List of members of Gray's Inn explained

The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known simply as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns. The Inn has existed for over 600 years. Its members have included many noted lawyers and judges, such as Francis Bacon,^[1] Lord Slynn, Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Hoffmann, Lord Pannick and others. Outside the Bar and judiciary of England and Wales, members have included the clergy (including five Archbishops of Canterbury), the industrialist John Wynne, the astronomer John Lee, media figures, such as Huw Thomas,^[2] and members of the Bar and judiciary of other nations, such as Yang Ti-liang (former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong) and Aitzaz Ahsan (former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan).^{[3] [4]} As well as full members, the Inn also offers honorary membership to particularly distinguished members of society. During the Second World War, for example, both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill became honorary Benchers, and therefore members. Other than honorary members, this list only contains those individuals who were called to the Bar, not those who simply joined but left before qualifying.

Lawyers

Call	Name	Noted for	Notes
1540		Serjeant-at-Law who investigated and prosecuted the Ridolfi plot	^[5]
1583		legal writer and qualified barrister, although he never practised the law	^[6]
1585		legal writer	^[7]
1674		Lawyer and writer	^[8]
1792		Considered the best equity barrister of his age, even though he could "neither read, write, walk, nor talk"	^[9]
1922		Indian polymath, jurist, economist, politician and social reformer and the father of the Indian Constitution	^[10]
1937		legal writer and jurist of comparative and common law, President of the International Academy of Comparative Law	^[11]
1940	V.T. Thomas	Indian advocate, jurist and philanthropist.
1959		English barrister with a successful practice who became a Queen's Counsel in 1978 before inheriting a hereditary peerage and joining the House of Lords	^[12]
1961	Samuel Eson Johnson Ecoma	former Chief Judge of Cross River State, Nigeria.
1967		Pakistani advocate, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
1967	Michael Mansfield	King's Counsel and head of chambers at Nexus Chambers
1977	Francis Chang-Sam	Seychelles advocate, former Registrar General of Seychelles and Attorney-General of Seychelles. He also headed the secretariat of the Constitution of the Third Republic of Seychelles.
1980	Noor Dean	Fiji Indian lawyer and politician	^[13]
1988	Roger Tan Kor Mee	Malaysian advocate & solicitor, former member of the Malaysian Bar Council and now a Water Commissioner of Malaysia.

Judiciary

Call	Name	Noted for	Notes
1342		Chief Baron of the Exchequer	^[14]
1374		Chief Justice of the King's Bench	^[15]
1420		Justice of the Court of King's Bench	^[16]
1430		Chief Justice of the King's Bench	^[17]
1438		Chief Justice of the King's Bench	^[18]
1448		Chief Justice of the Common Pleas	^[19]
1455		Chief Justice of the King's Bench	^[20]
1461		Chief Justice of the King's Bench	^[21]
1535		Baron of the Exchequer	^[22]
1581		Baron of the Exchequer
1611		Chief Justice of Chester	^[23]
1614		Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and of the King's Bench	^[24]
1616		Justice of the Court of Common Pleas	^[25]
1625		Chief Baron of the Exchequer	^[26]
1627		President of the High Court of Justice for the trial of King Charles I and first Lord President of the Council of State	^[27]
1627		Justice of the Court of Common Pleas	^[28]
1657		Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of King's Bench	^[29]
1651		Justice of the Court of King's Bench	^[30]
1663		Lord Chief Justice	^[31]
1670		Justice of the Court of King's Bench
1676		Chief Baron of the Exchequer
1729		Master of the Rolls
1792		Justice of the Court of King's Bench and Baron of the Exhequer	^[32]
1827		Vice Chancellor in Bankruptcy and later, by custom, Judge of the High Court of Justice	^[33]
1879		Master of the Rolls	^[34]
1879		Lord Chancellor of Ireland	^[35]
1891		Law Lord	^[36]
1904		Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
1904		Lord Justice of Appeal	^[37]
1907		Judge of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice	^[38]
1919		Judge of the British Supreme Court for China	^[39]
1928		Justice of the International Court of Justice
1937		Assistant Judge Advocate General and circuit judge	^[40]
1946		Lord Chancellor
1946		High Court Judge Chancery Division	^[41]
1954		former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
1956		former president of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for England and Wales	^[42]
1959		Lord of Appeal in Ordinary	^[43]
1959		Lord Justice of Appeal	^[44]
1960		Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland	^[45]
1961		President of the Family Division	^[46] ^[47]
1966		Chief Justice of the Malawi High Court, Chief Justice of the Swaziland High Court	^[48]
1967		Lord Justice of Appeal	^[49]
1969	Brenda Hale	President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom	^[50]
1970		Judge of the Chancery Division	^[51]
1972		Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan	^[52]
1973	Dame	First female Chief Justice of The Bahamas Supreme Court and then first female President of the Court of Appeal of The Bahamas (retired 2010)
1974		Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland	^[53]

