Doctors Commons - Births, Residents, Affilliates

Date: About 1550 to 1867
Location: Paternoster, London, England
Surnames/tags: DOCTORS_COMMONS ST_BENETS_PAULS_WHARF

Doctors_Commons,_City_of_London One of the queerest old rookeries in London is the little old edifice in Great Knight-Rider street, just back of St. Paul's Churchyard, with its nest of courts and its ancient quadrangle. The lawyers who practice here are all well to do, snug, aristocratic old fellows, and enjoy good living and nothing to do as no other disciples of the legal profession can.
It is called Doctor's Commons because the doctors or students at law used to eat in common, or dine together in a hall in the old days when the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledged the supremacy of the See of St. Peter.^[1]

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Families of Doctors' Commons not only dined together, they worked together, they lived together, they worshipped together and most of all their children often married the children of other Doctors' Commons families. This page is interested in the "family centred institutions" within the larger institution, that was Doctors' Commons. Collecting data about individuals allows the observation of patterns, upon which to make deductions about these institutions/family life.
Please feel free to enter details about your Doctors' Commons Ancestors.

Contents 1 Profiles 1.1 On Wiki Tree 1.2 Persons not yet on Wiki Tree 2 Links 3 Research Notes 4 Sources

Profiles

Enter Wiki tree id - including lifespan, indicate whether Doctors' Commons was that persons' Residence or Birthplace in bold. Then - immediately underneath using "br" enter one line of relevant data. Enter "Affilliate" if born elsewhere, or unsure if they lived at the Halls of Residence.

On Wiki Tree

• William Abbott (c.1740 - c.1790) Residence
  Proctor|Master to an Apprentice Proctor
• Elizabeth (Misplee) Abbot (1750 - 1800) Residence
• William Abbot (1773 - 1858) - Birthplace
  Registrar |Proctor to the Archbishop | entered the Court of Arches 1822
  
• William Morgan - Residence
• Hannah Brame - Residence
• Hannah (Morgan) Abbot - Birthplace
• Philip Champion Crespigny (1704 - 1765) Residence
  House at Doctors' Commons | Marshall of the Court of Admiralty
• Philip Champion Crespigny (1738 - 1803) Birthplace
  Chr. 11 April at St Benets, Pauls Wharf | Advocate at Doctors' Commons - age 21|Kings Proctor 1768 to 1784
• Anne (Fonnereau) Champion Crespigny (1704 - 1782) Residence

Persons not yet on Wiki Tree

• George Marsh - Proctor
• Edward Toller - of Doctors Commons, Apprentice to William Abbott
• Walt Wright - of Doctors Commons
• Geo Byworth - of Doctors Commons

Links

• http://www.londonancestor.com/maps/baynards.htm

Research Notes

• Anne Young's blog^[2]
  • Anne's Family History : K is for Knightrider Street published 13 April 2020
• George Marsh - Sealed and Delivered published and declared by the said George Marsh as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses Edward Toller, Walt Wright, Geo Byworth all of Doctors Commons.
• https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55732/55732-h/55732-h.htm#CHAPTER_XI

Sources

1. ↑ Kirwan, Daniel Joseph, Palace & Hovel : or Phases of London Life. (A.L.Bancroft & Co. San Francisco, Cal, 1870) Project Guttenberg, free download and distribution
2. ↑ https://ayfamilyhistory.com/category/lawyer/