St John's College, Cambridge Archives

St. John's College, Cambridge was founded by the executors of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VIIth, in 1511. Successive codes of statutes for the government of the College made by John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester and executor of the Foundress, between 1516 and 1530 were superseded by those given by the Crown in 1545 and 1580, until the 19th-century Royal Commissions ushered in a period of frequent reform and reorganization. The College is now governed by statutes made in 1926-7, under powers given to the Universities Commission in 1923, as amended by the Governing Body of the College and approved by the Privy Council, and as recently modified by Order of the University Commissioners in 1995

By the early statutes of the College its government was vested for certain purposes in the whole body of resident fellows, who were graduates. These included the election of fellows and advice on important land or legal transactions (Statutes 1530, Mayor, Early Statutes, pp. 52,205). The election of college officers, however, was to be undertaken annually by the Master and seven seniors (changed to twelve in 1545, and to eight in 1580). By the statutes of 1580 the seniors were given the examination and election of prospective new fellows, and the statute requiring the advice of all resident fellows was omitted (Statutes of 1580, Appendix to Report of Committee on Education, p.423). Provision for an annual General College Meeting of fellows of M.A. standing was made (and a wider consensus thereby reintroduced) by the Statutes of 1860 (Statutes, pp.48-9). By the same statutes the election of fellows was again vested in the Seniors, but assisted by such persons as they should appoint (Statutes, p.27). This power was inherited in 1882 and subsequently by the College Council. Sealings of documents were in 1530 to be undertaken in the presence of the majority of the fellows, but in 1580, and in 1860, in that of the Master (or his deputy)the eight seniors and eight fellows next in seniority (Mayor, p.194, Report Appendix, p.451). Under the Statutes of 1882 the presence of no less than twelve fellows was required at meetings for sealings. No mention was made of the attendance of the Council at sealings themselves, but no document was to be sealed without its prior consent.(Statutes, p.43). In 1939 the number of fellows necessary was reduced to seven and in 1957 to four (plus the Master) providing that at least one of the fellows should be a member of the College Council (Statute XLIX). In 1995 the number was reduced from a total of five to three, the three persons being the keyholders of the seal (the Master and two other college officers) or their deputies (CM3072/10, 13 July).

The College Officers (apart from the Master and President) were elected normally for periods of one year, with one or two renewals until the early eighteenth century when tenures lengthened. In the later nineteenth century bursarships particularly became longer, at first the senior longer than the junior, but from 1901 the junior bursarship was held by the same individual until 1933. In 1975-9 the offices of junior bursar and steward were held in plurality, but from 1979 until 1987 the stewardship was once more held by a separate individual. In 1987 the title Junior Bursar was replaced by that of Domestic Bursar, and the two offices were again held by one man, who was created a fellow ex officio.

Fellows were customarily elected on the basis of learning and probity of morals, by internal examination, from among the scholars, having the degree of B.A., until during the nineteenth century the tripos performance came to be regarded as a determining factor. Until 1820 they had been elected from the Counties of England and Wales, no more than two to each county, while half the number had to be drawn from nine northern counties, and no more than one from each Welsh diocese. In that year restrictions of birthplace were removed from the thirty-two fellowships reckoned of the original foundation of the College. The restrictions dictated by the terms of additional private foundations remained, however, but a 'foundress' fellow might be removed into one of them without loss of seniority, thereby releasing an unrestricted fellowship.

In 1860 new statutes ushered in by the activity of the Royal Commission removed all restrictions in scholarships and fellowships. Fellowships were thereafter regarded purely as 'prizes' for tripos performance and, provided marriage was avoided and Holy Orders were taken (an obligation, however removed for College officers of varying kinds), could be held for life.

In 1882 the last barriers to marriage and lay status were removed, but tenure was limited to six years. The qualifications considered in election were now: performance in University and other public examinations; proficiency in a submitted dissertation or papers, or in an examination in a special area; proficiency in the composition of an English essay.

In 1926 five grades of fellowship were introduced by new statutes ushered in by the third Royal Commission: title A research fellowships (three years initially) whose award depended on submitted writing like the old six year fellowships; title B linked to a College or University post; title C tenable with University offices including professorships; title D tenable for life on retirement, by the Master and those holding under title B or another title for twenty years; title E tenable by those who have resigned other titles before retirement, or those whom it is considered in the interests of the College to elect as a fellow.

Terms of admission of undergraduates at Oxford and Cambridge have traditionally been determined through the Colleges. The University Previous (or Little-Go) Examination introduced in 1824 initially set a test to be taken by those in their second year, but this was moved backwards until after 1926 it had to be taken before matriculation, unless the entrant was exempted by earlier public exam performance. It was last held in 1961, and there are now University Preliminary Examinations, held at the end of the first year of residence.

