[162] Revised design, New Law Courts, 3 September 1823

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Sir John Soane office drawings: the drawings of Sir John Soane and the office of Sir John Soane
- Office of Works
  - London: Palace of Westminster: The New Law Courts, surveys and designs, 1820-32 (507)
    - New Law Courts - Second Scheme, 1821-29 (345)
      - Designs for the Whole Site, 1821-29 (15)

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Reference number

SM 53/1/29

Purpose

[162] Revised design, New Law Courts, 3 September 1823

Aspect

Plan of the main (ground) floor of the New Law Courts, as originally commenced, showing the furnishings of the Courts and the gallery of the Court of Chancery and ceiling of the Lord Chancellor's Robing Room (in dashed line), with comparative plans of the previous accommodation of the Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas and Chancery overlaying their respective new courts (in grey wash), including detail plan and sections of existing walls, and a flyer showing a variant scheme for recessing the linking range between Westminster Hall and the Court of King's Bench, and reconfiguring the anciliary accommodation and circulation around The Bail Court, unexecuted

Scale

bar scales of ¹/₄ inch to 1 foot

Inscribed

General Plan of the New Law Courts at Westminster, shewing likewise the relative dimensions of the Old Courts. / Scale of Feet (x 2) / EF / G.H. / A.B. / C.D. / A (x 3) / The Bail Court. / Staircase. / Anti Room. / The Court of King's Bench. / shewing the comparative size of / the Old, and the new Courts. / The Lord Chief Justice's / Retiring Room. / The Court of Exchequer / ATTORNEY.'S· / COVNSEL· (x 5) / KING'S·COUNSEL· / KING'S·REMEMBRANCER· / LORD·TREASURER / ·REMEMBRANCER / MASTER· / MASTER _OF·THE·PLEAS· / ·PASSAGE· (x 2) / SIR·W· / OWEN· / POSTMAN· / STVDENTS· (x 2) / [TUB·MASTERS?] / ·TRIBVNAL· (x 2) / 4 Judges. / The Court of Equity. / The Lord Chief Baron's retiring / Room. / Court of Common Pleas. / The Walls tinted with light / Indian Ink. shew the size / of the Old Court of Common Pleas. / the Judge's Retiring Room / of the Court of Common Pleas. / VICE.CHANCELLOR_S.COURT. / COUNSEL ATTENDING / THE / VICE CHANCELLOR'_S COURT [AT]TENDANTS / ON THE / [VICE] CHANCELLOR. / THE VICE CHANCELLOR'_S / RETIRING ROOM. / WATER / CLOSET. (x 3) / THE.HIGH.COURT.OF.CHANCERY. / The Walls tinted with light Indian Ink / shew the size of the Old Court of / Chancery / THE LORD CHANCELLOR'_S / ROBING ROOM. / ATTEDANTS / ON THE / LORD CHANCELLOR. / COUNSEL ATTENDING / THE / LORD CHANCELLOR'S COURT. / GRAND INQUEST JURY. / HALL. / MASTERS IN CHANCERY. / old stone / wall. (x 2) / brick wall. / Bottom York Landing. / Section of wall (flyer) Approach from Westminster Hall / Bail Court. / Staircase / Area dimensions given (verso) General Plan of the New Law Courts at Westminster / shewing likewise the relative dimensions of the Old Courts.

Signed and dated

21/10/1822 - 03/09/1823
21^st: Oct[obe]^r: 1822. (right sheet)
3^rd. Sep[tembe]^r. 1823. (left sheet)

Medium and dimensions

Pencil, wash, coloured washes inlcuding yellow, pink, green and blue, pen, pink pen, pricked for transfer on wove paper (1645 x 602); original sheet (874 x 602); affixed sheet (790 x 563); flyer (314 x 226)

Hand

Possibly Bailey, George (1792--1860), draughtsman
The Day Book entry for 21 October 1822 notes that George Bailey was About drawings of the Courts / at Westminster.
Possibly Mee, Arthur Patrick (1802--1868), draughtsman
The Day Book entry for 21 October 1822 notes that Arthur Mee was About drawings for the new / Courts at Westminster.
Possibly Mocatta, David Alfred (1806--1882), draughtsman
The Day Book entry for 21 October 1822 notes that David Mocatta was About drawings for the new / Courts at Westminster.
Possibly Arthur Patrick Mee (1802 - 1868), draughtsman
The Day Book entry for 2 September 1823 notes that Arthur Mee and David Mocatta were About drawings of the / Courts at West[minste]r.
Probably David Alfred Mocatta (1806 - 1882), draughtsman
The Day Book entry for 2 September 1823 notes that Arthur Mee and David Mocatta were About drawings of the / Courts at West[minste]r.

Verso

Two sketch plans and a series of curves; perhaps for mouldings.

Notes

This drawing originally consisted only of the right side of the current sheet, which was later extended to cover the entire site of the New Law Courts. The east wall of The Vice Chancellor's Court, with its three openings to the Public Corridor, is washed in yellow. This may indicate that Soane was considering replacing the latter with a single, larger arched opening. The New Palace Yard façade of the Court of King's Bench is shown with rounded corners containing entrances, but without any indication of the giant Corinthian order.

Level

Drawing

Digitisation of the Drawings Collection has been made possible through the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation. This catalogue of Soane’s designs for the New Law Courts was generously funded by The Worshipful Company of Mercers and The Pilgrim Trust.

If you have any further information about this object, please contact us: drawings@soane.org.uk