CAMBRIDGE, UNIVERSITY OF, one of the two ancient institutions of the kind existing in England. Overlooking several fabulous accounts of its origin, its true history may be said to begin at the opening of the 12th century. It was in 1110 that Joffrid, abbot of Croyland, sent over to his manor of Cottenham, near Cambridge, Gislebert, his fel low-monk and professor in divinity, with three other learned monks. These came over to Cambridge. and in a hired barn taught their sciences, and in a short space of time drew together so great a number of scholars, that in the second year of their coming no single building was able to contain them. Perhaps even this statement is doubtful. At any rate, when Alfred of Beverley was student here—viz., 1129 A.D.—there were as yet no public halls or hostels, but each one lived in his own hired lodging.
The first regular society of students was that of Peterhouse, founded in 1257. About this time, students began to live together in hostels, under the rule of a principal, at their own charges. These hostels were named after the saints to whom they were dedi cated, the churches which they adjoined, or the persons who formerly built or possessed them. In the year 1280, there were as many as 34, and some of them contained from 20 to 40 masters of arts, and a proportionate number of younger students; but all these hostels decayed by degrees when endowed colleges began to appear. Trinity hostel sur vived all the rest, and continued to 1540. The hostels were the beginning of what may be called the college system, which distinguishes the sister-universities of Oxford and Cambridge from those of Edinburgh, London, and the continent. See UNIVERSITIES.
It was between the latter part of the 13th and the close of the 16th c. that all these royal and religious foundations were endowed which now constitute the university. Hugh de Balsham has the honor of being the first benefactor in this way. Michael house was founded by Hervey de Stanton in 1324, and King's hall by Edward III. in 1332, both of which were absorbed into Trinity college by Henry VIII. in 1546. Clare hall, as it used to be called, one of the earliest and now one of the prettiest colleges in Cambridge, was founded by the countess of Clare in 1326. Henry VI. has left himself
an imperishable monument in the splendid foundation of King's college; and his queen, Margaret, commenced the foundation of Queens' college, which was added to by Eliza beth Widville, queen of Edward IV. Lady Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby, mother of Henry VII., founded ChriSt's college and St. John's at the beginning of the 16th c., and also the divinity professorship named after her. Henry VII) appropriated part of the spoils of the monasteries to the foundation of Trinity college, and queen Mary augmented the endowment. The five regius professorships were endowed by Henry VIII. Cambridg6 was frequently visited by the plague, and university proceed ings were suspended by it in 1642 and 1666. In 1643, Cromwell took possession of the town, and the most eminent loyalists were expelled from the university. Almost all the colleges had sent their plate to the king at Nottingham. As might be expected, little was done for the university in this troubled century; indeed no new colleges were added until the founding of Downing college in 1800.
The predominance of the religious element in the college diseitiline is to be attributed as much to the circumstances and manners of the times in which the colleges were founded, as to the piety of the founders themselves. There had been, from very early times, "religious houses," and these were in many cases united with the new collegiate foundations. There were, for example, the Dominicans, or preaching friars, whose house is now turned into Emmanuel college. The friars who lived in these convents were capable of degrees, and kept their "acts," or exercises for degrees, as other uni versity men. There were, however, frequent quarrels between them and the other stu dents. To the same cause is to be traced the condition of celibacy, upon which, with few exceptions, the fellowships were formerly tenable. Masters of colleges and profes sors may all marry, and the restriction in the case of fellows has lately been removed or relaxed at most of the colleges. In like manner, the obligation to take holy orders as the condition of holding a fellowship, has been greatly relaxed at all the colleges At St. Peter's there are 11, and at Trinity hall 10 lay fellowships.