Notes from the Records of St. John's College, Cambridge (Volume 5)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899. Excerpt: ... HE COLLEGE RECORDS. '.inued from p. 510. E'igU, Vol. xX, No. 119, June 8oo. of a College would be complete. not contain some account of the by which it has been governed, case of St John's the materials for e ample and in accessible form. Prof ted the earlier Statutes of Bishop Fisher ) and of Henry the Eighth (i545)-The.en Elizabeth (1635) were issued as a Paper by the House of Commons in: he successive Statutes of Victoria of 1847, .2 have been printed by the College, er Statutes are of interest as shewing the _i at by those who directed the affairs of the nded College, while changes in Church and; reflected or illustrated by the subsequent documents which follow shew the care which s.en, by restricting the number of Fellows elected ny one county, to ensure that the influence of the should be widely felt. On these early Statutes engrafted the foundations of private Benefactors, ls to further the interests of particular Schools, ities, Parishes, or their own families. The interdon 'of the General Statutes and of these special Deeds of Trust were naturally very complicated. The records of the Bishops of Ely shew that as Visitors of the College they were frequently called upon to decide knotty points as to the relative claims of rival candidates. Some disputes even came before the Higher Courts. The operation of the county restriction in the choice of a College is illustrated by the following extract from the Reminiscences of Henry Gunning: It was my father's intention to have me admitted at St John's; but my county was at that time filled by the Bishop of Ely's Fellow, named Hitch, and Zacbary Brooke (son of the Margaret Professor of Divinity) was already admitted. After some deliberation, my father decided upon entering me as a Sizar at Christ's College.....