The Inner Temple is one of the four Inns of Court in London. It began in the early years of King Henry II's reign when the Knights Templar moved from their original location in Holborn to land along the Thames between Fleet Street and Essex House. After the dissolution of the Knights Templar in 1312, the land was granted to the Knights Hospitaller. Lawyers began living there in the 13th century and the Inner Temple grew to become the second largest Inn during the Elizabethan period. It provides legal training, selection and regulation for barristers and judges.

2. The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the
four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and
practise as a barrister in England and Wales, a person must belong to one of these Inns. It is located in
the wider Temple area, near the Royal Courts of Justice, and within the City of London. As a liberty, it
functions largely as an independent local government authority.
The Inn is a professional body that provides legal training, selection, and regulation for members. It is
ruled by a governing council called "Parliament", made up of the Masters of the Bench (or "Benchers"),
and led by the Treasurer, who is elected to serve a one-year term. The Temple takes its name from the
Knights Templar, who originally (until their abolition in 1312) leased the land to the Temple's inhabitants
(Templars). The Inner Temple was a distinct society from at least 1388, although as with all the Inns of
Court its precise date of founding is not known. After a disrupted early period (during which the Temple
was almost entirely destroyed in the Peasants' Revolt) it flourished, becoming the second-largest Inn
during the Elizabethan period (after Gray's Inn).

3. The history of the Inner Temple begins in the early years of the reign of Henry II (1154–1189),
when the contingent of Knights Templar in London moved from the Old Temple in Holborn to a new
location on the banks of the River Thames, stretching from Fleet Street to what is now Essex
House.The original Temple covered much of what is now the northern part of Chancery Lane
(originally New Street), which the Knights created to provide access to their new buildings. The old
Temple eventually became the London palace of the Bishop of Lincoln. After the Reformation it
became the home of the Earl of Southampton, and the location is now named Southampton
Buildings. The first group of lawyers came to live here during the 13th century, although as legal
advisers to the Knights rather than as a society. The Knights fell out of favour, and the order was
dissolved in 1312, with the land seized by the king and later granted to the Knights Hospitaller. The
Hospitallers probably did not live on the property, but rather used it as a source of revenue through
rent. The secular, common law lawyers migrated to the hamlet of Holborn, as it was easy to get to
the law courts at Westminster Hall and was just outside the City.

4. The original Library existed from at least 1506, and
consisted of a single room. This was not a dedicated
library, as it was also used for dining when there
were too many barristers for the hall, and later for
moots. By 1607 a second room had been added,
and Edward Coke donated a copy of his Reports for
the library a year later. The Library of the Inner
Temple was far superior to those of the other Inns of
Court, and "placed the House far in advance of the
other societies".
The Library refused to accept John Selden's
manuscripts in 1654, most likely because the size of
the collection would necessitate a new building, but
it has been described as "the greatest loss which the
Library of the Inner Temple ever sustained". The
Library was entirely destroyed in the Great Fire of
London, but a replacement was built in 1668. A
second, smaller fire in 1679 necessitated the
destruction of one library building to act as a
firebreak and save the hall

5. Temple Church has been described as "the finest of
the four round churches still existing in London".The
original Round was constructed in 1185 by the
Knights Templar and consecrated by the Patriarch of
Jerusalem on 10 February.The church was highly
regarded during this period, with William the Marshal
buried there and Henry III initially making plans
before changing to Westminster Abbey.
After the fall of the Templars the church, along with
the rest of the Temple, fell into the hands of the
Knights Hospitaller, and from there passed to Henry
VIII, who appointed a priest, known as the Master of
the Temple. The Royal Charter granted by James I
that guaranteed the independence of the Inner and
Middle Temples did so on the condition that the
Temples maintain the church, a requirement which
has been followed to this day.Both societies also
own the Master's House next to the church, a
Georgian townhouse built in 1764.