Politicians

Call	Name	Noted for	Notes
1355		Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Lord High Treasurer	^[54]
1515		Politician and rebel who led the Pilgrimage of Grace	^[55]
1524		Chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540	^[56]
1533		Lord Keeper of the Great Seal	^[57]
1552		Speaker of the House of Commons	^[58]
1554		Speaker of the British House of Commons and Attorney-General for Ireland	^[59]
1560		Member of Parliament for Preston, Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster	^[60]
1565		Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth and Tavistock	^[61]
1582		Politician and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor and Attorney General	^[62]
1617		Member of Parliament for Ipswich	^[63]
1631		Solicitor General	^[64]
1644		Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire	^[65]
1648		Member of the Sealed Knot, Surveyor General of Ireland, Member of Parliament for Dungarvan in the Irish House of Commons	^[66]
1658		Solicitor General and Speaker of the House of Commons	^[67]
1673		Lord Mayor of the City of London	^[68]
1682		Member of Parliament for Penryn, Saltash, Helston, and Launceston	^[69]
1718		Member of Parliament for Anglesey	^[70]
1839		Member of Parliament for Peterborough	^[71]
1871		Member of Parliament for Ceredigion
1885	Sidney Webb	Member of Parliament for Seaham, President of the Board of Trade, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Co-founder London School of Economics
1894		Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for India	^[72]
1910		Member Bengal Legislative Council	^[73]
1922		Solicitor General, Attorney General, Lord Chancellor and Home Secretary	^[74]
1922		Attorney General	^[75]
1923		Premier of Barbados	^[76]
1924		Prime Minister of Burma	^[77]
1933		Sri Lankan independence activist and founder of the nation's first political party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. Also served in cabinet post.	^[78]
1935		Attorney General, Lord Chancellor
1944		Member of Parliament for Merioneth	^[79]
1948		The first Indo-Trinidadian to hold the office of President of Trinidad and Tobago and was the first Muslim Head of State in the Americas	^[80]
1950		Fourth President of the Republic of Cyprus	^[81]
1954		Second President of the Republic of Cyprus	^[82]
1954		Fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus
1959		Premier of Barbados	^[83]
1959		Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and Minister of Education	^[84]
1974		Member of Parliament
1975		Solicitor General for England and Wales	^[85]

Clergy

Call	Name	Noted for	Notes
1520		Bishop of Lincoln
1555		Bishop of Winchester	^[86]
1588		Archbishop of Canterbury	^[87]
1589		Bishop of Winchester
1592		Archbishop of Canterbury
1615		Archbishop of Canterbury
1615		Bishop of Exeter
1622		Bishop of Lichfield
1623		Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
1635		Archbishop of Canterbury
1663		Archbishop of Canterbury

Other

Call	Name	Noted for	Notes
1599		Principal of Jesus College, Oxford
1602		antiquary	^[88]
1639		Auditor of the imprests
1669		industrialist	^[89]
1841		Humorist and police magistrate	^[90]
1863		Astronomer
1882		Journalist and humorist for Punch	^[91]
1905		Civilian
1913			^[92]
1913		Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour	^[93]
1929		labour law reformer and internationalist
1951		presenter for ITN News
?		legal academic and philosopher

Honorary members

Call	Name	Noted for	Notes
1590		Civil lawyer	^[94]
1606		Member of Parliament for Essex
1942		Prime Minister of the United Kingdom	^[95]
1943		President of the United States
2004		Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong

