While our catalogue is not available for public consultation, listed below are the majority of the series held by the Middle Temple Archive, with dates of coverage, divided into administrative sections. This is intended to enable researchers to assess the archive's resources and narrow their enquiries.

These records are subject to Data Protection Legislation.  Information on living persons, other than information which is already in the public domain by publication prior to the Data Protection Act, will not be disclosed. Records relating to the Under Treasurer’s local authority functions are subject to Freedom of Information legislation.

 

Administrative Records

• Minutes of Parliament - 1501 onwards
• Reports of committees, correspondence petitions and other papers presented to Middle Temple’s Parliament - 1600-1913
• Committee records (executive, house, reconstruction, scholarships, future planning, student affairs, joint disciplinary procedures, etc.) from 1856
• Printed rules, regulations and Standing Orders for Parliament and committees - 1882-2011
• Letter books - 1850-2001
• Incoming correspondence - 1714-1913
• Memoranda books - 1756-1868
• Miscellaneous administrative papers - 1644-1837
• Correspondence with James I and Charles I - 1616-1639
• Oaths of allegiance - 1649-1868
• Records relating to Middle Temple during World War II - 1924-1949
• Medical Officer of Health annual reports - 1900-1953
• Middle Temple Newsletters - 1990 onwards

 

Financial Records

• Accounts including Auditors' accounts, Treasurers' accounts and papers, Annual balance sheets and expenditure abstracts - 1637 onwards
• Ledgers, cashbooks and receipts
• Treasurer's accounts, receipts, day and cash books, ledgers and papers - 1608-1972
• Finance Committee papers - 1870-1969
• Investment papers - 1722-1793
• Auditors’ accounts and reports - 1870 onwards
• Expenditure, banking and cash books - 1785-1966
• Treasurers' Receipts and Bills - 1614 - 1967
• Valuation and insurance records - 1915 onwards
• Parochial valuation records - 1926 - 1963
• Poll tax certificates, 1692 - 1696
• Tax records - 1692 onwards

 

Members’ Records

• Registers of Admissions  - 1501 onwards
• Admissions forms & papers - 1890 onwards
• Certificates of admission to House - 1603-1828
• Rejections of applications for admission & expulsions from membership - 1748-1846
• Admission to chambers - 1631-1746
• University certificates - 1766-1911
• Certificates of Call to the Bar - 1682-1827
• Signatures on Call to the Bar - 1856 onwards
• Call Papers - 1869-2003
• Proposals & Reports for Call to the Bar - c1700-1869
• Bar bonds - 1611-1900
• Students’, barristers’, Benchers' and members' ledgers - 1747-1945
• Bills of Members' duties - 1772-1819
• Benchers' papers - 1763-2007
• Benchers' regulations and proposals - 1896-1892
• Photograph album of Masters of the Bench - 1864-1891
• Roll of Readers - 1560-1925
• Readers' addresses and guest lectures - 1619 onwards
• Illuminated volumes of heraldic glass and panels - 1630-1938
• Roll of Honour - 1919
• Certificates of death and burial - 1676-1726
• Records relating to Irish members - 1641-1889
• Assorted papers relating to members - 1608-1855
• Disciplinary cases - 1845 onwards

 

Deeds

• James I's letters patent conveying the lands of the Temple to Inner and Middle Temple, 1608
• Partition, mutual grant of easements and exchanges of lands - 1732-1965
• Registers of deeds and leases - 1586-1935
• Deeds (property and trust) - 1745 onwards

 

Rent, Chambers & Property

• Estates Committee Minutes - 1966 onwards
• Rent analyses - 1931-1968
• Rental Books (by individual) - 1747-1870
• Rental Books (by premises) - 1870-1930
• Arrears of rent books - 1830-1912
• Rent ledgers - 1931-1969
• Rental books and ledgers, 1747 - 1969
• Bench chambers survey and inventory - 1732-1833
• Bonds for chambers - 1631-1657
• Surveys of chambers - 1649-c1660, 1809-1862
• Inventories of chambers - 1644-1649
• Leases and surrenders of chambers - 1723-1942
• Records relating to Thames Embankment, Temple Stairs and Temple Bar - 1767-c1905
• Records relating to Temple shops - 1621-1908

