Welcome to Middle Temple Library’s exhibition on the History of the Library

The Library, an exhibition

At Middle Temple there has been a library in some form since 1540. This exhibition traces the history of the library, in all its forms, through items in the rare books collection and the Inn's archival records. The exhibition provides glimpses at a part of the Inn which has evolved and continues to evolve with the changing needs of its members.

Origines juridiciales...

or Historical memorials of the English laws, courts of justice, forms of tryall, punishment in cases criminal, law writers, law books, grants and settlements of estates, degree of serjeant, Innes of Court and Chancery. Also a chronologie of the lord chancelors and keepers of the great Seal, lord treasurers, justices itinerant, justices of the Kings Bench and Common Pleas, barons of the Exchequer, masters of the rolls, Kings attorneys and sollicitors, & serjeants at law by William Dugdale Esq; Norroy King of Arms. London : Printed for Christop. Wilkinson, Tho. Dring, and Charles Harper, and are to be sold at their Shops in Fleetstreet, 1680.

This is a work rich with information about the history of English law, lawyers and legal institutions, including the Inns of Court, amongst the many other subjects listed in the title, and has perhaps the first published rules on English judges’ dress. Dugdale was an antiquary and a herald who visited cathedrals and major churches in London, the midlands, and the north, recording monuments, inscriptions and coats of arms. All editions of this work are filled with engravings and illustrations. He also reprints on page 197 the first mention of the Inn’s library from an anonymous account recorded in a Tudor manuscript (Cotton MS. Vit. C. IX. 35.).

This particular volume was previously owned by Sir James Burrow (1701-1782), a law reporter and Master of the Crown Office. Origines Judiciales was also one of many books discovered to have had prints cut out of it when Librarian John Hele discovered that some books had been stolen from the Library. Amongst the stolen books, two titles by Dugdale were also taken.

Read more about book thefts and the Library in this post by Middle Temple Archive: Stealing and Sleuthing – The 1735 Book Theft at Middle Temple Library.

The Will of Robert Ashley, 1641

The Library was officially re-founded by Robert Ashley (1565-1641) when he bequeathed his collection of approximately 6,000 books to the Inn. Ashley was so well-respected at Middle Temple that, although he no longer practiced law, he was allowed to keep his chambers and even extend them to house his large, growing collection of books. He had a wide range of interests and this was reflected in his library, which covered history, politics, medicine, science, astrology, and more, written in mostly Latin, French and Spanish.

In his will, Ashley specified that the collection should be used by any student “whether of our owne or of any forraigne nation” (his will was reproduced in the Minutes of Parliament in the entry for Parliament holden 28 Jan., 1641). He also set aside £300 for a Keeper of the Books to maintain the Library, thus establishing the position of Librarian at Middle Temple, a post which would be taken up by the executor of Ashley's will, William Cox.

Read more about Robert Ashley in this article: A Transcription and Translation of Sloane MS. 2131, Robert Ashley’s (1561-1641) Vita by Astrid Kesler, Jennifer K Nelson and Dr Renae Satterley.

Read more about the early librarians and porters who worked at Middle Temple Library in this post by the Archive: A People's History of the Library.

An astronomicall description of the late comet from the 18. of Nouemb. 1618. to the 16. of December following.

With certaine morall progosticks or applications drawne from the comets motion and irradiation amongst the celestiall hierglyphicks. By vigilant and diligent obseruations of Iohn Bainbridge Doctor of Physicke, and louer of the mathematicks. London : Printed by Edward Griffin for Iohn Parker, 1618.

In 1618 there were three comet sightings visible to the naked eye; for the first time easier to observe than ever before with the invention of the telescope. Copernicus had caused scandal with his heliocentric model of the galaxy and now further controversy followed with discourse around these comets. The sighting of the Great Comet (C/1618 W1) offered clarity to the nature of these celestial bodies, previously thought to be signs of disaster or sublunar vapours. Along with other observers, John Bainbridge agreed comets were naturally occurring phenomena, not portents of doom (though he did suggest they could still be divine omens). This work earned him a professorship at Oxford in 1619.

This item is part of Robert Ashley's original bequest, which contains more non-legal subjects than legal and provides great insight into his wide-ranging interests, and perhaps by extension, the interests of gentleman like him. He was perhaps our most notable benefactor, but the Library has recieved other interesting donations too.

Magick & astrology vindicated from those false aspersions and calumnies, which the ignorance of some hath cast upon them.

