Hi LIz, The OED has the following for Doctor's Commons: "The common table and dining-hall of the Association or College of Doctors of Civil Law in London; hence, the buildings occupied and used by these as an incorporated Society and now the name of the site of these, to the south of St. Paul’s Cathedral. "The Society was formed in 1509, by civilians entitled to plead in the Court of Arches. In 1768 they were incorporated under the name of ‘the College of Doctors of Laws [of Oxford and Cambridge] exercent in the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts’. In the buildings of Doctors’ Commons were held five courts, viz. the Court of Arches, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Court of Faculties or Dispensations, Consistory Court, and High Court of Admiralty; the business included all matters of ecclesiastical law, prosecutions for heresy, divorce suits, licences for marriage, testamentary affairs, Admiralty and Prize cases, etc. The Society was dissolved in 1858 and the buildings were taken down in 1867. Literary references to Doctors’ Commons in later times usually refer to the registration or probate of wills, to marriage licences, or to proceedings for divorce." Cheers. Liz in Melbourne Quoting Ron and Liz Waring <edwaring@bigpond.com>: > I have been emailing Judith and she has given me an answer to a query I had about two words in an > old letter and they are Doctors Commons and she suggested I write and ask those of you who are > knowledgeable, just what is "Doctors Commons" ? This was in the context of someone working on > changing their family crest and it suggested this person go to Doctors Commons. Any help > gratefully accepted. > Regards Liz Waring > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > To contact the list administrator: > OLD-ENGLISH-admin@rootsweb.com > >