The criteria for membership of the College before the second world war were essentially application to one of the College's tutors supported by a testimonial of good character and academic fitness and a birth or baptism certificate. College Admissions papers up to the late nineteenth century frequently contain only a Baptism certificate and testimonials of learning and character. On 17 March 1860 the seniors agreed that the admissions procedure be as follows: the candidate should obtain 'the usual' certificate of attainments from some M.A. of Oxford or Cambridge, together with a certificate of Baptism. These would be sent to the Master and the Deans for signature, and (providing no objection was made, in which case the matter was to be referred to the Master and Seniors) the admission should be registered by the President. On 2 February 1870 it was agreed that if a Baptismal certificate could not be produced, other evidence of date and place of birth should suffice__in practice birth certificates came to be substituted for those of baptism. From 7 May 1880 candidates were required to produce evidence of attainments in the shape of a certificate from a public examining body, or from a school headmaster certifying that the candidate was likely to pass all his university examinations. In default of this evidence candidates were required to pass a College entrance examination in classics and mathematics. In 1882 Prof. J.E.B Mayor suggested in his introduction to the printed edition of the first College Admissions Register that candidates be required to complete an Admissions Form, a proposed version of which he printed, and this was shortly afterwards adopted.

College Awards had demanded tests by examination earlier than ordinary places, and after 1860 provisions in the statutes for some scholars to be chosen from others than existing members of the College opened the way to entrance scholarship examinations. In 1894 the College joined a group of other Colleges which held their examinations at the same time. Entrance scholarship exams were ended in 1983, and awards are now made to those in residence in recognition of College/University exam performance.

The Archives of the College contain records of its administration, benefactions, finances and property since the foundation. They include some deeds and financial records of earlier foundations annexed to it, namely the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist, Cambridge, the Hospital of St. Mary at Ospringe, and of the Priory of Higham, Kent, and of the Priory of Broomhall, Berkshire, and household accounts of Lady Margaret Beaufort, 1498-1509. The classes, or parts of classes, of records are available for consultation subject, in accordance with the Statutes and Standing Orders of the College, to the permission of the College Council

Officers of St. John's College

From 1516 St. John's made provision for records of its property and administration, along with valuables, to be preserved in a treasury originally situated above its great gate

The Archives are private, but may be consulted from 9.30 to 1, and 2.15 to 5.30, Monday to Friday, by advance appointment with the Archivist by phone or letter. Applicants to use the Archives should supply a letter of reference.

publication of material is subject to the permission of the College Council

Please cite as St. John's College, Cambridge, Archives; usual abbreviation SJCA

T. Baker, History of St. John's College, Cambridge, ed. J.E.B.Mayor (Cambridge,1869); A.F. Torry, Founders and Benefactors of St. John's College (Cambridge,1888); Admissions to the College of St. John the Evangelist, 1630-1802, four parts, part 1 ed. J.E.B. Mayor (Cambridge 1893), parts 2-4 ed. R.F. Scott (Cambridge 1903,1931); E. Miller, Portrait of A College (Cambridge,1961, repr.1993); A.C. Crook, From the Foundation to Gilbert Scott (Cambridge, the College, 1980), and Penrose to Cripps (Cambridge, the College, 1978) (both the latter histories of the buildings); G.C. Moore Smith, Lists of Past Occupants of Rooms in St. John's College (Cambridge, the Editors of the Eagle Magazine,1895), the lists extending from c.1813 to 1894; E.E. Raven, List of Occupants of Rooms in St. John's College, 1895-1936, (Cambridge, the editors of the Eagle Magazine,1936); N.F.M. Henry and A.C. Crook, Use and Occupancy of Rooms in St. John's College, (Cambridge, the College, 1985), in two parts, part 1 containing an introduction on the history of the use of rooms and plans of the College, part 2 lists of the occupants of rooms from 1936 to 1976; M.K. Jones and M.G. Underwood, The King's Mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (Cambridge, 1992)

Some records from the Archives were printed between 1889 and 1915 in the College magazine The Eagle. The College Library holds medieval manuscripts and modern literary and scientific papers. Major collections there include papers of John Couch Adams (1819-92), astronomer, John F.W. Herschel (1792-1871), astronomer, Terrot R. Glover (1869-1943), classicist, Sir Joseph Larmor (1857-1942), physicist, C.W. Previte-Orton (1877-1947) historian, James J. Sylvester (1814-97), mathematician, Cyril B. Rootham (1875-1938), musician, Cecil Beaton (1904-80), photographer and designer.

A summary list of the Archives is available to users, and more detailed keyword indexes. Calendars also exist of the medieval deeds and seventeenth to nineteenth century correspondence. For descriptions of the medieval manuscripts , and some of the seventeenth and eighteenth century ones, in the College Library, a separate body, see M.R. James, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of St. John's College Cambridge (Cambridge, 1913). A card index of the modern manuscripts is available in the Library