Doctors' Commons (Dickens-era site), London

In close proximity to London's Saint Paul's Cathedral, the Doctors' Commons once served as a repository for various legal and religious documents, including marriage and divorce certificates, wills, and the society of ecclesiastical lawyers responsible for managing them.

During a visit to the Doctors' Commons, Charles Dickens dedicated a sketch to its operations, which was later published in "Sketches by Boz". In his characteristic witty style, Dickens described the proceedings of several cases conducted in the Court of Arches, the highest court under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop. Unlike the favorable portrayal of the Commons in Sherlock Holmes stories, where it was depicted as a valuable resource for solving crimes, Dickens' own account of this legal institution paints a less benign picture and provides insights into Victorian society: "cosey, dosey, old-fashioned, time-forgotten, sleepy-headed little family party."

A plaque can be found on the Faraday building on the northern side of Queen Victoria Street, commemorating the location where the now-demolished Doctors' Commons once stood.