History
The legal profession
The Law Society at 113 Chancery Lane was founded in 1825 to improve the reputation of the legal profession. After raising money through the sale of shares, the founding committee looked for a site near Temple where the barristers worked.
The City
At the time, apart from the tranquil oasis of the Inns of Court, the area was a thriving mass of brothels and taverns.
Here villains could escape the attention of the City militia by crossing into un-policed Westminster at Temple Bar. Sir Robert Peel’s establishment of the Metropolitan Police in 1829 soon put paid to all that!
The imposing entrance of 113 Chancery Lane is guarded by striking golden lions sitting atop the railings. Designed by Alfred Stevens and rescued from the British Museum, these lions are identical to those which watch over the Duke of Wellington’s tomb in St Paul’s Cathedral.