ANCIENTS

ancients.Hist. Certain members of seniority in the Inns of Court and Chancery. • In Gray’s Inn,

the  society  con-sisted  of  benchers,  ancients,  barristers,  and  students  under  the  bar,  with  the

ancients  being  the  oldest barristers.  In  the  Middle  Temple,  those  who  passed  the  readings  were

termed ancients. The Inns of Chancery consisted of both ancients and students or clerks. [Blacks Law 8th]