 Gray 's Inn does not claim a specific foundation date ; there is a tradition that none of the Inns of Court claims to be any older than the others . Law clerks and their apprentices have been established on the present site since at least 1370 , with records dating from 1391 . During the 15th and 16th centuries , the Inn grew steadily with great prestige , reaching its pinnacle during the reign of Elizabeth I. The Inn was home to many important barristers and politicians , most notably Francis Bacon , and counted Elizabeth herself as a patron . Thanks to the efforts of prominent members such as William Cecil and Gilbert Gerard , Gray 's Inn became the largest of the four by number , with over 200 barristers recorded as members . During this period , the Inn became noted for the masques and revels that it threw , and William Shakespeare is believed to have performed there at least once . 
