Admissions Registers

The membership records of Lincoln’s Inn are fairly complete from 1422 to the present.  Admissions to the Inn were initially noted in the Black Books until 1573 when a separate “Calendar” was ordered to be kept of those admitted to Lincoln’s Inn.

The Calendar or Register was kept contemporaneously with the dates of admission by the Chief Butler until 1767, thereafter by the Steward, alias Under Treasurer, and his staff. From 1573 until 1589 the order to record Learning Exercises was obeyed in the back of the same volume together with various memoranda and orders concerning the Butlers, food and drink and payment of dues.

An important function of the early Admissions Book was financial: each admission entry was signed not only by the Reader or Bencher by whom admission was made, but also by one, two or three Sureties or Manucaptors. These were members of the Society who had proposed the new member, and were bound to ensure his payment of dues to the Society. If a member later changed his manucaptors, the new ones signed an agreement in the back of the Admissions Book.