Archive of Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College was founded by Henry VIII in 1546. In doing so, the king dissolved the medieval colleges of Michaelhouse (founded 1326) and The King's Hall (founded 1337). The College was well endowed by its founder not only with property from its predecessor colleges, but also with property derived from the dissolved monasteries. Aspects of the original constitution of Trinity are drafted in the foundation charter, but it was not until the reign of Edward VI that the College received its first statutes. On the petition of the fellowship, Queen Mary augmented college property with the tithes of a number of large northern parishes and also had new statutes drawn up which were, however, never enacted. In 1560, new statutes did come into force which defined the constitution of the College for the next three hundred years. These statutes make requirement for a Master, 60 bachelor Fellows, 62 scholars and 13 sizars ruled by a 'council' of the Master and the eight senior Fellows. Two Bursars were to be elected each year to control the finances of the College, two Deans to see to moral and spiritual welfare, a Steward to oversee the provision of food and a Pandoxator to look after the College brewhouse and bakehouse. The Elizabethan statutes also provided for a structured curriculum for students to follow under the guidance of a Head Lecturer and his eight subordinates.

Although gradual adjustments in the College constitution mirrored changes in academic life, it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that wholesale changes were made in the way that the College was governed. The 1860s saw the introduction of committees to look at educational matters in the College and in 1882 new statutes, approved by the University Commissioners, came into force. These new statutes placed the governance of the College in the hands of a council consisting of a mix of ex-officio members and others elected from the Fellowship, and, with some alterations, remain in place to this day.

Foundation and related charters 1546-47, conclusions books of the Master and Seniors 1607-1886, Council minutes 1882-, Senior Bursar's records 1547-, Junior Bursar's records 1554-, Stewards records 1550-1960, Pandoxator's records 1568-1855, records of students (admission exit and redit etc) 1546-, chapel records 1758-, estate records 1135-, records of The King's Hall 1336-1546, records of Michaelhouse 1324-1546

Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge

The College has preserved its own records since its foundation

Some material, such as tutorial records, have been weeded

Material relating to the recent administrative history of the College is only available with the permission of the Secretary to the College Council

Material may be published only by the permission of the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge. All enquiries regarding such should be made first to The Librarian

Please cite as Trinity College Library, Cambridge:TCA

Trevelyan, G M, Trinity College: An Historical Sketch