 

Building Works

• Building works and post-war reconstruction records - 1670 - 1967
• Post-War Reconstruction Committee minutes and papers - 1947-1961
• Surveyors’ reports and papers - 1819-1996
• Surveyors' accounts and analyses of repairs - 1934-1959
• Surveyors' Bills - 1920-1939
• Maps, plans and architectural drawings - 1713-1957

 

Commons, Kitchens & Entertainment

• Catering Committee minutes - 1967-2013
• Minutes and papers of assorted commitees related to catering - 1886-1905
• Wine Sub-Committee minutes - 1967 onwards
• Commons registers, ledgers, cash books, bills and arrears - 1723-1876
• Butler and stewards’ accounts - 1762-1860
• Butlers’ collections - 1748-1856
• Catering accounts and receipts - 1923-1968
• Calveshead rolls collections and receipts - 1635-1654
• Records of duties, vacations and fines - 1610-1618
• Assorted dinner and luncheon account books and cash journals - 1878-1971
• Wine account books - 1863-1954
• Wine butler's accounts and consumption books - 1608-1933
• Supper bills - 1613-1633
• Tradesmen's journal and account books - 1871-1945
• Weekly provisions account books - 1898-1953
• Buttery books - 1745-1902
• Cigar book - 1931-1959
• Miscellaneous loose papers relating to commons - 1635 - 1660
• Assorted catering department records - 1959 onwards
• Sunday luncheon books - 1921-1979
• Visitors' books - 1870 onwards
• Assorted papers relating to wine - 1749-1975
• Liquor stock books - 1762-1955
• Records relating to the Temple Festival - 2007-2011
• Records relating to entertainments, feasts, Grand Days, dinners, concerts, garden parties &c - 1602 onwards
• Records relating to the Whitehall Masques of 1613 and 1634
• Records relating to the Magna Carta Project 2015 - 2008-2015
• Records relating to Christmas Revels - 1998 onwards
• Records relating to the Royal Family - 1861-2012

 

Staff Records

• Record of attendance at the gates - 1859-1876
• Assorted papers relating to servants and staff - 1602-1968
• Time sheets - 1870-1873
• Volumes concerning appointments, salaries and duties - 1859 - 1954
• Wages ledgers - 1887-1947
• Waiters' pay books - 1898-1938

 

Library

• Library Committee minutes and papers - 1857-2006
• Reports concerning the Library - 1809-1963
• Library Annual Reports - 1899-1967
• Library correspondence - 1909-1968
• Librarians' bonds of surety and related papers - 1665-1776
• Records of Library Attendance and Borrowing - 1787-1978
• Assorted Library papers and volumes - 1707-2004
• Records of accessions and additions - 1881 - 1949
• Library catalogues - 1684-1933
• Records concerning library buildings and the openings thereof - 1856-1958
• Records of presentations and gifts - 1913-1969
• Will of Robert Ashley - 1641

 

Scholarships & Prizes

• Scholarship and trust cash books and accounts - 1924 onwards
• Scholarships and prizes committee minutes - 1938 onwards
• King Edward VII Memorial Scholarship applications - 1911-1925
• Harmsworth and Astbury Scholarship applications - 1925-1965
• Record of Middle Temple scholarships - 1877-1892
• Records of Pupil Studentships - 1914-1926
• Middle Temple Scholarship Registers - 1925-1993
• Assorted Scholarship files - 1933-2003
• Records of funds including the Astbury Fund, Harmsworth Memorial Fund, Garraway-Rice Fund and Chrystal Macmillan Memorial Fund - 1924-1975
• Papers regarding assorted charitable funds and bequests - 1873-1986
• Records of donations made by the Middle Temple - 1946-1961

 

