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48 - The Mystery of the Bar Gown

from PART VI - Legal Antiquities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2014

John Baker
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
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Summary

Legal folklore has always fascinated the public and the profession, and the hundred or so books which have been written about the inns of court and their customs include more than a few accounts of legal dress. None of the latter, however, are wholly accurate, being founded for the most part on speculation rather than evidence. In no respect is the imaginary quality of the recorded traditions of the law greater than in the story of the distinctive gown worn by junior barristers. The garment is not at first sight remarkable. It is a full gown of black stuff, pleated at the yoke like an academical gown, and with wide bell-shaped sleeves caught up over the elbow with three buttoned tapes. Sharp observers, and those who have spent some time in the courts, would also notice the curious appendage suspended over the back of the left shoulder by a long strip of stuff which hangs in front. The broader piece at the back has been likened to a fiddle sliced in half, or a cloven tongue, though these unsatisfactory descriptions serve chiefly to demonstrate that the shape is not easily expressed in words. An old tradition, dating at least from the end of the eighteenth century and still current at the Bar, is that it is a ‘wallet’ or ‘pouch’ into which a grateful client could slip the honorarium, unseen and without embarrassment.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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  • The Mystery of the Bar Gown
  • John Baker, University of Cambridge
  • Book: Collected Papers on English Legal History
  • Online publication: 05 December 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316090930.051
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  • The Mystery of the Bar Gown
  • John Baker, University of Cambridge
  • Book: Collected Papers on English Legal History
  • Online publication: 05 December 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316090930.051
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Mystery of the Bar Gown
  • John Baker, University of Cambridge
  • Book: Collected Papers on English Legal History
  • Online publication: 05 December 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316090930.051
Available formats
×