A long history of law books

Lincoln’s Inn Wildy and Sons is not just located in a historic building; it is a historic enterprise itself. It’s been around since 1830, selling new and used legal books to generations of lawyers (and publishing them even longer). It has always been in Lincoln’s Inn Archway, although other premises have been lost – its 1946 catalog recorded how it lost not only warehouses but also a shop in the cloisters, Temple bombing during World War II. A new branch later opened nearby on Fleet Street. More recently, Wildy’s has got a website which not only stores a huge range of law books but also offers same day courier service in central London.

While the Wildys have passed away, their business partners for over a century, the Sinkins, continue to own the store. WEB Sinkins launched a card catalog of law books in 1930; upon retirement in 1995, it had grown to 65,000 maps spanning 5 centuries and was used by the Bodleian Library to help them catalog their own early law books.

The shop is a treasure trove of old and new law books, of course. It is also a magnificent building, and there are also a lot of items of interest on its shelves. This makes it an irresistible stopover for London history buffs as well as lawyers – and among its vast stock there will certainly be at least a few books that will interest you too!