See also

• List of members of Lincoln's Inn
• List of members of Middle Temple

References

1. Oxford DNB article: Bacon, Francis (subscription needed). 2004. Markku. Peltonen. 10.1093/ref:odnb/990 . 2009-08-27.
2. News: Huw Thomas - Telegraph. 9 April 2009. The Daily Telegraph. 2009-08-27.
3. Web site: Aitzaz Ahsan elected Honorary Fellow of Downing College. Indopia. 2009-08-27.
4. Web site: Gray's Inn - Benchers. https://web.archive.org/web/20081222111655/http://www.graysinn.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=41&id=141&Itemid=892. usurped. 22 December 2008. Gray's Inn. 2009-08-27.
5. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Barham, Nicholas (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
6. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Ashe, Thomas (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-08-28.
7. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Finch, Henry (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
8. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Atwood, William (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
9. Oxford DNB article:Bell, John (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/2015 . 2009-08-28.
10. Web site: Pritchett. Frances. In the 1910s. PHP. 5 January 2012.
11. Web site: Oxford DNB article: Hamson, Charles John Joseph (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
12. News: Viscount Bledisloe - Telegraph. 29 June 2009. The Daily Telegraph. 2009-08-28.
13. Web site: The U.S. in Fiji - A Coup In Question . December 1988 . The Pacific: Covert Action Information Bulletin . 29 . 27 January 2017.
14. Watt (1928) p.145
15. Foss (1870) p.290
16. Foss (1870) p.777
17. Foss (1870) p.94
18. Foss (1870) p.435
19. Foss (1870) p.136
20. Foss (1870) p.359
21. Foss (1870) p.254
22. Foss (1870) p.13
23. Christopher W . Brooks . Turner, Sir Timothy (1585–1677) . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . September 2004 . 10.1093/ref:odnb/70488 . http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/70488 . 2007-05-30.
24. Foss (1870) p.53
25. Foss (1870) p.80
26. Foss (1870) p.728
27. Bradshaw, John (1602-1659) . 06 . Lee . Sidney . Sidney Lee . 176-181 . 1.
28. Foss (1870) p.530
29. Foss (1870) p.12
30. Foss (1870) p.50
31. Foss (1870) p.351
32. Foss (1870) p.63
33. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Bacon, James (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
34. Foss (1870) p.567
35. Oxford DNB article: Ross, Sir John (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/35837 . 2009-09-07. Wells . Nathan .
36. Oxford DNB article: Atkin, James (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/30492 . 2009-08-28. Lewis . Geoffrey .
37. Web site: Gray's Inn - Augustus Uthwatt. https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203348/http://www.graysinn.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=421&Itemid=686. usurped. 21 July 2011. Gray's Inn. 2009-09-07.
38. Web site: Hilbery, Sir (George) Malcolm. 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
39. North China Herald, August 23, 1919, p496 and London Gazette, 11 October 1927, p1129
40. News: His Honour Colin Sleeman. 30 June 2006. The Daily Telegraph. 2009-09-07.
41. News: Sir John Vinelott. 15 June 2006. The Daily Telegraph. 2009-09-07.
42. Book: Jones, His Honour (John) Geoffrey . . 1 December 2007 . Who's Who . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U22389 . 978-0-19-954089-1 . 19 September 2022 . Called to Bar, Grey's Inn, 1956.
43. News: Obituary: Lord Slynn of Hadley. 21 May 2009. The Guardian. 2009-09-07 . London . Louis . Blom-Cooper.
44. Web site: Criminal Courts Review - Lord Justice Auld. Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom). 2009-08-28. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090607141028/http://www.criminal-courts-review.org.uk/biograph.htm. 2009-06-07. dead.
45. News: Senior judge set to retire after 50-year law career. 2008-05-29. Irish News. 2009-06-03.
46. News: Sir Mark Potter - Times Online. https://web.archive.org/web/20080923203833/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3783880.ece. dead. 23 September 2008. 21 April 2008. The Times. 2009-09-08 . London.
47. Web site: Gray's Inn - Masters of the Bench. https://web.archive.org/web/20081222111655/http://www.graysinn.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=41&id=141&Itemid=892. usurped. 22 December 2008. Gray's Inn. 2009-09-08.
48. Web site: Commonwealth Secretariat - Justice Richard Banda . 2011-09-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120928094920/http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/185183/185198/185199/185211/justice_richard_banda__malawi/ . 2012-09-28 . dead .
49. Web site: Jacob's CV on University College of London website. 2014-05-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121906/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/academics/profiles/index.shtml?jacob. 2014-05-17. dead.
50. Web site: Lady Hale appointed next President of Supreme Court, alongside three new Justices. 21 July 2017. Supreme Court UK.
51. News: Sir Michael Hart - Times Online Obituary. https://web.archive.org/web/20070304220846/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1458894.ece. dead. 4 March 2007. 2 March 2007. The Times. 2009-09-08 . London.
52. Web site: The Hon'ble Chief Justice . Government of Lahore . 2009-09-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071229120415/http://www.lhc.gov.pk/judges/jbiodata/jfalak_sher.htm . December 29, 2007 .
53. Web site: Privy Council Appointment (Sir John Joseph Sheil). https://web.archive.org/web/20080909065826/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page6808. dead. 9 September 2008. 20 December 2004. Government of the United Kingdom. 2009-09-07.
54. Watt (1928) p.146
55. Watt (1928) p.114
56. Web site: History. master. 6 June 2014.
57. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Bacon, Sir Nicholas (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-08-28.
58. Foss (1870) p.778
59. Oxford DNB article:Snagge, Thomas (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/25971 . 2009-09-07 . Lyall . Andrew .
60. Web site: Oxford DNB article: Brograve, Sir John (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
61. Oxford DNB article:Bacon, Edward (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/989 . 2009-08-28.
62. Oxford DNB article:Bacon, Francis (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/990 . 2009-08-28.
63. Web site: Oxford DNB article: Bacon, Nathaniel (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
64. Oxford DNB article: Cook, John (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/6141 . 2009-09-08 . Prest . Wilfrid .
65. Eveline Cruickshanks, Stuart Handley and D. W. Hayton, ed (2002). The House of Commons, 1690-1715. vol. III. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 173-174.
66. Web site: Oxford DNB article: Brodrick, Sir William (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
67. s-WILL-WIL-1634 . WILLIAMS, Sir WILLIAM (1634-1700). 2009-09-07.
68. Foster (1889) p.318
69. Book: Hayton. David . Cruickshanks. Eveline. Handley. Stuart . The House of Commons, 1690-1715. 1. 2002 . Cambridge University Press. 0-521-77221-4. 128.
70. Book: William Retlaw, Williams. The parliamentary history of the principality of Wales, from the earliesr times to the present day, 1541-1895. E. Davis and Bell. 1895. 6997262.
71. Oxford DNB article: Whalley, George Hammond (subscription needed). 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/29158 . 2009-09-07 . Wallis . Frank H. .
72. Book: Camp, William. The Glittering Prizes - A Biographical Study of F. E. Smith, First Earl of Birkenhead. Macgibbon & Kee. London. 1960. 2323156. 28.
73. Web site: Archivist, Gray's Inn. 2019-04-23.
74. Web site: Gray's Inn . Bar Council . 2009-08-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090803003708/http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/innsofcourt/graysinn/ . 2009-08-03 .
75. Oxford DNB article: Shawcross, Hartley William. 2004. 10.1093/ref:odnb/92268 . 2009-09-07 . Beloff . Michael .
76. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Adams, Sir Grantley Herbert (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-02.
77. Book: Ooi, Keat Gin. Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. ABC. 2004. 3. 197. 1-57607-770-5.
78. Book: Abeynaike. H. B. W.. Parliament of Ceylon, 1970. Ameratunga. H. P.. 1970. Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. en.
79. Web site: Emrys Roberts Records. National Library of Wales. 2009-09-07.
80. Web site: NOOR HASSANALI (1918-2006).
81. Web site: The President of the Republic of Cyprus.
82. Web site: The President of the Republic of Cyprus.
83. Web site: Oxford DNB article:Adams, John Michael Geoffrey Manningham (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-02.
84. News: Lalith Athulathmudali - a talented leader snuffed out in his prime. Dissanayake. S.N.. 27 November 2002. Daily News. 2009-08-28. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930013013/http://www.dailynews.lk/2002/11/27/fea03.html. 30 September 2007.
85. Web site: Labour Online - Vera Baird QC. Labour Party. 2009-08-28.
86. Douthwaite (1886) p.195
87. Douthwaite (1886) p.194
88. Web site: Oxford DNB article: Archer, Sir Simon (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-02.
89. s-WYNN-JOH-1650. Wynne, John (1650–1714), industrial pioneer. 1959. Jenkins. Robert Thomas. Robert Thomas Jenkins. yes. 7 September 2009.
90. Web site: Oxford DNB article: A Beckett, Gilbert Abbott (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-02.
91. Web site: Oxford DNB article: A Beckett, Arthur William (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-02.
92. Web site: Oxford DNB article: Ball, Sir (George) Joseph (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-08.
93. Web site: Phillips, Sir Thomas Williams. Who Was Who (online edition). Oxford University Press. December 2007 . 2009-09-08.
94. Web site: Oxford DNB article: Amy, Sir John (subscription needed). 2004. Oxford University Press. 2009-09-02.
95. Gray's Inn, "List of Honorary Benchers of Gray's Inn since 1883", http://www.graysinn.org.uk [Accessed: 25 March 2019]

Further reading

• Book: Douthwaite, William Ralph. Gray's Inn, Its History & Associations. Reeves and Turner. 1886. 2578698.
• Book: Foster, Joseph. Register of admissions to Gray's Inn, 1521-1889 together with the register of marriages in Gray's Inn Chapel, 1695-1754.. Hansard Publishing Union. 1889. 271771277.
• Book: Foss, Edward. A Biographical Dictionary of the Justices of England (1066 - 1870). Spottiswoode and Company. 1870.