In which is contained true definitions of the said arts, and the justification of their practise, proved by the authority of Scripture, and the experience of ancient and modern authors. With observations from several remarkable conjunctions and apparitions: as those three suns that appeared before the Kings death, &c. Impartially communicated for the publique good. / By Hardick Warren, a well-wisher to the most secret occult arts and learning. London : Printed [by] J.M. for N. Brook, 1651.

This is the only known work by hermetic philosopher Hardick Warren. The seventeenth century is known for an interest in the occult, and this particular work attempts to rationalise natural magic, making it compatible with Warren’s own Christian beliefs and distancing it from subjects of dark magic, such as necromancy and consorting with spirits. This item is not unusual at all in our collections, our biggest benefactor Robert Ashley, like many of his contemporaries, also had a taste for books on similar subjects. This work was donated to the Inn in 1698, by Middle Temple member, and later Inner Temple Treasurer, William Petyt. When Petyt died in 1707, he left his books and tracts to Middle Temple and his manuscripts to Inner Temple with £150 to buy a place to preserve the collection, which resulted in the Library being enlarged to accommodate the bequest.

The Establish’d State of the Publick Offices under His Majesty King George II.

Containing true and exact lists of the Lords of his Majesty’s privy-council. London: Printed for Weaver Bickerton, in Devereux Court, without Temple Bar; and sold by J. Roberts in Warwick-Lane; A. Dodd, without Temple-Bar; E. Nutt, at the Royal-Exchange, T. Green, at Charing-Cross, J. Penn, in Westminster-Hall, and P. Meighan, at Gray’s-Inn Gate, 1718.

This list of public offices under King George III is open on a page displaying Masters of the Bench at Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn and Middle Temple, as well as the King’s Bench. This work is bound into a volume with seven other miscellaneous works from the library of amateur historian Edward Sage, who was a Stoke Newington local. Between 1950 and 1951, despite being housed in temporary accommodation, Middle Temple Library accepted numerous items from the Edward Sage bequest from Stoke Newington Library. This particular work not only provides a snapshot of the Inn’s Benchers, but the imprint also paints a vivid picture of bookselling in 1718. An ideal item for Middle Temple’s Library collection.

Shakspere's Holinshed : the chronicle and the historical plays compared by W. G. Boswell-Stone. London : Lawrence and Bullen, 1896.

This is a comparative study of the history plays by Shakespeare and their source material, Holinshed’s Chronicles. The bookplate suggests this work once belonged to the Library of Victorian actor Henry Irving. Shakespeare is not the only connection between Irving and the Inns. Allegedly Irving was inspiration for the titular character in a novel written by his business manager, and Inner Temple member, Bram Stoker. This work was donated to the Library by Master Cassels in 1965.

1693-1694 No. 110 16 November 1694 receipt book

and, The new natura brevium of the most reverend judge Mr Anthony Fitz-herbert. Corrected and revised by the author. : With a perfect table of the most materiall things contained therein, composed by William Rastall. Whereunto is added the authorities in law; and some other cases and notes collected by the translator out of the year-books and abridgements; never before printed therewith. Newly translated into English. London : Printed for W. Lee, M. Walbanck, D. Pakeman, and G. Bedell, M.DC.LII.

Spanning several centuries, the receipt books cover the expenditure of the Inn, making note of things like employees’ wages, bills for coal and feasts, and payment for acquisitions like furniture and books. This receipt book from 1693 shows us a list of books the Library purchased during this period. Whilst donations from generous members of the Inn formed much of the foundation of the Library, these receipt books tell us that Keepers of the Library were intent on shaping the collections and were keen to select core legal texts for its readership.

One such acquisition is The new natura brevium of the most reverend judge, Mr. Anthony Fitz-herbert. This treatise on the laws of England, initially printed in 1534, includes commentary on the practical application of writs in use at that time and was even allowed to be cited in court, right up until the eighteenth century. The copy on display is from a later edition. There have been many subsequent editions of this seminal text, including two that can be found on the open shelves at Bay 39 and 42. This text can be seen listed in the receipt book next to the red arrow.

Angliæ notitia

or, The present state of England. The first part. Together with divers reflections upon the antient state thereof. By Edward Chamberlayne L.L.D.R.S.S. London : In the Savoy, printed by T.N. for J. Martin, printer to the Royal Society, and are to be sold at the sign of the Bell in S. Pauls Church-Yard, 1679.

An important historical document, Angliæ notitia is Edward Chamberlayne’s best known work and as the title suggests a guide to the political and social state of England. This was first published in 1669, inspired by a similar work published in 1661, L'Estat Nouveau de la France.

This book contains one of the earliest inscriptions (1693) claiming ownership by Middle Temple Library.

