About the Archive
Overview
The Archives of Lincoln’s Inn include the longest-running record series of any of the four Inns of Court: the Black Books which start in 1422. Other Archive classes survive from as early as the sixteenth century. Indexes to individual members – their admissions, occupation of chambers, calls to the bar and to the bench – will be found in many of the primary sources in addition to those in the published versions.
The published Black Books are available in six volumes covering the period 1422 to 1965 and digitised copies can be viewed here. Published volumes of the Admissions Registers covering 1420 to 1973, as well as Chapel Registers can also be viewed online.
More information about researching past members of the Inn can be found here.
Research and Access
Information about the admission and Call to the Bar of past members can be found in the digitised Admissions Registers (1420-1973) and Black Books (1422-1965). The Archivist is happy to answer enquiries from both members and non-members that are not covered by these online records. Visits to the Archive are made by prior arrangement and appointment only. Researchers wishing to consult archive material should first contact the Archivist with details of their research.
Distinct from the Inn’s Archives is an extensive collection of legal and non-legal manuscripts held in the Library. For enquiries relating to these please contact the Librarian below.