Gray's Inn

The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) 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. Located at the intersection of High Holborn and Gray's Inn Road in Central London, the Inn is both a professional body and a provider of office accommodation (chambers) for many barristers. It is ruled by a governing council called "Pension", made up of the Masters of the Bench (or "Benchers"), and led by the Treasurer, who is elected to serve a three-year term. The Inn is known for its gardens, or Walks, which have existed since at least 1597.

Gray's Inn does not claim a specific foundation date; there is a tradition that none of the Inns of Court claims to be any older than the others. Law clerks and their apprentices have been established on the present site since at least 1370, with records dating from 1391. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Inn grew steadily with great prestige, reaching its pinnacle during the reign of Elizabeth I. The Inn was home to many important barristers and politicians, most notably Francis Bacon, and counted Elizabeth herself as a patron. Thanks to the efforts of prominent members such as William Cecil and Gilbert Gerard, Gray's Inn became the largest of the four by number, with over 200 barristers recorded as members. During this period, the Inn became noted for the masques and revels that it threw, and William Shakespeare is believed to have performed there at least once.

Grays

Coordinates: 51°28′21″N 0°19′29″E / 51.4724°N 0.3247°E / 51.4724; 0.3247

Grays (or Grays Thurrock) is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex and one of the Thurrock's traditional (Church of England) parishes. The town is approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the east of London on the north bank of the River Thames, and 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the M25 motorway. Its economy is linked to Port of London industries, its own offices, retail and Lakeside, West Thurrock. Its diversely used riverside faces Broadness Lighthouse, Broadness Point, Swanscombe, Kent.

History

Samuel Pepys famously recorded in his diary that he visited Grays on 24 September 1665 and apparently bought fish from the local fishermen. Parts of Grays and Chafford Hundred are set within three Victorian chalk pits; the largest two being the Lion Gorge, and the Warren Gorge. Another area of the Chafford Hundred residential development is built on a Victorian landfill site.

Origin of the name

Grays, Kent

Grays is a hamlet within the civil parish of Chislet, near Canterbury, Kent. It is located to the south of the A299 road and is located on the North Stream, a tributary of the River Wantsum. The hamlet consists of a small collection of houses (Little Grays) and the moated Grays Farm. On the A299 is the large public house named the Roman Galley.

Coordinates: 51°21′49″N 1°11′56″E / 51.3637°N 1.1988°E / 51.3637; 1.1988

Grey (disambiguation)

Grey or gray is a neutral color between black and white.

Grey, gray or grays may also refer to:

Surname

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Animals