Early Days of the Library

Soon after the bequest, Ashley’s books were moved to the Lower Parliament Chamber, under lock and key, until a Library could be built to accommodate them. It wasn’t until 1650 that a purpose-built Library was constructed. The first official Library space was established in old, converted chambers over the kitchen, in a building then called Garden Building and later renamed No. 2 Garden Court, located to the East side of the Hall. The Library remained in that building for almost 200 years, until the early nineteenth century.

It's important to note that buildings around the Inn have changed their names throughout the years. The current Nos. 1 and 2 Garden Court on the west side of the Hall were originally known as Nos. 3 and 4 Garden Court in the seventeenth century, up until 1824. The previous No. 1 Garden Court was originally known as the Barbon’s Buildings, built in 1678 and located south of the Hall, close to the old Temple Steps which gave access to the river Thames. With the new 1832 building, 1 Garden Court became 3 and 4 Plowden Buildings (destroyed during the war), which is approximately where the Library stands today.

New Parliament Chamber Library

By the early nineteenth century, No. 2 Garden Court had become old and dilapidated, having been built in 1625 and apparently not being well kept. Samuel Ireland's 1800 work Picturesque views, with an historical account of the Inns of court, in London and Westminster, describes the “extreme dirtiness” of the books and The Times (23rd June, 1824) called the Library a “miserable dirty hole”.

In 1824 a new purpose-built Library was gratefully constructed by architect Henry Hakewill. Located in today’s Parliament Chamber. The Library was almost immediately too small to house all the books in the collection. A gallery was built as a temporary measure in 1854, but a more permanent solution was needed, leading to the building of a new library on the river front.

Library Committee minutes discussing plans for the new Library’s location, 14 April 1857

In 1857, it was finally decided that a new building was required to encompass all the Library’s collections. A number of possible locations were deliberated. These Library Committee minutes show how unpopular the plan to build a new library on the fountain court site was. We can see that it provoked such a stir as to inspire a petition against it, signed by the Inn’s barrister members.

The final site was ultimately decided with the purchase of new land, known as Essex Wharf and premises (approximately where the Queen Elizabeth building stands today).

The Gothic Library

Designed in the Neo-Gothic style by architect H.R. Abraham, the Library was opened on the 31st October 1861 by the Royal Bencher of the Inn, the Prince of Wales (later HRH Edward VI). It was 86 feet long, 42 feet in width and able to house up to 60,000 books; the Library was finally able to accommodate its growing collection.

The Library had an open hammer-beam roof, imitated to look like Westminster Hall. A ten foot oriel window graced the south side of the building, close to the Thames. It was said that the Library used to be so close to the Thames that the Library porters could open the window and throw breadcrumbs out to feed the ducks. Although this of course changed with the extension of the embankment with the first of the Thames Embankment Acts in 1862. Heraldic glass decoration adorned other windows throughout the Library. You can still see some remaining shards of the stained glass in the cabinet before you enter the first floor of the Library today.

New Library, new problems

Though the new Library was a vast improvement on what came before, this Library came with a whole new set of problems. The new building didn’t appease all the members, with some finding the building ‘grotesque’ and others having concern for the oftentimes draughty premises and poor lighting. The Library sought to alleviate these discomforts over the years. But discomfort wasn't the only issue. There was also the issue of growing collections and a need for more space, leading to discussions of expansion.

Heating

To combat the cold, a brick furnace was to be fixed in the basement in the tower of the building, alongside over 2,500 feet of pipes and a hot water apparatus to heat the Library. The grates covering thse pipes can be seen in the photos of the interior of the Library (scroll back up to pictures of the Gothic Library). Whilst this relatively new invention was modern for its time, complaints continued.

In 1928, the Library decided to upgrade its heating. A quote from Benham and Sons sets out the changes that were made. The existing high pressure hot water heating installation was converted into an accelerated low pressure hot water system by replacing the furnace with a modern cast iron sectional heating boiler. The original pipes would be used to distribute the water by an electrically driven circulator and 6 36-inch radiators would be fixed throughout the Library, against bookcases and windows. This cost the Library between £221-385.

Lighting

Lighting would always been an issue. Back when the Library was in Parliament Chamber, lit by oil lamps. There was a petition for lunch in hall outside of term time, and added into the petition was also the request of opening the Library during the evening and lighting it.

The Victorian library was a large space, so lighting here was again a concern. The Library originally installed gas lighting, with many people at this time still preferring natural lighting and candles. Middle Temple was late to adopt electric lighting, and it wasn’t until 1894 the first electric light was installed in the Library by Strode & Co. A letter dated 1899 shows evidence of an inspection taking place where it seems that all light fixtures and fuses were in ‘good order’ apart from in the smoking room which required a fix.

