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PREFACE. myself of the work to which I have referred above, namely the Inns of Court Calendar, 1878, compiled by Charles Shaw, Esq., under-treasurer of the Middle Temple, for from that valuable repertory of legal information I was enabled to obtain the dates of the great majority of the admissions, and so to refer to the original entries, without the added and incalculable labour of searching, and that over a number of years, for the admission of each of the seven or eight thousand barristers separately. The period over which the admissions of living barristers extend may be estimated from the fact that Viscount Eversley, the venerable father of the English bar, was already a member of Lincoln's Inn before the battle of Waterloo was fought.

Doubtless owing to the increasing duties of the county court judges, the Crown has deemed it desirable to confer upon them especial rank and precedence, and although placed by the royal warrant immediately after knights bachelors in the precedency among men, yet their place is immediately after the Solicitor-General in the order of legal precedence. Owing to the importance of the subject, I reprint the royal warrant referred to:—

"WHITEHALL, 7 Aug., 1884."

The Queen has been pleased to grant Rank and Precedence to County Court Judges of England and Wales by the following Warrant, under Her Royal Sign Manual, which was duly recorded in H.M.'s College of Arms pursuant to the Earl Marshal's Warrant of 31st October, 1884:—



", by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith:

"To Our right trusty and right entirely beloved Cousin Henry, Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, and Our Hereditary Marshal of England; Greeting!

"Whereas We taking into Our Royal consideration that the Rank and Precedence of the Judges of County Courts in England and Wales have not been declared or defined by due authority. We deem it therefore expedient that the same should be henceforth established and defined:

"Know ye, therefore, that in the exercise of Our Royal Prerogative, We do hereby declare Our Royal will and pleasure that in all times hereafter the Judges of County Courts in England and Wales shall be called, known, and addressed by the style and title of 'His Honour' prefixed to the word 'Judge' before their respective names, and shall have Rank and Precedence next after Knights Bachelors:

"Our will and pleasure further is that you Henry, Duke of Norfolk, to whom the cognizance of matters of this nature doth properly belong, do see this Our Order observed and kept, and that you do cause the same to be recorded in Our College of Arms to the end that Our Officers of Arms and all others upon occasion may take full notice and have knowledge thereof.

"Given at Our Court at Saint James's, the fourth day of August, 1884, in the 48th year of Our Reign. "By Her Majesty's Command, "W. V. HARCOURT.' [viii]