Bacon remembered

Gray’s Inn looks back 400 years to celebrate one of its most influential members

This year, Gray’s Inn is marking 400 years since the death of Sir Francis Bacon, one of the most influential figures in British intellectual history and a lawyer whose life and career were deeply intertwined with the inn of court he joined at the age of 15. Over the course of his life, he maintained a close relationship with Gray’s Inn, shaping and being shaped by its intellectual, cultural and social life.

To commemorate this anniversary, Gray’s Inn is hosting a year-long programme of events, including an archival exhibition, guided tours and a celebratory dinner in hall.

The first tour is tomorrow and tickets are available for future tours later in the year. As a member of Gray’s Inn myself, I was given a preview of the inn’s records by our archivist Katherine Gwyn. I also spoke to Sam Hutchinson, chief of staff at Gray’s Inn, about the events planned for later in the year. You can watch the video here:

• This is the first video I have made for A Lawyer Writes. I’m quite pleased with it but future productions will, I hope, be rather more polished.