The First Day of Term

This print shows the first day of the legal term in Westminster Hall identified by the accurate drawing of the hammerbeam roof looking towards tripartite arched window at the far end. Here, in this public setting, three courts were held, Chancery, King’s Bench and Common Pleas. Figures of lawyers are shown talking to their clients and judges sit at the far end of the hall. The Hall also housed legal bookshops and print sellers who can be seen at the sides of the Hall. This print has a satirical poem annexed to it which lampoons the legal business carried out in the Hall. It was popular and was reprinted in 1797.