Pump Court, Temple, London was the first on the left in Middle Temple Lane from 6 Fleet Street, leading to Inner Temple Lane and Lamb's Buildings. Its name referred to the pump in the middle. In the year following 1 Car 1, brick buildings were erected in the Pump Court. In 1637, the rest of the brick buildings in the Pump Court were set up. Many famous figures have lived in Pump Court including William Blackstone, William Cowper, Henry Fielding, Lord Russell of Killowen and Viscount Alverstone, his successor as Lord Chief Justice of England. There is a sundial with a motto that reads "shadows we are and like shadows depart" to remind the residents of the ephemeral character of their occupancy. This sun dial was put up in 1686, and there is an entry in the accounts in respect of it which reads "25th Nov. 1686 Sun Dial in Pump Court £6. 5. 0." It is renovated periodically, and on each of these occasions it was customary for the year and the initials of the Treasurer for the time being to be placed in the centre of the dial. It was restored in 1861. After it was renovated and repainted in 1903, the inscription in the centre read "T. Sir R. B. F. 1903" the Treasurer of the Middle Temple for that year being the Attorney General, Sir Robert Finlay. The insignia of the Middle Temple, the Lamb and Flag, "stood out very boldly" in gold at the top, and the motto was at the bottom. The inscription in the centre was subsequently replaced with "T O M 1686".
1 Pump Court
trained in succession in his pupil room here "a great number of the most eminent lawyers". The Filazers', Exigenters' and Clerk of the Outlawries' Office for the Court of King's Bench was here. These officers were so called from the French wordFil, or thread, because they filed or threaded the writs. Thomas Kenyon was Filazer, Exigenter and Clerk of the Outlawries, and Andrew Edge was Filazer for Essex and Monmouthshire.
3 Pump Court
The Warrant of Attorney Office was here. This was an address of William Draper Best MP. This is now home to the Chambers of Oba Nsugbe QC SAN and has been a western circuit set of barristers chambers since approximately 1943. It now comprises 99 barristers and 12 clerks.
