1.
Trinity College, Cambridge
–
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. With around 600 undergraduates,300 graduates, and over 180 fellows, by combined student numbers, it is second to Homerton College, Cambridge. Members of Trinity have won 32 Nobel Prizes out of the 91 won by members of Cambridge University, five Fields Medals in mathematics were won by members of the college and one Abel Prize was won. Other royal family members have studied there without obtaining degrees, including King Edward VII, King George VI, along with Christs, Jesus, Kings and St Johns colleges, it has also provided several of the well known members of the Apostles, an intellectual secret society. In 1848, Trinity hosted the meeting at which Cambridge undergraduates representing private schools such as Westminster drew up the first formal rules of football, Trinitys sister college in Oxford is Christ Church. Like that college, Trinity has been linked with Westminster School since the schools re-foundation in 1560, the college was founded by Henry VIII in 1546, from the merger of two existing colleges, Michaelhouse, and Kings Hall. At the time, Henry had been seizing church lands from abbeys, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, being both religious institutions and quite rich, expected to be next in line. The King duly passed an Act of Parliament that allowed him to any college he wished. The universities used their contacts to plead with his sixth wife, the Queen persuaded her husband not to close them down, but to create a new college. The king did not want to use royal funds, so he combined two colleges and seven hostels to form Trinity. Contrary to popular belief, the lands granted by Henry VIII were not on their own sufficient to ensure Trinitys eventual rise. In its infancy Trinity had owed a great deal to its college of St Johns. Its first four Masters were educated at St Johns, and it took until around 1575 for the two colleges application numbers to draw even, a position in which they have remained since the Civil War. Bentley himself was notorious for the construction of a hugely expensive staircase in the Masters Lodge, most of the Trinitys major buildings date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Thomas Nevile, who became Master of Trinity in 1593, rebuilt and this work included the enlargement and completion of Great Court, and the construction of Neviles Court between Great Court and the river Cam. Neviles Court was completed in the late 17th century when the Wren Library, in the 20th century, Trinity College, St Johns College and Kings College were for decades the main recruiting grounds for the Cambridge Apostles, an elite, intellectual secret society. In 2011, the John Templeton Foundation awarded Trinity Colleges Master, Trinity is the richest Oxbridge college, with a landholding alone worth £800 million. Trinity is sometimes suggested to be the second, third or fourth wealthiest landowner in the UK – after the Crown Estate, the National Trust, in 2005, Trinitys annual rental income from its properties was reported to be in excess of £20 million
2.
University of Cambridge
–
The University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research university in Cambridge, England, often regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Founded in 1209 and given royal status by King Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. The university grew out of an association of scholars who left the University of Oxford after a dispute with the townspeople, the two ancient universities share many common features and are often referred to jointly as Oxbridge. Cambridge is formed from a variety of institutions which include 31 constituent colleges, Cambridge University Press, a department of the university, is the worlds oldest publishing house and the second-largest university press in the world. The university also operates eight cultural and scientific museums, including the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridges libraries hold a total of around 15 million books, eight million of which are in Cambridge University Library, a legal deposit library. In the year ended 31 July 2015, the university had an income of £1.64 billion. The central university and colleges have an endowment of around £5.89 billion. The university is linked with the development of the high-tech business cluster known as Silicon Fen. It is a member of associations and forms part of the golden triangle of leading English universities and Cambridge University Health Partners. As of 2017, Cambridge is ranked the fourth best university by three ranking tables and no other institution in the world ranks in the top 10 for as many subjects. Cambridge is consistently ranked as the top university in the United Kingdom, the university has educated many notable alumni, including eminent mathematicians, scientists, politicians, lawyers, philosophers, writers, actors, and foreign Heads of State. Ninety-five Nobel laureates, fifteen British prime ministers and ten Fields medalists have been affiliated with Cambridge as students, faculty, by the late 12th century, the Cambridge region already had a scholarly and ecclesiastical reputation, due to monks from the nearby bishopric church of Ely. The University of Oxford went into suspension in protest, and most scholars moved to such as Paris, Reading. After the University of Oxford reformed several years later, enough remained in Cambridge to form the nucleus of the new university. A bull in 1233 from Pope Gregory IX gave graduates from Cambridge the right to teach everywhere in Christendom, the colleges at the University of Cambridge were originally an incidental feature of the system. No college is as old as the university itself, the colleges were endowed fellowships of scholars. There were also institutions without endowments, called hostels, the hostels were gradually absorbed by the colleges over the centuries, but they have left some indicators of their time, such as the name of Garret Hostel Lane. Hugh Balsham, Bishop of Ely, founded Peterhouse, Cambridges first college, the most recently established college is Robinson, built in the late 1970s
3.
Pembroke College, Cambridge
–
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has seven hundred students. Physically, it is one of the larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its founding. As of 2014 the college has an endowment of £67 million. Pembroke has a level of academic performance among the highest of all the Cambridge colleges, Pembroke is home to the first chapel designed by Sir Christopher Wren and is one of the six Cambridge colleges to have educated a British prime minister, in Pembrokes case William Pitt the Younger. The college library, with a Victorian neo-gothic clock tower, is endowed with a copy of the first encyclopaedia to contain printed diagrams. The colleges current master is Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury, Marie de St Pol, Countess of Pembroke founded Pembroke College, Cambridge. Christmas Eve 1347, Edward III granted Marie de St Pol, widow of the Earl of Pembroke, the Hall of Valence Mary, as it was originally known, was thus founded to house a body of students and fellows. The college was later renamed Pembroke Hall, and finally became Pembroke College in 1856, Marie was closely involved with College affairs in the thirty years up to her death in 1377. Both the founding of the college and the building of the citys first college Chapel required the grant of a papal bull. The original court was the universitys smallest at only 95 feet by 55 feet, the colleges gatehouse is the oldest in Cambridge. The original Chapel now forms the Old Library and has a striking seventeenth-century plaster ceiling, designed by Henry Doogood, around the Civil War, one of Pembrokes fellows and Chaplain to the future Charles I, Matthew Wren, was imprisoned by Oliver Cromwell. On his release after eighteen years, he fulfilled a promise by hiring his nephew Christopher Wren to build a great Chapel in his former college. The resulting Chapel was consecrated on St Matthews Day,1665, and the end was extended by George Gilbert Scott in 1880. An increase in membership over the last 150 years saw an increase in building activity. The Hall was rebuilt in 1875–6 by Alfred Waterhouse after he had declared the medieval Hall unsafe, Building work continued into the 20th century with W. D. Caröe as architect. He added Pitt Building between Ivy Court and Waterhouses Lodge, and extended New Court with the construction of O staircase on the side of the Lodge. In 1926, as the Fellows had become disenchanted with Waterhouses Hall, Maurice Webb was brought in to remove the open roof, put in a flat ceiling
4.
Elizabeth I of England
–
Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife, who was executed two and a half years after Elizabeths birth. Annes marriage to Henry VIII was annulled, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate, edwards will was set aside and Mary became queen, deposing Lady Jane Grey. During Marys reign, Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels, in 1558, Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel. She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers, led by William Cecil, one of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England and it was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir to continue the Tudor line. She never did, despite numerous courtships, as she grew older, Elizabeth became famous for her virginity. A cult grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, in government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been. One of her mottoes was video et taceo, in religion, she was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution. Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs, manoeuvring between the powers of France and Spain. She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands, France, by the mid-1580s, England could no longer avoid war with Spain. Englands defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 associated Elizabeth with one of the greatest military victories in English history, Elizabeths reign is known as the Elizabethan era. Some historians depict Elizabeth as a short-tempered, sometimes indecisive ruler, towards the end of her reign, a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity. Such was the case with Elizabeths rival, Mary, Queen of Scots, after the short reigns of Elizabeths half-siblings, her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity. Elizabeth was born at Greenwich Palace and was named after both her grandmothers, Elizabeth of York and Elizabeth Howard and she was the second child of Henry VIII of England born in wedlock to survive infancy. Her mother was Henrys second wife, Anne Boleyn, at birth, Elizabeth was the heir presumptive to the throne of England. She was baptised on 10 September, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the Marquess of Exeter, the Duchess of Norfolk, Elizabeth was two years and eight months old when her mother was beheaded on 19 May 1536, four months after Catherine of Aragons death from natural causes. Elizabeth was declared illegitimate and deprived of her place in the royal succession, eleven days after Anne Boleyns execution, Henry married Jane Seymour, who died shortly after the birth of their son, Prince Edward, in 1537
5.
John Still
–
John Still, bishop of Bath and Wells, enjoyed considerable fame as a preacher and disputant. He was formerly reputed to be the author of the early English comedy drama Gammer Gurtons Needle and he was born 1543 at Grantham, Lincolnshire. After finishing his schooling at The Kings School, Grantham he became a student at Christs College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a BA in 1562, MA in 1565, in 1561 he became a fellow of his college and took holy orders. He was appointed in 1570 Lady Margarets Professor of Divinity, subsequently held livings in Suffolk and Yorkshire, Still was vice-chancellor of his university in 1575/6 and again in 1592/3, and was raised to the bishopric of Bath and Wells in 1593. In 1604 he purchased the manor of Hutton, Somerset, east of Wells and to the west of the Mendip Hills and he died on 26 February 1608, leaving a large fortune from lead mines discovered in the Mendips. There is a monument to Still in the north transept of Wells Cathedral. Gammer Gurtons Needle is the second earliest extant English comedy, properly so called. The title-page of the piece, which was printed by Thomas Colwell in 1575, states that it was played not long ago at Christs College, Cambridge, and was made by Mr S. Mr of Art. A play was acted at Christmas 1567, and Still was identified as being the only MA on the register at that time whose name began with S, in the accounts of Christs College for 1559–60 is the entry, Spent at Mr Stevensons plaie, 5s. William Stevenson was born at Hunwick, Durham, matriculated in 1546, took his MA degree in 1553, Stevenson was a fellow of Christs College from 1559 to 1561, and is perhaps to be identified with a William Stevenson, who was a fellow from 1551 to 1554. If such is the case, there is reason to believe that the composition of Gammer Gurtons Needle should be ascribed to the earlier period and he was made prebendary of Durham in 1560–61, and died in 1575. In the light of the discussion, Gammer Gurtons Needle is thought to have been produced in around 1553. Though it is overt in its use of Latin comedic conventions than its contemporary Ralph Roister Doister. The plot centres on the loss of a needle belonging to Gammer Gurton and it is eventually found when her servant, Hodge, is slapped on the buttocks by the trickster figure Diccon and discovers it in the seat of his breeches. John Still married twice, Firstly to Anne Alabaster, daughter of Thomas Alabaster, a monumental brass in her memory exists in Hadleigh Church. Her brother John Alabaster was twice mayor of Hadleigh and they had the following progeny, John, buried at Hadleigh. Baptised at Hadleigh in 1579, died 1626 at Hutton, Somerset and he married Jane Whitmore, a daughter of William Whitmore, a haberdasher of Balmes Manor, Hackney and of Apley Hall, Shropshire. Janes nephew was Sir Thomas Whitmore, 1st Baronet, elizabeth, living in 1639, Daughter 4, unnamed, Mary married John Dennis of Pucklechurch, Glos
6.
Trinity Great Court
–
Great Court is the main court of Trinity College, Cambridge, and reputed to be the largest enclosed court in Europe. The court was completed by Thomas Nevile, master of the college, in the years of the 17th century. The Great Gate is home to the statue of founder Henry VIII whose sceptre was replaced by a chair leg by students in the 19th century. Next comes the East Range, and staircases F-K that contain the college bursary, staircase I leads to Angel Court, containing rooms for students and fellows, and to the college bar. The South Range runs from staircases L–Q with rooms for students and fellows, R staircase can be found in a passage leading to Bishops Hostel, while S staircase is on the left in the passage leading past the Hall into Neviles Court. The West Range is dominated by the Great Hall, the dining hall modelled on that of Middle Temple. The fourth side begins with staircases A–C, before reaching Kings Gate, and the entrance to the oldest part of the college, originally built on the site of the current sundial in the middle of the court, Nevile moved it 20 metres north when completing the court. Kings Gate also houses the clock that chimes every 15 minutes and strikes the hour twice. In the centre of the court is a fountain, built during Neviles time. Many have tried to run the 341 metres around the court in the 43 seconds that it takes to strike 12 oclock, known as the Great Court Run, students traditionally attempt to complete the circuit on the day of the Matriculation Dinner. Only two people are believed to have completed the run in the time. The first was Lord Burghley in 1927, Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram attempted the feat in a charity race on 29 October 1988. Coes time was reported by Norris McWhirter to have been 45.52 seconds, the clock on that day took 44.4 seconds and the video film confirms that Coe was some 12 metres short of his finish line when the fateful final stroke occurred. The television commentators were suggesting that the sounds of the bell could be included in the striking time. This conflicts with Trinity Colleges website, which states, In October 1988 the race was recreated for charity by Britains two foremost middle-distance runners, Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram, daley Thompson, the decathlete, was a reserve. Coe won, getting round in 42.53 seconds, alas, he didnt quite beat the chimes, as the clock had been wound the day before, and the chimes ran somewhat faster than their usual 43 seconds because of the extra turn of rope on the drum. The event was organized by 36-year-old undergraduate Nigel McCrery and raised £50,000 for the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, in 2007, Sam Dobin was seen to beat the clock in a time of 42. 77s, improving on his 3rd-place finish the previous year. Dobins achievement received national newspaper coverage which reported it as the fastest time in the history of the race, beating Burghley, from 2012 to 2014, Cornelius Roemer won the run three times in a row, beating the clock in his 2014 run
