The 1753 debt book
Item: The firm's 1753 debt book.
What is it? The earliest known archival record of Farrer & Co - a handwritten ledger of client billings and legal work.
Why it matters: This rare and well-preserved volume connects us directly to the firm’s Georgian origins, offering rare insight into legal practice, client relationships, and billing over 270 years ago.
Background
A direct link to our earliest history
This debt book, dated 1753, is the oldest surviving record in Farrer & Co’s archives. More than 270 years old, it predates our move to Lincoln’s Inn Fields and provides a tangible link to the earliest chapters of the firm’s life and also an insight into the day-to-day practices of an eighteenth-century law firm.
It would have been transported by cart from Chancery Lane in 1790, when the firm acquired the southern part of 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields. For well over two centuries, it remained in the firm’s strongrooms, until around 2010, when our historical records were transferred to external storage at a secure facility in Essex.
Handwritten, handmade, and remarkably intact
Despite its age, the 1753 volume has survived in notably good condition - largely because it was written on handmade paper, typical of the 18th century. In contrast, books from the 1850s, produced using early industrial papermaking processes, are now among the most fragile in our collection - often disintegrating at the touch.
The resilience of the earlier records is a powerful reminder of the craft and care that underpinned both legal and material culture at the time. Ink, paper and handwriting were chosen with care, and with an expectation that records would endure.
What are debt books?
Debt books formed part of a structured system of record-keeping used by the firm over many generations.
The 1753 volume is the first in a long sequence of firm records:
- Debt books recorded all bill narratives - sometimes in painstaking detail.
- Letter books recorded every letter sent out by the firm.
Together, these sources provide invaluable information on the types of instructions we received from clients, how we advised them, and the language of legal practice across centuries.
Why it matters
The 1753 debt book is not only a treasured archival object, but a symbol of the firm’s continuity and tradition. It sets a foundation of careful record-keeping, client service, and attention to legal detail and accountability. These foundations remind us of the values that have been key to Farrer & Co for centuries, and continue to define us today.
Farrer & Co, 66 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LH, United Kingdom
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