Pictures, Plate and Possessions

• Inventories of plate, books, securities, records, furniture and pictures - 1717 onwards
• Reports and catalogues relating to arms and armour at the Inn - 1862 onwards
• Records relating to Middle Temple silver and plate - 1910 onwards
• Records relating to Middle Temple pictures - 1848 onwards
• Records relating to donations and bequests to the Inn - 1914-1983
• Records relating to the Molyneux Globes - 1930-2012
• Records relating to the Royal Cup competition - 1903-1905

 

New Inn Records

• Constitution, rules and regulations - 1668, 1864
• Memoranda Books - 1822-1887
• Assorted New Inn papres - 1605-1901
• Minute and Order books - 1675-1902
• Middle Temple Orders regarding New Inn - 1504-1745
• Treasurers' Accounts - 1774-1902
• Admission Books - 1743-1852
• Certificates of membership - 1601-1710
• Membership lists - 1802-1820
• Lecture attendance book - 1834-1846
• Moot books and papers - 1748-1831
• Papers concerning the election of New Inn Readers - 1649-1835
• New Inn property deeds - 1548-1900
• Papers relating to the LCC Improvements Act - 1899-1904
• Papers relating to New Inn chambers - 1833-1852

 

Legal Education

• Council of Legal Education accounts, reports, registers and other papers - 1853-1968
• Bar examination papers and results - 1852-2001
• Lectureship papers - 1846-1862
• Lecture attendance books - 1846-1977
• Assorted legal education papers including reports, schemes and correspondence - 1846 onwards
• Cumberland lodge files and mock trial papers - 1966 - 1990
• Moot papers - 1925-1990

 

Records of Other Legal Bodies

• Records of the Council of the Inns of Court - 1987 - 1997
• Reports of the Joint Committees of the Four Inns of Court - 1908 - 1966
• Reports and Resolutions of the Board of Examiners - 1901-1910
• Reports and minutes of the Standing Joint Committee on the Duties, Interests and Discipline of the Bar - 1984-1964
• Records of the Senate of the Inns of Court and the Bar / General Council of the Bar - 1914-1997
• Bar Library reports and financial statements - 1906-1939
• Papers relating to the American Bar Association - 1923 onwards
• Papers relating to Chuo University - 2011
• Papers relating to the Four Jurisdictions Conference - 2012-2014
• Papers relating to the overseas Bar, international and domestic visits and associations - 1996 onwards

 

Temple Church & Master of the Temple

• Choir Committee minutes - 1856-1927 (subsequent minutes are held by the Inner Temple Archives)
• Temple Church accounts - 1716-1926
• Assorted files concerning the Church, Master of the Temple, organist and choir - 1895 onwards
• Loose papers concerning the Church and Master of the Temple - 1591 onwards
• Receipts for payments for afternoon preachers - 1804-1951
• Signed books of Communicants - 1668-1771
• Benchers' memorials and Thanksgiving addresses - 1965 onwards
• Temple Church Registers on baptisms, burials and marriages - 1628-1944
• Register of Preachers and Collections - 1845-1905
• Books of sermons - 1650s

 

Legislation

• Parliamentary Bills and Acts affecting the rights of Middle Temple, 1855 - 1977
• Parliamentary Bills and Acts relating to the Inns of Court, legal education and discipline - 1862-1909
• London Building Acts - 1928-1939
• London County Council (General Powers) Bills - 1911-1954

 

Inns of Court & Military Service

• Records of the Inns of Court Regiment, the Inns of Court Rifle Volunteers, civil defence and other military service by members of the Inn - 1745 -1961

 

Collected Papers

• Certificate of Arms of Middle Temple - 1949
• Records relating to Middle Temple foundlings - 1700 - 1850
• Correspondence with the Selden Society - 1935-1960
• Papers of the Plowden Society - 1930-1932

 

Illustrations, photographs and audio-visual material

• Illustrations of buildings, gardens, events, members and other historical figures - 1700 onwards
• Lantern slides of the Inns of Court - c. 1900
• Printing blocks of illustrations for Middle Temple publications - 1910-1947
• Photographs of events, buildings, portraits and possessions &c - 19th century onwards
• Films, video tapes, CDs and DVDs - 1940s onwards
• Audio recordings - 1999 onwards
• Scrapbooks and press cuttings - 1861-1972