the first secretary of the Law Society and was also the greatgreat grandfather of the playwright Somerset Maugham. The room is important as it houses war memorials from both World War I and World War II. Above the fireplace are marble plaques inscribed not today only but the future to thee. The sculptures by Gilbert Bayes were completed in 1920 and exhibited at the Royal Academy. His sister Jessie created the illuminated vellum scrolls around the room which contain the names of all 311 solicitors and 220 articled clerks who died in World War I. Bayes is best known for the Selfridges clock, Queen of Time. The sculpture of Athene, goddess of wisdom, war and courage is also by Bayes. The sculpture is called the Vigil or over the city my watch I keep. The Book of Remembrance lies at her feet and lists the solicitors and articled clerks who lost their lives in World War II. The purpose of the Law Institution, 180 years ago, had been to provide a place for solicitors to meet, share ideas and keep up to date on the law and good practice. This room is still used for that original purpose. 8

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10 Lloyd George Room Originally, the Lloyd George Room was called the Old Council Chamber. In 2017, it was renamed in honour of David Lloyd George, the only solicitor to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ( ). The Lloyd George meeting room was designed by Philip Charles Hardwick in Hardwick was best known for his work on the Great Hall of London Euston railway station, which opened in Hardwick was the favourite to design the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, but was not appointed by the advisory committee. The Lloyd George Room was originally used by the Society s Council. The fireplace in the room is not the original but was presented by members of the New Inn on its dissolution in In 1954 the Council increased to 65 members and became too large to fit within the room. 10 Council Chamber The Council Chamber is part of Charles Holden s extension which took place between Before becoming the Council Chamber, the area formed two large examination rooms. After the Old Council Chamber became too small for the Council, they moved to meet in the Council Chamber located on the second floor.

11 113 Restaurant and Six Clerks Office The Six Clerks Office used to be on the site of 113 Restaurant & bar. Originally celibate priests, the clerks acted as middle men between lawyers and the court. The clerks rented a house on this site from 1511 until 1621, but it burnt down after one of the clerks failed to clean a chimney. They rebuilt the site and remained there until 1778, when the weight of their papers caused the floor to collapse. Grand staircase At the bottom of the grand staircase is the president s board which lists all the Law Society presidents dating back to To the left of the board is a portrait of Carolyn Kirby, the first female president, elected in

12 Common room This section of the building was designed by Charles Holden, best known for designing many of the London underground stations. The Common room was opened by Edward VII in 1904 and is 27 metres long and seven metres high. This was the first room within the Law Society to have electric lighting. The Islamic inspired tiles in the fireplaces were designed by William de Morgan, an important ceramic artist of the arts and crafts movement. The frieze was designed by Conrad Dressler. The 13 panels, joined by festoons of leaves and fruit, depict human and divine justice. The stained glass windows were originally from the Hall of Sergeant s Inn, which was demolished in The last sergeant bought the glass after the inn was demolished and installed it in a replica of the inn in his garden. After his death it was purchased by a group of solicitors and installed in the Society in The room s most notable piece is the Stuart Royal Arms honouring Charles II on the grand staircase. The room was originally used as an extension to the library, but today it is used for; functions, weddings, meetings and admission ceremonies. 12

13 Library The need for a law library was one of the main reasons for establishing the Society. Before building began solicitors were encouraged to donate books for the collection. As a result, today s library collection dates back to the 16th century. The library was built over a period of 25 years. The central portion was designed and completed by Vulliamy in 1832, and extended by Philip Charles Hardwick in The library is open to members of the Law Society and their staff. The tables, originally used in the Reading room, and shelving within the library are made of English oak. 13

14 The Law Society s motto, leges juraque servamus, which can be seen on the Coat of Arms, means, we preserve laws and legal rights. The president s chair was donated to the Law Society by Sir William Charles Crocker, president of the Society from The first librarian, Mr Henry Dobson, was employed in The library was lit by candles until gas lighting was installed in 1857 and radiators were added in The pillars are made of cast iron rather than marble. They are one of the first examples of cast iron being used in buildings; previously cast iron was only used in civil engineering. Although the pillars look like solid marble, they are actually made from crushed marble using a technique called Scagiola, a much cheaper method of production. Beneath the crushed marble exterior, the columns are formed using cast iron. This material was previously only used in civil engineering and these columns are one of the earliest examples of the material being used in buildings. As a result, the library interior is considered architecturally important and is recognised with a Grade II*. 14

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16 Think of us for your next event Our breathtaking building offers both traditional and contemporary backdrops for conferences and dinners - as well as some very special occasions including weddings. With eight distinct function areas, the Law Society offers a great breadth of versatility and style for events which will leave a lasting impression. For more information visit Call: venuehire@lawsociety.org.uk Contact facebook.com/thelawsociety The Law Society lawsociety.org.uk Version 2 November 2017 Designed by Blackberry 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL