John Hutchinson

“ IN the following pages will be found a List—fairly complete, it is believed, if not exhaustive—of such Englishmen or others, being British subjects [1] , as have been considered deserving of a place of record in any standard work of British Biography, and whose names are to be found also in the Admission Books of the Middle Temple [2] .
The List extends to nearly one thousand names. Of these a very large number are, of course, those of distinction in the records of the Law—Judges, Advocates, Jurists and the like ”

“ This feature of the Catalogue goes to establish the fact that the Inns of Court, whilst primarily "institutions set apart for the study and practice of the Law," have at all times kept up the character originally attributed to them as the resort also of students whose object was general culture as much as professional training [3] . ”

“ Fuller information must be looked for elsewhere, if required [6] . Care has, however, been taken to give such special information in each case as the Registers afford, especially as to parentage; and, in the case of such members as have been Authors, a sufficient reference has been made to the titles and nature of their works as to show the extent of the contributions of the Inn as a body to the general literary wealth of the country. ”