The Honourable Society of Inner Temple, Inner Temple, London

The Temple takes its name from the Knights Templar,

who originally (until their abolition in 1312) leased the land to the

Temple's inhabitants (Templars). The Inner Temple was a distinct society

from at least 1388, although as with all the Inns of Court its precise

date of founding is not known. After a disrupted early period (during

which the Temple was almost entirely destroyed in the Peasants' Revolt) it flourished, becoming the second-largest Inn during the Elizabethan period (after Gray's Inn).

The Inner Temple expanded during the reigns of James I and Charles I, with 1,700 students admitted between 1600 and 1640. The First English Civil War's outbreak led to a complete suspension of legal education,^[1] with the Inns close to being shut down for almost four years. Following the English Restoration the Inner Templars welcomed Charles II back to London personally with a lavish banquet.

After a period of slow decline in the 18th century, the following

100 years saw a restoration of the Temple's fortunes, with buildings

constructed or restored, such as the Hall and the Library. Much of this

work was destroyed during The Blitz, when the Hall, Temple, Temple Church, and many sets of barristers' chambers were devastated. Rebuilding was completed in 1959, and today the Temple is an active Inn of Court with over 8,000 members.