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Antiquarian, Sets & Second Hand

Wildy & Sons Ltd – Celebrating 182 Years of Service to the Legal Community

Antiquarian Books

Wildy’s Antiquarian stock is now available to buy via our own website. To view our stockholding click …here


In 1930, W.E.B. Sinkins, concerned about the ever-increasing volume of legal titles being published, decided to start a card index system to catalogue new titles received. This index gradually grew and was expanded to include all the books published on English, Scottish and Irish law that crossed his lectern. Needless to say, this passion for cataloguing continued and eventually the only necessary criteria for inclusion were that the title should be written in English and be on the subject of law. W.E.B. Sinkins continued his work for 65 years until he retired in 1995.

During the 1970’s, half a drawer of records a month was sent upon request to the Bodleian Law Library in Oxford, to assist in their cataloguing of early law books. W.E.B.‘s legacy to the company was to leave a database that is unique: a card index system of 86 drawers, containing approximately 65,000 record cards, listing law books published from the year 1500 to the present day. Visitors to our Lincoln’s Inn branch are welcome to view these records. The work he began continues even today.

Antiquarian enquires should be sent to – Graham Norfolk

Second-Hand enquiries should be sent to – Colin Wickham

New and Second-Hand Sets and Reports enquiries should be sent to – John Pethick

1A Cloisters – Our first Temple Bookshop, destroyed by enemy action

A Book Catalogue from the late 1930’s