In 1971 too the Library updated its lighting, this time in the modern building. This lighting included a combination of tungsten-halogen, mercury discharge and fluorescent lighting.

Drainage

A report written in 1900 identified ‘partly choked’ drains and bad joints in the drainage system, which resulted in smoke travelling under the floors of the Library. Addressing these faults, the report proposed that stainless lead foil pipes be carried to the top of the building for ventilation. The pipes were to be coated in cement and laid in concrete. This work would cost an estimated £400.

Wartime and the Library

The Library suffered immense damage during the Second World War. The area was bombed a number of times, with the Library sustaining some damage early on in the war. A letter from the Librarian to a Miss Woodward of Pump Court details the destruction of the Library during the war and the subsequent removal of 55,000 volumes of books to Bletchley after the initial damage.

In 1941 a bomb fell that caused the Library roof to cave in and rendered the building no longer safe to use. During this time, Middle Templars were invited to make use of Lincoln’s Inn Library which managed to stay safe during the Blitz.

Though much was destroyed, astonishingly, much also survived. Look closely at the photo showing the damage at the north side entrance of the Library and you can see the Robert Ashley portrait painted by Thomas Leigh in 1656 poking above the bookshelves on the right-hand-side. This portrait still hangs in the Library today.

Read more about the Gothic library in the this post by the Archive: The Lost Middle Temple Library – Life and Death of a Victorian Edifice.

Postwar and towards a new Library

Soon after the war, a temporary Library was built on the site where Nos. 2 and 3 Brick Court once stood (where the car park is situated today). It was opened 21st November 1946 by the Queen Mother and housed around 50,000 books. Despite war and damage, the Library continued its work, even accepting donations from other libraries, such as the Edward Sage donation lower down the page.

A new library would emerge after much discussion. Prior to the construction of the modern Library, there was the suggestion of a joint Library for the two Inns. However, both Inner and Middle decided against this and Edward Maufe was contracted to design a new Library for Middle Temple.

Originally, he designed a six-storey structure to be built on top of the site of the Gothic Library (which would be demolished), however it was agreed this would cost the Inn too much money. Maufe’s second design culminated in the Library that stands on Middle Temple Lane today. As for the temporary Library, it was demolished in 1958 to make way for the car park.

Read more about how the Inn was rebuilt after the destruction of the Second World War in this post by the Archive: Rising from an Ordeal – The Postwar Reconstruction of the Inn.

The Ashley Building Library

The current Library’s construction was completed in 1958. Once again, the Library was opened by our then royal bencher, the Queen Mother.

With wartime damage to the previous building in recent memory, Edward Maufe designed the new Library to be sturdy. It is because of that sturdiness the Inn was able to extend to a fourth floor which opened in 2007.

The Ashley Library, some members may notice, bears some resemblance to the Library at Grays Inn. It is then not surprising that the architect behind both was Edward Maufe.

The Gallery and its Globes

One of the Inn's most notable treasures is a pair of celestial and terrestrial globes originally made in 1592, with the terrestrial one getting an update in 1603 for new discoveries. Created by Dutch mathematician Emery Molyneux, the Molyneux globes were dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I by their patron William Sanderson, costing £20, a large sum for the time.

For the terrestrial globe Emery Molyneux consulted the likes of Richard Hakluyt and Sir Walter Raleigh who was a Middle Templar. The globe highlights the circumnavigations of Sir Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish, the Arctic discoveries by Martin Frobisher and John Davis, as well as Raleigh's doomed Virginia colony.

Though the globes are a significant treasure for the Inn, there is not much in the way of their provenance. The earliest record the Inn has for the globes is a 1717 receipt for their repair. During the Second World War they were sent to Beaconsfield and stored with part of the Wallace collection at Hall Barn in the care of Lady Burnham, surviving the bombing of the Victorian library. They returned to London in 1945 and back into the new Middle Temple Library built in 1958. The globes are in the same spot on the gallery today as they have been since the opening of the new Library.

The "American Floor"

Middle Temple Library has been said to house the largest US law collection outside of the US. Donations to the US collection go back as far as 1910; in 1929 the Library recieved a donation of 2000 volumes from the Carnegie Foundation, and in 1954 the Library recieved donation of 550 volumes of American law reports and a few other legal texts from the American Government, presented by Winthrop Aldrich, US ambassador and honorary bencher.

From there the collection grew from strength to strength, lending weight to the idea of Middle Temple as the American Inn, with both its historical connections and a formidable collection of US law reports. In 2005, Amicus and Amnesty International donated materials that form the Capital Punishment Collection.

The American floor was later converted to provide rooms for education and training, opened by US Ambassador Louis Susman in 2011. It was renamed to the Rutledge Suite after Edward Rutledge, one of the 5 Middle Templars who signed the Declaration of Independance in 1776. The Rutledge Suite now also houses some international materials and our EU collection which originated in 1972, as the UK entered the Common Market in 1973. The collection provides EU legislation and case law, along with materials for all 27 member states.

Later this year you can discover more about the Inn's American connection in the next exhibition being curated by the Middle Temple Archive and Library.

The Library catalogue

The first Library catalogue was produced by William Cox, executor of Ashley’s will and the first Library Keeper, which noted down all the volumes in the collection. Though, sadly, it no longer survives, several catalogues have been produced since, in various forms, including the manuscript below. In 1655, one Henry Moodyman was paid £25 to compile a catalogue. This original catalogue no longer exists, but a multi-volume one compiled in 1683-4 by two unnamed booksellers still resides in the Archive.

The first printed catalogue appeared in 1700, produced by Sir Bartholomew Shower, who was Treasurer of the Inn at the time. This was succeeded by a 1734 catalogue which was more helpfully arranged by author and title. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, catalogues were published in 1845, 1880 and 1914, with supplements issued up to 1925. A card catalogue was introduced and updated until the late 20th century, when a computer catalogue took its place. Now the Library has an online catalogue which is accessible for all to consult.

Read more about the early Library manuscript catalogues.

Liber benefactorum / Societatis Medij Templi Bibliothecae donum Bartholomei Shower militis ejusdem societatis thesaurarij annon domini 1700

and Bibliotheca illustris Medii Templi Societatis, : in ordinem juxta rerum naturam redacta ac digesta: V. iduum Sept. MDCC. / Auspicio & sumptu Barth. Shower, militis, hujus aedis quaestoris.

This catalogue was started in 1700 and lists all major donations to the library covering 1641-1711, and 1826-1884. The end-leaves have manuscript notes regarding Library Keepers and rules and orders of the library. This manuscript also lists the first printed catalogue. It was commissioned by Sir Bartholomew Shower, Treasurer of the Inn in 1700. According to the 'Liber Benefactorum' manuscript (MS 137), this copy was presented to the library in 1834 by Robert Maitland.

Catalogus librorum bibliothecæ Honorabilis Societatis Medii Templi, Londini. Ordine dictionarii dispositus, 1734

Printed in 1734, this catalogue organises the titles into alphabetical order, recording book size (e.g. folio, 8vo, 4to), printing location and date. It provides the locations, denoting the ‘seat and side’ and the shelf number, giving us an idea about how previous librarians classified and shelved the collection. On the pages displayed, we can see various annotations, like general updates and annotations that appear to be correcting printed inaccuracies. Books would’ve been added to the collection on a regular basis, before a new and updated catalogue would’ve been printed.

The Library today

The Library has come a long way since the Ashley bequest of 6,000 books. By the ninetheenth century, the collection had grown to 14,000 books, 40,000 by the early 20th century. Even though the 1861 Library was capable of holding 60,000 books, it was not long before space was an issue for the growing collection. Up until a few years ago, the Library's collection reached 250,000 volumes of textbooks, law reports, journals and Parliamentary papers.

Though the Library's primary focus today is on legal materials, thanks to the more wide-ranging legal education between the 17th and 19th centuries, we also have some works on geography, topography, philosophy, theology and literature. It was with the establishment of the Council of Legal Education in 1852 and the introduction of compulsory examinations for the Bar in 1872 that shifted the focus of collection development towards primarily legal works.

The way those works have been consulted through time have also changed and continue to change. Up until the late twentieth century legal research was still reliant on printed law reports, textbooks and journals. Although computers are common-place when it comes to legal research today, it was not until 1989 that a computer was introduced into the library, providing access to a library catalogue /database. In 2000, a full network of computers providing fuller access to legal databases and a more sophisticated library catalogue was installed. A new version of the online catalogue was introduced in 2014. E-books on iPads were integrated into the collection in the same year. The latest development is the integration of AI enhanced searching, which Middle Temple Library provides through resources like Lexis Protégé.

Hopefully the Library will continue to evolve in response to the needs of its members as it has done so since Robert Ashley's wish for a Library that could be used by any student “whether of our owne or of any forraigne nation”.

Curated by Emma Manktelow and Harpreet Dhillon.
Many thanks are owed to the Archive team for all their help.

This exhibition runs from February to May 2026.

The Inn library is a member-only space, but tours are available for non-members. For more information about the Library and what we do, please visit our website or download this guide.